Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1909 — World Never Better Than It Is Today. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

World Never Better Than It Is Today.

By JOSEPH W. FOLK.

Former of MtaeourL

t*M“M’*4+tLTHOUGH I BELIEVE THE MILLENNIUM IS FAR ' ;; AWAY, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE WORLD WAS | g HEYER BETTER THAN IT IS TODAY AND THAT IT o /’■‘W «► IS GROWING BETTER EVERY DAY. ‘ 3 The PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, which is keener and more active than ever before, is responsible for the growth in civic righteotisness, and good government depends on the activity and aggressiveness of the average citizen. There was never a time when there have been FEWER IN POLITICS FOR REVENUE ONLY. Tte good people are in the majority. The greatest impediment to good government is the indifference of the righteous man. If there are graft, gambling and “white slave” traffic in any city it is because the officials want them. These laws can be enforced in great cities as well as ini other places IF THE OFFICIALS W ANT THEM ENFORCED. If a city cannot enforce its liquor laws it is a sign that gambling is going on and that graft is back of it. Some American citizens have paid as high as $50,000,000 for a .foreign duke or prince for their daughters. If I had saved every cent of my $5,000 salary as governor it would have taken me 10,000 years to save enough to buy one of the dukes. THE PEOPLE ARE BEING AWAKENED TO THE INJUSTICE OF 80,000,000 BEING TAXED TO MAKE A FEW MEN RICH. THE PUBLIC CONSCIENCE NOW SAYS THAT ALL THE PEOPLE SHALL BE PROSPEROUS RATHER THAN THAT THE FEW BE EXTREMELY WEALTHY. Our republic has lasted 133 years. Athens existed as a republic for 900 years, Rome for 500 years, Carthage for 700 years, and all these republics were WRECKED ON THE ROCKS OF SPECIAL PRIVILEGE. Our republic is founded on the Christian idea of equal rights and brotherhood. You may search through the archives and ruins of those old republics for a charitable institution or an institution for the education of the masses. THE STANDARD OF MORALITY AND THE STANDARD OF JUSTICE ARE HIGHER THAN THEY THEN WERE, AND THIS HAS COME ABOUT THROUGH A QUICKENED PUBLIC CONSCIENCE.