| Show LOOKING BACKWARD As people advance years they are liable to think that the world grows worse it does not though A case illustrating il-lustrating the point occurred in Philadelphia Phil-adelphia the other day The story told by the Record is as follows One of those wellmeaning old gentlemen gen-tlemen who believes the country is rapidly rap-idly approaching political ruin received re-ceived a well merited rebuke the other I evening while riding in a Thirteenth street car with exJudge Theodore F Jenkins The old gentleman in question ques-tion recognized the judge and introduced I intro-duced himself Naturally the conversation conver-sation turned to things political and I the old gentleman relieved his mind concerning the affairs of the state and nation Why thirty years ago he exclaimed no one could have believed such a state of affairs ever tcvbe possible pos-sible The judge mused in silence for I a moment Then he said Let me see Thirty yearsago was 1S67 Boss Tweed and his New York ring were in full control robbing the people right and left Gambling houses were openly running in Philadelphia Men were shot on the streets and a woman wasnt safe out alone after dark The citys credit was way below par and politicians politi-cians were dividing the spoils The old gentleman deprecatingly waved his hand but the judge mercilessly continued con-tinued Boss Shepherd was in control of Washington the credit mobilier scandal was under way but the seat beside him was vacant The old gentleman gen-tleman had alighted The other passengers pas-sengers expressed in their glances their approbation of the able manner in which Judge Jenkins had defended the times A comparison of things as they are today with any time in the past would be In favor of the present The standard stand-ard of the people in all things is better and higher today than it ever was and their aims are nobler As people become be-come old and their steps approach nearer and nearer to the grave it is natural that their thoughts should revert re-vert to the bright days of their youth when the world was full of hone and promise when tHe seizure of any prize seemed possible and no task impossible impossi-ble As life advances the visions of I Youth vanish and the stern hard realities real-ities that so often embitter mens lives are met with and the struggle for fame and fortune for most men ends in disaster and disappointment Then the world seems to be growing worse This is but natural for each one is the center of the universe to himself and if he has failed why should it not appear ap-pear that all was failing The world does not crow worse in any respect it grows better If some meet with disappointment and everything I every-thing has proven a vanity all have not met with disappointment It is a wise provision of nature that generation shall succeed generation and that the old shall give way to the new Those who realize this will never accept the I theory that the world is growing worse they will look forward and not backward back-ward i n |
