清光绪十一年(1885年)，宋以优贡中举，翌年中进士，选庶吉士，散馆授编修。十七年(1891年)任顺天府乡试同考官。二十年(1894年)任山东乡试副考官，奉命典试山东;二十二年(1896年)任都察院山东道监察御史、掌印御史。宋进入仕途后，更关心国计民生。任山东乡试副考官时，职责是"奉命典试"，但他抽时间对山东黄河泛滥情况进行了翔实考察，后向清廷上《条陈治河疏》，陈述黄河决口给百姓带来家毁人亡的难，揭露当地官员在治理黄河过程中的营私舞弊行为，提出了解决营私舞弊的措施。他还先后上过多本奏折，要求清廷关心百姓疾苦，廓清吏治，就连权宦李莲英庇护其侄李苌才行凶的罪行，他也敢上《劾太监寻衅疏》，力主正义。陕西维新派人士刘古愚为振兴民族工业，拟集股20万两白银，创办陕西保富织布局。宋支持这一倡议，拟与同乡好友李岳瑞从豫丰银行借出20万两白银作创办经费。此举因刑部侍郎赵舒翘不肯作保而搁浅。
二十三年(1897年)十二月十三日，康有为等在北京创建粤学会。二十四年(1898年)正月，宋与李岳瑞等亦发起成立关西学会。三月二十日，康有为等人以关西学会为基础，成立"保国会"，宋积极参与其事，且列名"保国会"中。半年内，由康有为起草，以宋伯鲁名义向皇帝上书的奏章就有十份，对康、梁领导的维新变法给予坚决支持，并同敌视、反对变法的顽固势力作坚决斗争。当光绪帝下令在"举行经济特科之外，更举经济常科，试时务、策论及政治、法律、财政、外交、物理各专门之学"，"以开民智而救八股之害"时，他连上两折，痛斥八股之危害。奏折交礼部议处时，礼部尚书、总理各国事务大臣许应骙极力反对。宋与杨深秀联名上疏光绪帝痛斥许应骙，此即维新运动中有影响的《请将守旧礼臣立赐降斥疏》。经过一番较量，许应骙被撤职，作为推行新政重要步骤的废除八股取仕的诏书，冲破重重阻力终于公布。此后，宋又连上《请选通达中外政治之才每省一人任新政疏》《请选通才以资顾问疏》《各省举办铁路矿务官不如商折》等一系列奏折，成为康梁维新运动的重要骨干之一。光绪帝被囚后，宋被清廷下令革职拿问。他得李岳瑞密报，先避于意大利使馆，旋携眷匿居上海三年余，期间一度赴日本。面对国事日非的局面，他于光绪二十五年(1899年)写成《己亥谈时》一书，对变法改革的意义给予很高评价。他在《论成法不可拘》一文中指出:欧洲各国舍旧图新，勇往直前，故能富强。日本变法，亦雄视东亚。惟独中国不肯改弦更张，这是至今贫弱的根本原因。在另一篇文章中，他大声疾呼:"吾愿爱国者，熟计长思之。"
二十八年六月初一(1902年7月5日)，因生计困难，携眷回陕，受门生故旧欢迎。陕西按察使樊增祥有亲戚傅某为官时受宋弹劾，乘机报复，遂串通陕西巡抚升允于六月十八日(7月22日) 电奏清廷，指控宋"受业康门，甘为鹰犬，其罪在康有为之下、杨深秀之上"，宋遂被囚禁，三年后获释出狱。伊犁将军长庚因慕其名，请赴新疆参与治理机宜。宋随长庚行至迪化(今乌鲁木齐)，被藩司王树楠恳留，主持新疆通志局，纂修新疆省志。三十四年(1908年)写成《新疆建置志》《新疆山脉志》各四卷。宣统元年(1909年)长庚调任陕甘总督，宋又随长庚东返。嗣后，见长庚因循守旧，难以施展抱负，辛亥年夏返回故乡。

1911年10月西安反清起义成功后，秦陇复汉军兵马都督张云山派专人赴礼泉请宋参与军机大事，委其为兵马都督府参谋官。时逢陕西革命军受清军从河南、甘肃两面夹攻，军政府内部矛盾迭起，宋为调解矛盾，做了大量工作。

1912年3月， 袁世凯把持的北京政府将陕西驻军缩编为两个师，张云山任第一师师长，宋任第一师参谋官。同月，张玉昆、黄桂森、俞嗣如等人筹组的政治研究会成立，宋被举为会长。12月，应梁启超电邀赴京，经国务总理熊希龄推荐，被袁世凯聘为总统府高等顾问。后察觉袁世凯阴谋称帝，遂再返陕西。1918年当选为国会众议院议员。

对陕西地方事业尽力颇多。1923年秋，康有为来陕，因换卧龙寺所藏宋版碛砂藏经事，闹得满城风雨。宋以老相识规劝康留下藏经，康却大为恼怒，不欢而散。1927年春，驻扎西安东关八仙庵的冯玉祥部，有人随意乱翻甚至窃取该庵藏书和文物，监院道人请求宋设法制止。宋遂致函冯玉祥，冯当即下令八仙庵驻军撤出。同年陕西关中大旱，饿殍遍野，宋从朱子桥(庆澜)等军界人士处募款数万元，命门生散赈，每晚亲自过问赈济情况。曾任陕西省通志局(馆)总纂、馆长，主持续修陕西通志，亲自制订大纲，选定修纂人员，严审各卷书稿，历时十余年，宋1932年8月7日殁后始成。
宋对诗文、书法、绘画有很深造诣，著作达20余种，已刊印的有《新疆建置志》《新疆山脉志》《西辕琐记》《海棠仙馆诗集》《焚余草》《己亥谈时》《知唐桑艾录》等。相关作品

Song Bo Lu (1854 ~ 1932) word Zhidong, also for sub-blunt, Chi-dong, Zi Dong; No. Shibata, old age and blunt old man, pen name alias Jiuqiao mountain firewood, garden elderly, heart Tai Ping Xuan old man, Shaanxi Liquan people. Guangxu twelve years 1886 Jinshi, into the word forest. And Yang Shenxiu sparse bombs should be blocking the New Deal Xu Ying. After the 1898 reform, Trent back to the origin, is committed to poetry, painting, landscape specializing in Wang Shimin, quite a moment, with a pen in the focus is not focused on, from the air to take God, Cang Run more Rao delicate. Flower with Chen Chun, Xu Wei charm. The book is a joint Liu Gongquan, Zhao Mengtiao. Eyesight to good, over seventy, still can write petit capitals. Death year seventy-nine. The Begonia cents Museum set. "Painting anecdotes", "Qing Dynasty Poem History"

Shaanxi local cause a lot of effort. The autumn of 1923, Kang Youwei to Shaanxi, due to Wolong Temple for the possession of the Song version moraine sand possession of things, so the city was wind and rain. Song to the old acquaintance to persuade Kang to leave the Canon, Kang was greatly angry, broke up. In the spring of 1927, Feng Yuxiang Department of the Eight Immortals in Xi'an was stationed in Xi'an. Some people arbitrarily turned around and even steal the collection and relics of the monastery, and the Taoist Court requested Song to try to stop it. Song then sent a letter to Feng Yuxiang, Feng immediately ordered the Eight Immortals Temple withdrawal. In the same year Shaanxi Guanzhong drought, hungry everywhere, Song from Zhuzi Bridge (Qing Lan) and other military personnel to raise tens of thousands of dollars, life students scattered relief, personally involved in relief every night. Former Shaanxi Provincial General Bureau (Museum) chief editor, curator, presided over the continuation of Shaanxi Annals, in person to develop the outline, selected revision personnel, strict examination of the volume of manuscripts, which lasted more than ten years, Song 1932 August 7 After the day before the dead.
Song of poetry, calligraphy, painting has a very deep attainments, writings of more than 20 species, has published the "Xinjiang Jianzhi" "Xinjiang Mountain", "West House Suo Ji" "Begonia cents Museum Poetry" "" Hai talk about when "" Tang Sang Ai recorded "and so on. Related works

Qing Guangxu eleven years (1885), the Song to gifted in the move, the next year in the examination, the election Shu Ji Shi, scattered library grant editing. Seventeen years (1891) Ren Shuntian examination with the examiner. Twenty years (1896) as the Shandong provincial examiner, censor, Shandong censor. Song into the career, more concerned about the national economy and people's livelihood. He took the time to the Shandong Yellow River flooding conducted a detailed investigation, after the Qing court on the "Chen Zhihe Shu", the statement of the Yellow River burst to the people to bring home to destroy the people Expose the local officials in the process of governance of the Yellow River malpractice, put forward to solve the malpractice measures. He also has a number of memorials, asking the Qing court care about the people suffering, clarify the official, even the official Li Lianying to protect his nephew Li Chang was the murder of crimes, he dare to "impeach eunuchs seeking suicide", advocate justice. Shaanxi reformist Liu Guyu to revitalize the national industry, intended to set shares of 20 million taels of silver, founder of Shaanxi rich rich weave layout. Song support this initiative, intends to work with fellow friends Li Yue Rui from the Yufeng Bank to lend 200,000 taels of silver as the founder of funding. This is because the Board of Punishments assistant minister Zhao Shuqiao refused to insure and ran aground.
Twenty-three years (1897) in December 13th, Kang Youwei in Beijing to create the Guangdong Institute. Twenty-four years (1898) the first month, Song and Li Yue Rui also initiated the establishment of Kansai society. March 20, Kang Youwei and others to Kansai Institute as the basis, the establishment of "Paul National Council", Song actively involved in the matter, and listed in the "National Security Council" in the. Within six months, Kang Youwei drafted the memorial to the emperor in the name of Song Bo-lu. Ten pieces of memorials were given to the Kang and Liang reformers and resolute struggle against the stubborn forces of hostility and opposition. When the Guangxu Emperor ordered the "economic special, in addition to the economic regular, trial time, policy and political, legal, financial, diplomatic, physical specialized learning", "to open the wisdom and save eight shares" , He even on the two-fold, denounced the danger of eight shares. Memorial ceremony Department, the Ministry of rites, the Prime Minister of the state affairs minister Xu Ying 骙 strongly opposed. Song and Yang Shenxiu joint on the sparse Xu Xu emperor reprimanded Xu Ying 骙, that is, the reform movement in the influential "please give the old Li Chen Li give reprimanded." After some contest, Xu Ying was dismissed as an important step in the implementation of the New Deal to abolish the eight shares take official edict, broke through the heavy resistance was finally announced. Since then, the Song and even the "Please select the mastery of Chinese and foreign politics of the province only one person as the New Deal sparse" "Please strobe only to consultants sparse" "provincial railway miners as business off" and a series of memorials, as Kang Liangwei movement One of the important backbone. Emperor Guangxu prison, the Song was ordered to dismiss the Qing Dynasty asked. He was Li Yuerui secret report, first to avoid the Italian Embassy, ​​Xuanju Xianju Shanghai for more than three years, during which once went to Japan. In the face of the non-state of affairs, he wrote a book titled "Talking about Hundred Years" in Guangxu twenty-five years (1899), giving a high appraisal of the meaning of reform. He pointed out in the article, "Law can not be ruled on the law," the European countries, old and new plans, move forward, it can be strong and strong. Japan's reform, also male as East Asia. But China will not change the strings, which is the root cause of the poor so far. In another article, he cried out: "I would like to Patriot, mature thinking long."
In early June twenty-eight years (July 5, 1902), due to difficulties in living, bring their families back to Shaanxi, welcomed by the students. Shaanxi An Chancellor Fan Zengxiang relatives Fu Mou official impeachment by the Song, took the opportunity to retaliate, then lined up Shaanxi governor Sheng Yun on June 18 (July 22) electric play the Qing court, accusing Song "by industry Kang, Gan Falcons, the crime under the Kang Youwei, Yang Shenxiu above ", Song was imprisoned, released from prison after three years. General Yili Chang Geng because of his name, please go to Xinjiang to participate in the treatment of machine. Song Changgeng line to Dihua (now Urumqi), was Fan Division Wang Shu Nan earnestly, presided over the Xinjiang Tongzhi Bureau, compiling the Xinjiang provincial records. In thirty-four years (1908) written "Xinjiang builds" "Xinjiang mountain" four volumes. Xuantong the first year (1909) transferred to Shaanxi and Gansu Chang Gung governor, Song and Chang Gung East back. Later, see Chang Gung followed conservative, it is difficult to cast their aspirations, Xinhai summer return home.

In October 1911, after the success of the Xi'an uprising against the Qing, Qin Long Fu Han military and military commander Zhang Yunshan sent to Liquan invited to participate in the military affairs of Song, commissioned its military and civilian military governor staff officer. When the Shaanxi Revolutionary Army by the Qing army from Henan, Gansu attack on both sides, the contradictions between the military government after another, Song for the mediation of contradictions, did a lot of work.

In 1912 March, Yuan Shikai control of the Beijing government will be reduced to two divisions of Shaanxi garrison, Zhang Yunshan any first division commander, the first officer of the Song. In the same month, Zhang Yukun, Huang Guisen, Yu Si, who organized the formation of political research, Song was cited as president. In December, should Liang Qichao invited to Beijing, by the Prime Minister Xiong Xiling recommended by Yuan Shikai hired as the President of the Office of the higher consultants. Yuan Shikai conspiracy to emperor, and then back to Shaanxi. In 1918 he was elected to the House of Representatives.