Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-09-24
TAE FUTURE.
In 1900, Wharf.-The Progress OF Sci
cnce-A Peep Ahead.


What is likely to occur 10 this country dur
ing the next quarter Of a century affords t.
all intelligent Americans most interesting
field, not merely for speculation, but for
careful investigation. We all know quite
cel ,inly what the population OF the United
States will be, and we have general idea
as to how large on extent OF country will
be comprised under our q g. Statisticians
also can give an Approximate estimate of the
number of miles of railroad there will be
in the country by the close Of the pres, b
century.
So much we oil know, in a gedersl way
hut as yet no one has undertaken 10 "think
on" VIII I will probably be our future SO.
cia and industrial condition, or what char GO,
will be effected in our habits, iustitutio-s
a. creeds, yet it is clear that there are
forces in action in this country which will
probably lead to CERTAIN definite results,
which all intelligent men can foresee, once
their attention is directed thereto.
10 the first place, it is reasonably certain
that, within the next thirty years, We shall
have no great war. The abolition of slave.
ry and the practical failure of the extreme
doctrine of State. rights have settled the ON.
" questions which, in all human probability,
would lead to civil war.
As to foreign wars, a conflict with any Of
,ne powers on this continent is not proba.
bile and, should one occur with Mexico or
BrYzil, 1t would have but little appreciable
eff, ct upon the social and industrial fu ure
of the country.
A war with France, or any Eu oprap
power but E g'and, Is very improbable but,
shoull one take place, IL would DO mainly
naval conflict. France might succeed for
4 while in block iding our principal ports,
but she could lsni no army upon uur shores,
nor uld we secure a Judgment On the
cpa,t OF France. SPAN is too contemplate
a n. try power to TAXI into 'nsider ,tion.
Ia the crnlingenny OF a foreign war, the
only serious struggle we could have would
b1 with Great Britain and, in this case,
Canada would be the battle-ground, All
the power Of Eoglsni could not hold that
province against the United S ates for more
than a u Jle OF years after a declaration Of
war betwe, the two countries.
There seems, therefore, to be no impedi
ment worth mcutionilg 10 tie rapid materi
al DE- development of the country, and ven
urs to say that the Il, xt thirty years will
see 10 the United States an augmentation Of
wealth and increase Of industrial activity
such as no nation mentioned in history has
parrlleled in any one century.
We have started on race for wealth, FOR
unbonnded abundance OF all tee geo A things
of life, Ia which we are certain to accom-
plish far more than our widest DIR ans
would seem TO warrant. Our railroad sys
tenn is so far developed our industrial or.
ganization Is so complete the craving for
the ACCUMULATION of wealth is so univ, 5 .ly
the education and political habits OF the
people train and sharpen their faculties and
activities to snch degree, that the great
object Of the American mind--the acquisi-
ton of wealth--will, In all human probabil-
itv, DO fully attained.
But this vast accumulation Of wealth will
he very uneqnally distributed there will
undoubtedly, no very large dispropoTtion-
ate increase IN the humber of those who
work Tor hire to those who employ Others
Tor hire. The great bulk Of the property OF
the country will center, no doubt, in few
hands, as compared with the mass Of the
O. ,llalion. The growth Of great fortunes
in mudern Edrope-I mean great fortunes
made outside Of commercial and legitimate
banking transaction was contempOrdneous
with the creation of great national debts.
TIE X ,tchilds, Earrings, Hopes, BrowDs-in'
de, d all of the leading financial houses o.
Europe--have come into exsence since
then. The largest part of their property
mas been made 10 the manipulation of tue
national funds. The daily fluctuations of d
quarter or an eighth per cent. in q "con'
soils" OF England OF tue "rentes" of France
which Sc. m so trltng to the Ordinary OO
server. were equivalent to very large aecre
tiuns to the wealth of the bahkiI g class.
This same cause, together with tie nece''
sity for some few large firms to deal 10 gov
eminent securities, has already, In very
few years, built up gigantic fortunes In the
United States. We know what the nation
al debt has doue for jay Cooke & Co.,
We do not know, and would bS su prised /
We did know, OF other very large iOrtuue
viii, have been accumulated by tie SAINT
acc.
But not only 4 | our nstionald bit be tn,
mes rs uf adding imm n ely 10 the wealtl
of few great bankers, .ul whole indus
tia apparatus is even now, and will be Il
a greater degree, vast machine for grind
M out very rich men,
We all know what has oc'urred with re
ga u our railroads every day they
E. ing into the hands OF few o. aud still few
er men. Tue Vanderbills, Fisks, Dews
G iulds, and the other railroad mAgnates
"a, xpiOi," tens OF thousands Of small TOR
,unes; and wealth, formerly in ths hand
{ great number OF men, has, by practice
known in railroad speculation, been trans
ierfed 10 the hands Of very few, TIL
has not been done wholly by imprope
means, although accompanied y much tina
was scandalous TO our civil zauOn. IL is Il
the tendency OF all modern enterprises Iha
} the large sharks shall eat up the little fist
that what was comfort to tia many shall be
c, mo hlaence TO he lew.
We see the same tendency 10 trade. Tn
house Of A. I. Stewart represents dive hun
} bred, or even thousand, smaller stores
his great rival in the dry goods business
Claim & Co., takes the place OF about 4
, many more.
! There was a time, within the memory
! people now living, when it was possible e
, one 20 be a dry goods merchant with cap
IA | OF fifteen ID, u and dollars; he wonl
DO lnnatic who would nov think Of enIe
! log upon that line OF business sithout cal
. ital OF az least quarter OF million.
} According 10 lbe statistics Of commerci
ntnoty.6ve persons In every hundred VII
! eater a commercial life fail, aud but fV