The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-05-27
THE AGE OF UsE.

THE AGE OF UsE.
Philosophers in ancient times were in the
habit Of classifying preceding epOchs under
the names Of the golden age, the silver age,
and the ages of copper, bronze and iron.
Such a man would have no hesitation in
describing the present time as the age OF
use. To all men and things the universal
test ''cui bono is applied. Never was there
century so utilitarian. Every thought
tends to embodiment. Use is the sovereign
of the world, and utility its week day gos-
pei. Instead Of prophet and seer, as Of old,
we now have simply ''proft and loss" The
question ''what shall we do to be saved"
gives place to that more modern one, show
does it pay" Men inquire after Heaven
with the view of minting its golden streets
into eagles; and joint stock companies
could readily be formed to buy from Satan
his ''lake burning with fire and birthstone, I"
IN order to furnish commerce with an ex-
cellent quality of sulphur at a low price.
In short, the Anglo-Saxon wants his IN
vestments to pay, and would, if he could,
turn the inward emotions of his soul into
merchandise, and make the Premethean fire
drive his machinery and cook his dinner.
Once we read of ''publicans and sinners; p
now, instead, ''Republicans and Demo
Gratis" :" The Athenians of old worshiped
the unknown God" bat the pedigree of
+ba cd of thas 1;nafaaDtb oaDturv ;c ualI
known; it can be traced to the furnace of
Aaron. The doctrine of use is working
into the vitals of the church; into the State
into the family; into the home. No de-
partment can shut itself against the onward
march of this principle, which demands of
everything to be absolutely practical, and
wants nothing which "don't pay"
But although it is true that the utilita-
rian tendency of the age holds in check for
the present the growthof the higher nature,
and degra1es many of our best impulses
and finest instincts, yet this effect is but
temporary. 1t gives US no cause for dis
enlargement. The genius of use and econ
cmy will lead the age to outgrow its dis
cords and errors. 1t will help to destroy
all fictions. The doctrine of .sproft and
loss" will eventually put each thing in
church and State, man and society, to the
test OF use; and thousands of absurdities
will be abandoned Because they don't pay.
The age is learning, as never before, to use
its tools, by which nature and society are
to be subdued and brought into harmony
with the requirements of man. The head
is working to save the hands; and both to
save the heart. Shafts of light are being
let down upon human faculties. In every
step of progress, in each achievement of
the century, we see foreshadowings of de-
velopments higher and better. The utili-
tartan tendency is full of encouragement
and rich with promise to the American peo-
pie. The eventual result will be vast and
universal Improvement in the physical cir
cumstances of man, giving him the leisure
/ needed for mental and moral growth.
.No v sawmills CRATE in every forest nook,
Now spindles hum beside each mountain brook;
| Through virgin forests locomotives wall,
And prairie flowers are crushed beneath the rail;
Where ocean rolled, so trackless once and Tree,
The age Of prose stalks forth and maps the sea;
And the swift lightning-once celestial fre-
Does dTudgery in harness-on wire.
While patents fill the air, bestrde the wave,
And dog us from the cradle to the grave.
Machines that rock asleep our infant cry,
Machines that wait upon our latest sigh:
We watt by telegraph our loves young dream,
| Live BIZ machinery, and die by steam. "