The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-07-06
Our Olio.
From the Nep York o6serer.
The Present Better than the Past,
BY REV. E. p. ROGERS, D. D.


This is true, first of Agriculture, that
cornerstone of all physical prosperity. Il
is exalted to science in our day Much
more is known by our farmers of the ma
ture of different soils, of vegetable and
animal chemistry, of the adaptation Of
fertilizing agents, of geology, and botany
and pOmology, of drainage, and of every
thing that relates to husbandry, than their
fathers ever dreamed Of. The farmer
now, sets his brains as well as his hands tc
work. lie makes figures as well as fur.
rows. He loosens and brings out ideas
as well as rocks aud stumps lie is be.
coming an artist as well as laborer. he
is increasing the value of the soil, the
world over. The entire island Of England
has trebled its productive powers within
the last fifty years. In Prussia, vast plain:
of sands, which few years ago were
thought to be worthless, are now covered
with splendid crops of wheat. In some
parts of New York, lands which twenty
FIVE years ago could have been bought al
an average price of twenty-five dollars an
acre, now sell readily and pay better in
terest at one hundred dollars.
What wonderful progress has been made
in agricultural implements This is the
age of steam ploughs, of moving, raking
reaping, threshing and tanning machines
and of all manner of inventions for saving
and simplifying toll. The farmer, of all
men, has no occasion to grumble over the
present, or sigh for the past
"The world made great advance when
clothing, instead of being made of the
skins of animals, was made of woven cloth. u
But how cumbrous was the first machine
cry, worked by man or woman-power, in
stead of water or steam. Who remembers
the noisy buzz of the spinning wheel, OF
the loud clack of the hand loom? Who
remembers how in "the good old days,
the maiden toiled long and wearily to pro-
vide the store of snowy linen for her we'd
ding outfit, every yard of which was spun
and woven by her own hands, while as she
sprinkled the long strips, hour by hour,
on the bleaching ground, her face grew
browner as the linen grew fairer. Ger
tainly the world has made some progress
since "the Kings of England had their
garments made by women on their farms y
The magnificent buildings reared for man
ufacturing purposes, sending out daily
their millions of yards of woven fabrics at
so cheap a rate that the laborer of to-day
is arrayed in cloth, which, in the old times
was beyond the reach of mobiles, proclaim
with. the noisy eloquence of whirling spin.
die and Gathering loom, that in respect tc
material progress, the present is far better
than the past.
And who would be willing to exchange
the house he lives in for the dwelling oI
''the good old times p Who would like
to go back to the comfortless homes of the
18th century barricaded all round; the
walls pierced with loopholes through which
the tenant could shoot his visitor, if he
did not like his looks; the stone floors car.
peted only with rushes; the furniture both
clumsy and scant, and the whole dwelling
far inferior in comfort and equal in gloom
to modern prison. The houses in which
we live, express the idea of domestic com.
fort and refinement, they embody the finest
conceptions of home, far better than the
grim old castles over which tourists rave
and which look so well in pictures. The
mechanic of to-day, is better housed than
the monarch of FIVE centuries ago. And
who that contrasts the noble mansions
the tasteful villas, the neat cottages of oul
day,-where,,winter is turned into summer
by the arrangements for heat, and night
into day, by those for light; where pure
water flows noiselessly into every apart
ment and impure airi driven out at every
corner; where every provision is made for
the care of household toll and the promo
tion of domestic peace,-who, we say, who
contrasts these with the homes Of our an
cestors, does not say that the New is bet
ter than the Old, and thank God that he
lives in the 18th Century
What will the merchant say of the won
derful progress of Commerce, since the
days when there was no such thing as
trade, and commerce was unknown. We
are told that "a certain ambassador at the
court of 0tho once boasted that the LON.
bards had as fine clothes as the Greeks
and when it was ascertained that the LON
bards actually got them from their mark
cts through Venice and Amalf, they were
highly indignant that foreigners should
presume to buy their clothes. So little
conception had they of trade, that to buy
was an insult, and to sell was treason"
The wonders of modern loeomotion are
an impressive commentary on the superb
ority of the New to the Old. In 1916
just thirty two years ago, distinguished
preacher of New England, lately deceased
ventured to predict in very graphic
Thanksgiving discourse that in fifty years
from that time, lines of travel would be
opened by which the entire circuit of the
globe could be accomplished In two months
The prediction was by many very sensible
people thought to be very fanciful. But
it has been fulfilled in less than half the
period fixed as the probable limit. And
journey round this entire globe can now
be achieved in less time and with more
comfort than trip from the Hudson to
the Mississippi and back fifty years ago !
1t would be waste of time for us to
speake of the wonderful advance in the
useful arts, which distinguish our day
/ Tho u,arvalS of Gtaau, nf phnfoor,rLv- "A