The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-12-25
Old Men.

TIC W6lRn6 Oh MS butHOrlt1 W tuc Oplu-
ion that 80 men out of 100 become SIM
ply obstruetives after they reach the age
of SO, and speaking for his own domain
of science he is reported to have ex-
pressed the wish that any man who had
taken any part in science might be
strangled as soon as he had reached that
age.
At first this sounds like an extreme
opinion, and Its nature wholly at
variance with that dispassionate modera-
ton which marks the true philosopher.
Persons who have not been excited by
the search for molecules and protoplasm
will suggest that old scientists and oil
other obstructives might be retired on
pensions, with strict orders to prevent
them from publishing any of their re-
searches. Superficial readers will OBJ
iect that even if the majority of sexagen-
arians are Instructions, ,and consequently,
detrimental to the cause of progress,
yet these are exceptional casesof senescent
advancement, and that it would be un
wise to obliterate their contributions by
a new Herydian slaughter of the first
born.
But there is logical fallacy in asking
that the few and unimportant contribu
tions pf the exceptions should be made
an excuse for enduring and perpetuating
the. distractions of the great majority.
We do not insist upon strangulation as
thesonly means of properly ridding the
world of those who lag superhuous on
its stage, but we do insist that when
eyer man in any department of work or
culture or progress begins to be an Oh
structive, he should be made away with
The greater his services in the past, and
the higher his reputation, the more
urgent is the necessity for his annihila-
tion as soon as he has begun to turn
backward like Hezekiah.s shadow; the
mischief of great name perverted or of
o great reputation misused and misap-
piled is merely an aggravation of the
mischief wrought by lesser mon, and
there could be no greater mistake in
benevolence than to allow the world to
be darkened by the shadow of old age
merely because in youth the world was
enlightened by its light.
In every department of life the men
who are unable to learn anything new
think there is nothing new to learn, and
the men who have ceased to grow think
that the world has reached its limit of
growth. In nothing is this instructive
obstructiveness more clearly discernible
than in matters of business. If the old
fogy in science deserves to be strangled,
the old fogy in business should be
kicked to death by mule. He is a ter
rible infiction on the community. He
has long since been left behind by
younger men of more active habits and
newer ways, but he still holds on to his
capital, his custom, his good will, and he
divides his energies pretty evenly be-
tween keeping in the old ruts himself
and preventing every body else from get
ting out of them. We should not like to
strangle all the business men of St.
Louis who have passed the age of sixty,
but If some Athenian ostracism could
Danish them all at one fell swoop, it
would produce change which we can
safely leave to the imagination Of our
In journalism it is not so essential to
strangle the antique obstructives, for the
calling is q merciful one, and usually
brings the happy release of death or a
public Office by the time that the age of
usefulness is passed. But if there are
any who survive they should be knocked
on the head forthwith, to the great i'm
proyement of their newspapers and the
ated journalist may be recognized by
his horror of sensations, by his objec
tion to publishing criminal news if he
has to pay for collecting it, by his pref
erence for long winded communications
from constant readers, and by an unfail
ing instinct which guides him in omit
ting all the news that the people want to
read, and in publishing news that no
man could read if he were condemned to
solitary confinement without labor for
life. Fortunately, though he will not
inn prove his own paper, he cannot pre-
vent younger men from publishing bet
ter papers, and thus his capacity for mis-
chief is limited. But, at the same time,
it would be an incalculable benefit to the
journalism of this country if all of the
journalists who have passed Huxley's
climacteric should be submitted to Hux
ley's ordeal.
In the army we believe that superfu-
GUS veterans are retired at 81, and per-
haps the ease of an army life, especially
in peace, may be favorable to the conser-
vation of the faculties, but we should
not allow any one, under any circum
stances, to remain in politics after the
age of 60. This rule should be made
imperative and without any allowances
or exceptions. The superannuated busi
ness man is hopeless, the superannuated
journalist is fossilized, but the superan
nuated politician is an obstructive whose
instant and merciless demolition ia de-
manded by the highest interest of society.
We are happy to think that the applica-
tion of Huxley's law would tell with the
greatest severity on the democratic party,
but We are prepared to apply it, even
though the consequences should be such
a reiuvenescence of the antiquated nui-
sance that its own mother would not
know it. The disappearance of war
horses, bourbons. moss-backs, old-liners
and other varieties OF political superan
nuation would brighten the future of
the country with the radiance of an elec
trio light.
There can be no difference of opinion
as to the necessity of getting rid of the
old men-the only point to be considered
is the best method of disposing of them.
Speaking as scientist and for scientists,
Prof. Huxley favors strangulntion;
among any of the intelligent African
tribes they simply hit the old man on the
head with club and thus retain all of
his value for culinary purposes; the Es-
quimaux have pleasant habit of tying
their superfous veterans down in hut
with days rations, and our own Indians
prefer this method. We are not moved
by prejudice in the matter, however, and
to show our entire partiality we are per-
fectly willing to allow the manner of
their demise to be chosen by the vic
tins, provided only that it be speedy
and eficacious, for the interests of hu-
manity demand the abolition of the OBJ
structives, and in starting the movement
for their annihilation Prof Huxley has
esta blished himself as q benefactor of
his race