The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-09-28

"00 pity me NY IaSSou cAOtuSS. so
A poor man! Yes; I must confess
10 wealth of gold do I possess;
No pastures fine, with grazing kline,
Nor fields of waving grain are mine
But sh, my friend! I've wealth no end!
And millionaires might condescend
To bend the knee and envy me
This osulence ot povertv.
The Philosophy Of Strikes.
Professor W. G. Sumner in Har eer's Weekly.
( The progress in material comfort which
has been made during the last hundred
years has not produced content. Quite
to the contrary; the men of to-day are
not nearly so contented with life on
earth as their ancestors were. This OBJ
eervation is easily explainable by famil-
lar facts in human nature. fSIf satisfac-
ton does not reach to the pitch OF safety,
it does not produce content, but discon-
tent. It is therefore stimulus to more
effort, and is essential to growth. If
however, we confine our study of the OBJ
servation which we have made to its so.
Geological aspects, we perceive that all
which we call progress is limited by
the counter movements which it creates,
and we also see the true meaning of the
phenomena which have led some to the
crude and silly absurdity that progress
makes us worse of. Progress certainly
does not make people, happier, unless
their mental and moral growth CORE
spends to the greater command of mate.
rial comfort which they win. All that
we call progress is a simple enlargement
of chances, and the question of personal
happiness is question how the chances
will be used. It follows that if men do
not grow in their knowledge of life and
in their intelligent judgment of the rules
of right living as rapidly as they can
control over physical resources, they
will not win happiness at all. They will
simply accumulate chances which they
do not know how to use.
The observation which has just been
made about individual happiness also
has public or social aspect which is i'm
portant. tits essential that the politi-
cal institutions, the social code, and the
accepted notions which constitute pub
lie opinion should develop in equal meas
ure with the increase of power over ma
ture. The penalty of failure to main
tain the proportion between the popular
philosophy of life and the increase of
material comfort will be social convul-
sions which will arrest civilization, and
will subject the human race to such
reaction toward barbarism as that which
followed the fall of the Roman Empire.
It is easy to see that at the present mo-
ment our popular philosophy of life is
all in confusion. The old codes are
breaking down; new ones are not yet
made; and even amongst people of
standing, to whom we must look to es-
tsblish tho body of public opinion, We
hear the most contradictory and heter-
ogeneous doctrines about life and
society.
The growth of the United States has
done great deal to break up the tradi-
tional codes and creeds which had been
adopted in Europe. The civilized world
being divided into two parts, one old
and densely populated and the other
new and thinly populated, social phe-
nomina have been produced which, al
though completely covered by the same
laws of social force, have appeared to
be contradictory. The effect has been
to disturb and break up the faith of
philosophers and students in the laws.
and to engender numbelless fal!acies
amongst those who are not careful stu.
dents. The popular judgment especial
w has been disordered and misled.
The new country has offered such
chances as no generation of men has
ever had before. It has not, however,
enabled any man to live without work,
or to keep capital without thrift and
prudence. 1t has not enabled man to
"rise in the world" from position of
ignorance and poverty, and at the same
time to marry early, spend freely, and
bring up large family of children.
without distinction of class, and with
only individual exceptions, suffer from
the discomfort of an appetite excited by
a taste of luxury, but held far below
safety. The power to appreciate re-
mote future good in comparison with a
present one is distinguished mark of
highly civilized men, but if is not COM
bined with powers ofpersevering indus
try and self-denial, it degenerates into
mere day dreaming and diseases of an
overheated imagination. If any number
of persons are of this character, we
have morbid discomfort and romantic
ambition as social traits. Our literature,
especially our fiction, bears witness to
the existence Of classes who are corrupt
ed by these diseases of character. We
find classes of persons who are whining
and complaining, and who use the or
gans of public discussion and delibera-
ton in order to put forth childish COM
plants and impossible demands, while
they philosophize about life like the
Arabian Knights. OF course this whole
tone ofthought and mode of behavior is
as far as possible. from the sturdy manli-
ness which meets the problems of life,
and wins victories as much by what it
endures as by what it conouers.
Our American life, by its ease, exerts
another denoralizing effect on great
many of us. Hundreds of our young
people grow up without any real discip-
line. Life is made easy for them, and
their tastes and wishes are consulted too
much. They grow to maturity with the
notion that they ought to find the world |
only pleasant and easy. Every one
knows the type of young person, who
wants to find an occupation which |
he would "]ike," and who discusses the
drawbacks OF difficulty or disagreeable- |
ness in anything which offers. The,
point here referred to is, of course, en-
tirely different from another and still
more lamentable fact, that is, the terri
BILE inefficiency and incapability of a
great many Of the people who are com.
planning and begging. Ifany one wants
a copyist, he will be more saddened
than annoyed by the overwhelming ap-
splications fer the position. The adver-