Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-01-04
THURSDAY, JAN. 4, 1888.
THE OLD AND THE NEW,

always the harbinger of the new. The
end of a year seldom finds a people
just where they were at its commence
ment. No hand can renew the past,
nor eye penetrate the future but the
past ever lives in memory, and the
future always exists by anticipation.
There is a sense however, in which
that, which survives forgetfulness
cannot be SAID to lie dead and also a
faith, which has been defined to be
the substance of things hoped for
the evidence of things unseen, and in
this sense, both the past and future
are with us exercising influences non
the less powerful because unnoticed
and unestimated.
In the calendars ofthe past no form
er year has been so filed with what
contributes to national advancement,
and therefore the indications of pro-
gress in right and wrong directions
in 1882 are numerous enough and
prominent enough to be seen without
effort, where there Is disposition to
recognize them. At present only the
most salient of these a be noticed.
How different is the condition of the
farmer from that of this time a year
ago? Then agriculture was paralyzed
and fearful but the abundant crops
of 1882 have assured its material
prosperity. This is true of every Sec
ton, of grain in the North and cotton
at the South. Very many difficult po-
litical problems have been solved, and
many still unsolyed put into shape for
satisfactory solution. Compared with
that of 1873 in what a different atti-
tude are the industrial enterprises of
the nation. Then the question was
whether skill and capital could be so
consolidated as to meet successfully
the increased demands imposed upon
them by the development of machine
~ and its adaptation to enlarged pro-
duction and transportation. To day
there is no concern as to capital. The
difficulty is that our industrial and
rail road corporations are too success
full and powerful, and that it is the
workman and producer and not the
employer or transporter that needs
assistance and protection.
Little did those dream, that first
organized our constitutions, that with
in a hundred years after the forma-
ton it would be possible for individ-
uals to accumulate within a single life
millions of real and personal property
to be entrusted to corporations, to be
held by them for generations !; and yet
to-day, a small but constantly increas.
ing number of syndicates yield in this
way powers superior to governors,
senators and ever presidents and adj.
m~inistrations, and to every species OF
monopoly that has preceded them, and
how they are to be dealt with and cur.
tailed without injury to existing in.
dustries and commerce, is one of the
most uncertain of the problems of the
times. The time has come for the
removal of all impediments to individ.
ual enterprise and for the withdrawal
of the general government from the
exercise of powers originally confer.
red upon the states. One of the most
important features of the past yea
has been its extraordinary emigra'
tons all the more worthy of attention
on account of their bearing on exist
ing contentious between labor ant
capital. By them and those of pre-
vious years not only have the rela
tons of workmen and employer ant
consumer been affected, but the Who'll,
surface of society has been changed
The old United States, so to speak o
what has been modified, received it
impetus from its old emigrants. tn
Pilgrims, the Cavaliers and the Huge
nots, and New England thought ant
energy long reigned supreme, but to
day the body polite is under othe
guidance. Society has been enamel
pated from puritanism and the pro
vincialism and sectionalisms of tn,
nation are disappearing and a new
United States is in process of forma
ton. The descendants of the old EN-
igrations are scattered every wher,
and there is co,ling to this country
those that are prepared to take thei
places in the east and compete will
them in the west, in all the walks O
life. In many respects too these do
nestle and foreign emigrants are ex
act counterparts. From some cause
educational or otherwise, the nativ,
American shirks work wherever ant
whenever it can be done successfully
But the foreigners betakes themselve
readily to every handicraft. Unles
the American can be boss he has NJ
taste for mechanical and laboriou
pursuits. Even agriculture has nj
taste for mechanical and laboriou
pursuits. Even agriculture has nj
attractions for him except in connec
ton with the ownership of a fine farm
and grand herds, and privilege t
either ride or drive. But for the for
eigners, the factories would be idl
and rail roads unbuilt and worn on
lands unrecup.rated. In politics to-
there has been an extraordinary up
heaval which there is not space to par
ticularly notice.
What the new United States is 90