The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-08-11
DOWNING OLD DEATH.
Laramie Boor1erang.i


 The human race has been hsbitually dying, for uncoun,ed geological periods, until the habit has become confirmed = apparently because they knew no better but the ancient search after the fountain of eternal youth is once more renewed. and MT. Hyland C. Kirk soberly offers to mankind recently published volume entitled ''The Possibility of not Dying Shakespeare's immortal query To be or not to be- is still ''the question with the odds-thanks to MT. kirk-in favor of perpetual being. The world is evidently, though, better place 10 live in than in the days of the great drama,is.. for men no longer pat to each other the vexed problem
 "Whe,her 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The stings and arrow of outrageous fortune Or 10 take arms against sea of troubles. And by opposing. end them '
 but instead they delightedly confront themselves with even prospect of phy- sical immortality.
 The possibility of no, dying hangs, as far IS we can discover from NIT. Kirk $ conclusions, upon the attainment and preservation of perfect physical in- tegrity, that is, upon the establishment of a complete equilibrium of nu,rit onal forces. We do not exactly learn from him how this is to be attained. We are left in uncertainty as to whether man IS 10 rise superior 10 his faulty surroundings, or whether he is 10 labor 10 make bis surroundings superior to their present selves. Mir. Kirk should certainly have given us some key to the secret Of the situation. IL is mere moekery 10 poln; human vision up to height which 1t has no means 10 climb. For instance, by what species ot sanitary legislation IS the ball of physical reform to be set in mo- tion. How are ,he germs Of existing disease to be exierminated. How are the pernieious influences of heredity 10 be enumerated !! How IS the drag 10 be applied to the wheels of business and society in order 10 slow them down 10 a harmless pace. How are the conse- quences of disastrous accident and na- ,ural catastrophe to be neutralized: All these are agencies which would together connive to vitia,e mans physical immor- tality and their removal is Herculean task to which Mir. kirk's remarkable in- genriiy should at once address itself. h. stead, however, he ignores these plain questions, and diseourses in general way upon his hobby. He brings to the sup port of his argument almost every existing system of thought and shade of opinion in fact, the representatives of religion and science, of supernaturalism and material ism, of transcendental and positive phil osophy would seem 10 join iIaiernal hands over the birth of this new dogma.
 But supposing all this to be accom- plished and man to be approaching ;" the dawning of that perfect day when he shall literally live forever in the flesh, what will then be the condition of human affairs! In the first place, all natural checks upon the increase of the worlds population will be removed, and new and graver problem than any they have yet handled will political economists be called upon so face. There will soon be no vacan, lands for the overflow of the nations to inhabit the tides of inn migration must cease, and the world will soon be over-full. The laws of inheritance and succession will be null and void the probate courts will require 10 be abol- shed, and il is pitiiul to think how strong and endearing tie of family relation ship will be thereby severed Large classes of the people will require to be provided with new means oflivlihood and employment. The minis,y..will be robbed of much of it's present work and pur- pose. Lawyers will suffer for lack of eases" The medical fraternity will have wholly survived its usefulness. Drug gists and under,akeis must, ofneccessity, " shu, up shop" and, finally, funeral ser vices being no longer required, how large a class of most estimable ladies will be deprived of one of their mos, common sources of quiet enjoyment
 Bu, enough, The average mortal shrinks from such a prospect of an im- mortal lite. hlr. Kirk must positively throw out more tempting suggestion as to ways and means, and greater induce men,s IS ,o ultimate results, or the entire congregation vii, rise and respectfully decline his preferred chance of the pos sibility of no, dying" and join in the singing oi that good old hymn
 -l would no, live alway.