Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-04-03
DYNAMITE.
A metropolitan Newspaper Secs no Ground
for Alarm in the Explosive Tendencies OF
the Times.

A metropolitan Newspaper Sees no Ground
for Alarm in the Explosive Tendencies of
the Times.
Prof. Ely, of John Hopkins Uni.
versity, is quoted as saying, in refer
ence to the recent dynamite crimes
81 believe we are just beginning to
enter on a terrible era in the worlds
HISTORIAN era of internal and do
nestle warfare such as has never been
seen, and the end of which only the
Almighty a foretesl." 1t is a pity
that Prof. Ely should have said
this, if he did say it, because the utter
ances of men occupying prominent
positions are apt to produce a serious
impression, and also because there is
really no ground for any such gloomy
and sensational forecast. AS, however,
many timid people are liable to be
alarmed by the signs of the times and
by such dark predictions as the above,
it is worth while to show the unreason-
ableness of all grave apprehension con-
corning the future. The current of
civilization is a broad and powerful
stream, fed by innumerable tributaries
OF inherited tendency, and flowing with
incalculable weight and force in the
direction of aggregated present social
evolution. Now, present social evolu-
ton, being the sum of social efforts at
advancement, shows clearly the lines
Of greatest energy. The great mass of
men are plainly working up
toward better conditions by thor
oughly peaceful, legitimate and
natural methods. Development, in
fact. is the characteristic of modern
civilization; and since education is
more diffused than ever, and since be-
cause of this the common mind is less
conservative and more receptive of
new ideas, the obstacles to necessary
reforms are feeble, and change for the
better is so easy as to justify all reason
able expectation.
This is why there is no ground for
alarm in the present symptoms Of dis
content and disorder appearing here
and there. These symptoms merely
Indicate a surface disturbance. Trade
and industry all through the world
have been depressed fos a considerable
period. AS a consequence there has
been much suffering, and this has bred
discomfort, and some turbulence. But
whoever desires to comprehend fully
the significance of this surface agita-
ton should study English history from
1915 to the passage of the Reform bill.
During that period all England SUI
fered from disturbances which in these
days would seem to imply hopeless an
archy. There was no dynamite then,
but incendiarism did more mischief
than dynamite has ever done.
Famine, riots, organized outrages,
brigandage, epidemic disease, made
the country seem a Pxndemo-
mum, and this continued for years, and
grew worse instead of better, until the
timid had some excuse for thinking
that a general breaking up of society
was imminent. But all that condition
of disorder passed away SO quickly
with the return of prosperity that If we
had not historical records to inform us
We might doubt the facts.
The great current of civilization went
steadily on, unaffected by the foam and
the ripples and swirls which agitates
the surface of the stream. And
Just SO will it be with all the present
disturbances. Civilization is too firmly
planted in the hearts and natures OF
men to be shaken by the lawlesssess of
a few restless people. They may make
a good deal of noise for their numbers.
but they can not upset anything. Eyo-
luton, not revolution, is the process ny
which all necessary changes Will be
made. Dynamite will play no import
ant part in the future, unless it be as
the servant of engineering science.
There is no basis for apprehension.
The world will go on in its slow but
sure way to improve its conditions, and
it will neither be bullied nor hurried
into the adoption Of abnormal methods.
And in the future, as now. the influence
of American institutions. the spread OF
democracy in Europe, will prove IN
valuable in preventing dangerous x
II 4y