The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-09-03

BILOXI, Miss, Aug. 81, 1885,
To the Editor OF the Times Democrat:
Probable Cause Of Universal Depression
is the significant though perhaps rather cum
brous title of compact little brochure publishes
in Pensacola. Its author assumes the pseudonym
of" Will Gosloe," but, if am correctly informed
he IS Creole OF that ancient city aud one OF The
most intelligent and practical of its men of busi
ness-not by any means a merely Speculative
theorist or dreamer His pamphlet is the more
remarkable on that account for il is thoroughly
philosophical in its tone, contains in the space
OF a dozen modest pages more of genuine orig
nal and suggestive thought than many pooder.
GUS and pTetentious octave, and This on sme d
the weighiiest problems of The day.
Looking around the author is struck by aphe-
nomenon which cannot have failed to impn
itselfupOn many other thinking men, With teen
ing crops, with overlooking Golfers, abundance
OF money and abundance of all the necessaries Of
life and all the appliances of material comlon,
with a continual advance in the useful and prac-
teal arts OF life with incessant Isogress in he
invention Of labor-saving machinery and The
promotion of facilities for travel and Interchange
of commodities, with the general diffusion Of The
means Qf education, with all these unqueslionabk
marks of what we are in the habit of regarding
as civilization and social progress, there is ye!
an increase of discomfort, depression, grinding
poverty, distress and hard strife In the battle ~
bread. He says: II is astonishing, if not ap
palling, that with all our boosted progress and
civilization the struggle for existence should be
sharpening; that the difficulty TO retain honestly
acquired property is increasing; that the oppoF-
tuniiies for stable employment are diminish
ing" q
In discussing the causes which have led 10
these results, the author shows-what has ben
perceived by many Others-that the introducion
oil improvements in manufactures and MACHINERY
causes distress and suffering by throwing lng
classes out of employment, and that its efftca
10 give opportunities to the rich TO grow rchf
and 10 depress the poor to lower deph
poverty whether or not these are, as is clsine
by the voWries OF progress, merely tempong
evils. necessary to the attainment of greaH
ultimate good, or whether they are absoas
wrongs 10 humanity and society, are questns
which he does not discuss. Nor is il necea4Q
TO the purpose that they should be discussea
whether permanent or transitory, right
wrong, the evil exists, and il is the part Of "
philosopher and philanthropist. the statssNa
and political economist, to seek for the means
OF lis prevention Or alienation. n
The salient point in will GoslOe's theoign
this: That the moral and spiritual elem0'
should accompany the material in human Pr
gress; that its absence leads 10 inevitable iai
ure OF The latter TO accomplish its ends u -
promotion nf human welfare and has led p lns
evils under which society is now suffering.
That Is. as we understand 1t, that this elemen,
Is one to be considered, not merely with regan
% the interests of the individual man 6r eA'
nifty or In his domestic and private relaiionh
out a. q real factor In material matters-maites
relating to agriculture manufactures, trade, POI
itics, art and science. tga3
This Idea 10 not In accordance with curic@
tnecries or the general tendency OF moo :a.
teaching, which is to draw sharp dissinc,los
between material and moral or spiritual conslr
erations 1t IL not easy to express the full IoIus
OF The thought which think underlies the ~
ment OF the little pamphlet that has suggI:.
these remarks so as to avoid misapprehens.s.
To the few, however, who look below ~
surface OF things, Il win commend ieeh
eminently worthy Of careful consideration. M