The Opelousas courier., 1886-03-20
New Forces.

RI is evident that new forces
are beginning to place almost
houndless power in the hands of
the masses of the worlds popu-
Iation. Of these new forces the
most mighty and the most typl-
cal are dynamite and the boy
colt. The one enables an in
dividual to destroy a thousand
lives at one blow, or to rend a
great man-of-war to atoms !; the
other places an individual or a
corporation out of all active re-
lations with the daily life of the
world. Dynamite has set at
naught the strength of costly
navies ; the boycott has enabled
the Irish people to defy the ut
most efforts of governmental
power. Nay, more; the combi-
nation of dynamite with boycott
has drawn the British peoples
attention to the Irish problem
10 a way which promises a final
solution.
While new forces are. at work
in the society of to-day, the es-
sential relations of classes are
changing. The power of pre-
rogative is on the wane /; in it's
Mace is coming the power of or
panized democracies. Human
labor is rising to a dignity it
never before possessed. The
Dhrase "the laborer is worthy of
his hire expresses the animat-
inc purpose and fixed resolve of
thousands of laboring men who
sink all individuality for the
sake of their cause. The order
Of q committee suffices to par
Awe the commerce Of a great
city, or to bring the business of
i far-reaching railway system to
4 halt. The power of money
corporations is becoming the
mere shadow of what it has
been in recent years.
Thoughtful men throughout
the world are asking themselves
where this movement is to stop,
and no satisfactory answer to
this question can, Is yet, be
found. We know from the
analogy of history that many
important changes in the social
order will occur, but we can
form no Intelligent idea of their
nature and extent. As regards
our own country, these changes
are likely to be less radical than
III the Old World, because class
distinctions have little force
with MS, and the people have the
power to remedy any evil. The
average American is intelligent,
and has a stake In the existing
order OF things lie is therefore
little inclined to favor a des
trnctiye revolution. Til Europe
the case is different, and the
problem is of the most perplex'
ing nature. The recent riots il
London have shown how large
the unemployed class really is
and they have also shown thaI
the poor man has but little pa
tience with the hardships OF hi
lot. Throughout Europe gov
ernments are trying to devise
plans for the employment OF the
idle, but with Indifferent success
Statesmen and economists arr
continually being called upon t.
face questions which touch th'
very heart of society. Old for
muIas have lost their force, 4
leader like Mr.. Gladstone, WIZ
seeks to direct the social force
Of the time, must continual.
change his point of view, aud ]
compelled to aid in the over
throw Of institutions which com
handed the fullest affection Q
his early manhood. Even th
most ultra Conservatives ciearl.,
perceive that their most cherish
ed opinions are at variance wit
The irresistible tendencies Of th
age. During the next few year
there will he enacted some 9
the most thrilling scenes IN th
great drama of human lift
The personality Of the actors ]
as nothing when compared wit
the power of the principles the,
representatives. Democrat.
The third postmaster genera