The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1888-06-12
AMERICAN CIVILIZATION.

ted States on the globe is command
4 ing and important Her territory
measures the width Of continent
which is washed by two oceans. 1t
lies on the great highway III the
march Of civilization from the East
to the West in the charmed climatic
/ belt; between those parallels of lati-
1 tude which have produced the great
est men Of all times; within which
/ the greatest transactions in human
history have taken place, the greatest
triumphs in art, litesature and war
occurred, and the greatest people
come and gone. It contains a pop
ulation Of more than 81, O00, 900 Of
/ free people, increasing at the rate Of
nearly 1000, 900 per annum, the sun
going down on 5000 more people
each day. It has 10000 miles of
railroad, $50, 900 miles OF telegraph
lines, $4,000 miles ofocean and lake
coast, 10000 miles Of navigable liy-
ers, over and alonS which is carried
| and transacted trade and commerce
which amounts to fifty thousand mil
| lion dollars per annum. In aid of
! Industrial progress the people OF the
United States enjoy 100000 inven-
tions protected by patents. The
| value of agricultural and manufac-
| tuled products amounts annually TO
more than thirteen thousand million
dollars. The annual gross receipts
of one OF their railway systems
| amount to more than the income of
| the oldest empire OF the world, with
four hundred million population.
Government bonds sell at premium
OF: Is per cent. The national treas
ury is overlooking, and Congress and
the Executive ale embarrassed by
the increasing volume of the reve-
4 nues. The number Of It's Standing
army. is only about $4,000 men, or
one il 200 of population. Interest
on the public debt amounts to about
ninety-fYe million per annum; MAX
ing the total expenses on account of
the public debS. Che army and navy
:, only about one hundred and fifty
million per annum &c is estimated
4 that in another century tile Wealth
4 of the United States will exceed that
i of Europe, and that their poPulation
Evil in two centuries reach more than
/ Eve hunared million. While IS
lin Europe are only about one third
4 OF those in the United States the cost
/ of living j. only 1 tribe less: some
| authorities claianing for tie same
4 kind Of living tie cost is about
equal. It's estimated that the peo-
ple Of the United. States consume
three times as much per capita as
the people of Europe. In other
words, so million Americans con-
| sumo as much as l80 million Euro
Epeans: -. s\.# ~
The contrast in all these things
| between the United States and Eu-
rope is striking, and strikingly in
| f;7 or of the United States.
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONDITION FAY
i j.. $50. - oEABLE. ,.-. r.
| Ihe social and political condition
of the people is already in advance
Of that of any other people of the
world. r. A.. %
Mr.. Matthew Arnold, in his article
criticising civilization In the United
States, says: "The political and So
clal problem does not seem to be
solved there with remarkable sue
cess. 1t is undeniable
that their institutions do work well
and happily. = y It, in gener-
al, as to it's own political and social
concerns, sees clear. and thinks
A straight. = For that i'm
mense class OF people, the great bulk
Of the community, the class of peo-
| pie whose income is less than three
/ or four hundred pounds wear.
things in America are favorable.
1t is easier Tor. them there than in the
Old World to rise and make their
fortune. Things are favorable to
them in America. Society seems or
ganized for their specia1 benefit"
| These are thesWords Of keen OBJ
server, great thinker, and severe
critic. What higher tribute could
/ be paid + to American civilization
than to say that society seems or
ganized for the benefit Of the bulk of
the community. Tt is the glory of
our political system thct all power
is in the people, that the Government
exists for the whole body of the gov
erned, and that it will only fulfil its
highest functions when it best pro-
notes the welfare of all, and thus
makes real a commonwealth.
It must not be forgotten, however.
that other civilizations. ID their day
and time. with much of the promise
OF American civilization, have come
/ and gone.
The salvation of the Euronean
civilization has been due among
other thing 70 emigration and shift.
ing Of population. There il no such