The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-11-06
MAN,s.pRocREss.
The Human Race Advancing Instead OF
Deteriorating with Civilization.


The favorite theme with the dyspep-
tic pessimists, and even common with
gentlemen not usually of the cerulean
human race This complaint is not at
all recent; indeed, it is probably as old
as the second generation of men, says
the american Anaiyst, but it does not
require more than IL cursory investiga-
tion to prove that it is fallacious, as
in truth.natural law would indicate it
to be. In any competitive eXamina-
tion the Homeric heroes and other
legendery notables are of course barred
out. The strength of Ajax, hurting
vast rocks through the groaning air,
and the speed of the flying Atalanta,
are Just as creditable as the lung ca
pacity of Boreas. or the amphibious
powers of Neptune and his attendants.
We have only to deal with authentic
characters, and here the modern need
not fear comparison. The exquisite
figures of Phidias and Praxitclrs are
matched in flesh and blood among the
athletes of the nineteenth century, as
any one familiar with the thews and
sinews of our modern gladiators can
attest. OF the sports of the Olympic
games pugllsm has descended to us,
and we have so respectable an authori-
ty as Mr.. Dana of the New York Sun
deposing that Mr.. Sullivan of Boston.
before his unequaled contests with that
greater John-John Barleycorn could
with his naked fists have vanquished
the stoutest Grecian boxer, armed with
the crushing Genius, that ever wore the
+. olive wreath. In wrestling, and in
foot-racing too, the present day has
its champions, the equals of any that
ever lived.
In the matter of physical endurance
the Roman legionary has been held as
far out-stripplng modern competition.
It is true that the Roman soldier, in.
ured from boyhood TO the exercise of
arms, was capable of great things, but
the British armies in India. in Egypt,
and in other parts of the world, have
displayed quite as much heroic .forti-
1ude and endurance as ever dld the
veteran legions of the Caesars, and in
his capacity for enduring and suffering
the explorer of the Arctic solltudes or
the African wilds has no parallel in
the annals of antiquity. The skill of a
Caracalla, who-severed the neck of the
ostrich in full career with his crescent
headed arrows, was certainly ad-
mirable, but it was no greater than
that of the English yeoman who cleft
the willow wand at 100 yards, or of the
Caribbean savage who pierces the float
ing turtles back by shnoling his arrow
in parbolfc curve: and the. frontiers
man, who strikes the coin from be-
tween his comrades fingers with Il
rifle bullet shows an equal finesse with
superior weapon. The Thracian
barbarian, Maximin, who ran all day
beside the horse of the Emperor Seve-
rus. and who was destined himself for
imperial honors, filled the Romans with
astonishment,. but he did no more than
the North American, Indian runner
often does, and only that which is the
daily labor of the Japanese palanquin
bearer. Hannibal led his army across
the Alps and carried dismay into Italy
by his unprecedented feat, but Ma
poleon did the same thing and dragged
his cannon after him.
Such Instances can be multiplied in
definitely, and they all point to one
conclusion, that the physical degen-
eracv of the present man is purely N.Y.
thical This signing over past great
ness and present incapaeitv has exist
ed in all climes and under every Con-
fancy of the Orient has far surpassed
the colder imaginations of the west in
this subject, for we find in the Hindoo
traditions that among other departed
blessings time was when the age of
common mortals was $4,000 to 100, 200
years, and one peculiarly venerable
character. who lived in pure and vir.
tuous antiquity. was made king when
he was 2000. 600 yearS old reipned
100000 years, and then, resignine
his government. rounded out the cir.
Gle of life with period of 100, 900 years
spent in quiet retirement. Those gen.
tlemen who regretfully deplore ''thest
degenerate days" are moved by the
spirit of the eastern sages, but to 6
less grotesque degree. Our presea1
civilization, by nursing into a pre-
carious manhood the cripple and tbt
starveling who would have perished il
ruder age, may give factor of week
ness to the race, but this defect is fal
outweIghed by those added comforts o
modern existence that have Increased
the span of life fully 16 per cent be
yond the longevity of earlier times
There is a significance in this create.
duration of human life that is not. a
first apparent; it means an addition O
16 per cent to the brain and mascle
power OF humanity; an augmentation
of human energy, and a saving I'M tha
most wasteful thing-human death
that has done moro than anything. elst
to make possible the wonderful ad
vances on all lines of material progress
that makes the nineteenth century the
most wonderful epoch in history.