Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-06-01

UPWARD PROGRESS.
The World is Moving Onward Toward
Perfection.
rom the Milwaukee Sentinel


The world is worrying over new puzzles.
1t used to be satisfied to discuss such cues
tions as "Was Hamlet insane" "Did Ba-
con write Shakespeare" "Who was
Gains wife, and other exciting but harm
less inquiries. But we are getting deeper
now, rs life worth living?" SIS marri-
age a failure" docs itpay to get riches ?'
is it a crime to be woman ?" is popu-
lar suffrage a failure ?" and so on.
A great deal of magazine space that
might be better given to soap advertise
ments Is wasted in efforts to answer sense
less questions which admit of no general
answer. Whether life is worth living or
not, most Of us are willing to take any
quantity of unpalatable medicine to keep
a feeble grip on life; whether marriage is
a failure or not, young hearts will 90 on
uniting as long as there are boys and girls
on this distracted globe; whether it pays
to get riches or not, men will struggle for
them till the last man buries the next
last for fee; whether popular suffrage Is
failure or not, it is permanent.
Everything is failure because mankind
is failure, if by failure we mean a falling
short of perfection. There is no quick and
summary remedy for any general evil. If
an evil stands, it is because mankind is not
ready for its removal Ancient abuses
have use until they disappear; and they
disappear Just as soon as mankind is ready
for it. Things could not be different.
They are what they are because man.
kind is what it is, and mankind is
what it is from implacable antecedent
causes. The great thing is to
know that we are improving that we
have got to improve, regardless OF
any will in the matter; that We are help
lessly or hopefully moving towards per-
lection, however unavoidable. We can't
help but move in that direction. We can
accelerate the movement, in fact our aid is
wrung from us whether we will or no, but
in the long run we cannot retard it. II
there is momentary obstacle, the move
ment bursts through and goes on with
accumulated force, and gets along finally
on schedule time. This is not the best
possible world, but it is the best world pos
sibIe for us.
1t is because the world is bound to get
better and that we are bound to help make
it better whether we will or not. that we
can afford to hear about the dangers
that threaten democracy, and this re-
public particularly, without becoming
hysterical. The time is ripening for
such a republic as we want and no dan
gers of wealth, of labor-capital con.
| tests, of class warfare can destroy
it. We shall get whatever we are ripe
for and nothing else. But we are never
to be satisfied, whatever we get Who
ever is satisfied with things as they are,
no matter how they are, is intellectually
petrifed. Things will never content people
who are alive, but the claiming thing is that
we are always getting on. Looking ahead
| from the quaternary man, whose skull was
like an apes, We find nothing but upward
growth. We may stand still for few cen
turtles, or even drop back for a century, but
only to go forward again with increased
speed. Every loss of time is fully
made up by this great humanity train
| Individual efforts are useful. They are
part of the motive force, but we
want good deal of energy in seeking i'm.
| mediate results, which, however desirable
and in the end inevitable, wouldn't stick il
obtained prematurely. The holding up OF
great principles, rather than the frettina
| after small and immature results, is a part
of the getting on process.
The main thing is to maintain cheer.
| ful and helpful confidence in the upward
progress of humanity. We are passenger,
on thorough train, running on schedule
time.