Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1890-06-20
Bellamy's Millennium.
From The WaUerly Progress, by j. l..
LODGE, d. D., Editor.l


AS we look further into the dreamy spec
ulations of this latter, day prophet, veal
points increase exceedingly, and repeated
examples of the petitsO Drfncipii recur.
passage from Hypatia is pertinent: "Thost
who have no other means for regenerating
a corrupted time than dogmatic peds ntries
concerning the dead and unreturnlng past
must end, in practice, by borrowing insin
of that novel age which they deprecate, and
sewing new cloth into old garments till
the rent becomes patent and incurable." II
not precisely this yet worse than this is at.
tempted In the new, immaculate scheme.
Some sort of service is to be rendered, but
it is to continue from the age of twenty one
to forty-five only, and is to be not compul-
sorry in sentiment, but obedience, willing
ness, IS to flow out of each constitution as
naturally and as uniformly as atmospheric
air Any one, in that diamond age-for it
will not be worth while to mention gold in
that blest era-who should need compul.
sion would be "incredibly contemplate" 1t
| is so now but no one remembers an in-
stance where the most biting contempt ever
| drove a worthless creature TO work freely
and of his own accord. Human contempt
is not very formidable: A right minded
man scorns the scorner, and the wrong.
minded spits on his contemners and goes
his way.
But there is a way out When millen.
NAL influences prove impotent the nation
big N, if you please-reserves the right "to
draft any force needed to keep up the
trades" We had been expecting that word
for several pages before it appeared. 1t looks
paternal; it is tyrannical. 1t has an anxious
sound to'those who have once felt its real
meaning. Thousands of men do not wish
to set themselves up for targets, but "the
DRAFT" does not conciliate tastes, or consult
preferences. The inhabitants of the future
paradise might like little leisure, want to
go fishing, but the big N drafts them to fill
up the trades. 1t shall not matter that the
youth shall have a turn for literature OF the
fine arts for three years, any how, he must
trundle the wheel barrow, or carry the bod,
or tend some of the big Ms stables. Ii he
demurs, draft him When the nation thinks
him competent to choose Tor himself IL way
in life, he will be permitted 80 to do. Kind,
surely.
Chapter nine deals with the idea OF pha.
lansteries The semi angels OF the twentieth
century are to have all things in common.
The nation is the producer, the nation builds
all the homes, provides dining rooms, ware
houses, and, as there is no exchange be-
tween individuals, money is utterly useless.
Ii you want a bundle of tooth picks, take
out your "credit card" put it into pneu-
matte tube, send it down town, and through
the said tube up comes your goods, and
the nation deducts SO much from the
value OF your service, already performed.
1t will not, however, be quite all fair sail
ing in that age devine, even though Pallas
Minerva watch the tides. The perls of
ancient mariners abide. Extravaganza will
be checked by heavy discount; somewhat
on the plan of the curbstone broker and
landsharks at Washington who prey upon
improvdent government clerks.
o fly the dreadful sight expand thy sails,
Ply the strong oar, and catch the nimble
| gales
Here .Scylla bellows IRON the dire aboIes,
Tremendous pest, abhorr'd by man and gods |
The thrifty soul, perhaps Il little inclined
to be misery, is exposed to the opposite
danger, encountered by the hero of the
Odyssey If he shall fail to expend his
| yearly credit, the nation turns il into the
general surplus.
Beneath, Charf5dfs holds her boisterous
reign
Midst roaring whirIpools. and absorbs the
main;
Thrice in her CULTS the boiling seas subside,
Thrice in dire thunders she refunds the tide.
mo man any more has any care for the
morrow, either for himself or his children,
Tor the nation guaranteed the nurture, edu-
cation, and comfortable maintenance of
every citizen, from the cradle to the grave"
J Astounding guaranteed Oh, ye loaiers,
tramps, and poor relations, think Of that
That will thin out the churches worse than
ever; for who will care to go heaven then !
Aesthetic taste and culture is TO receive
abundant qualification. Stated with pleas
ures OF the day, who seeks sleep touches a
button by the mantepiece, and floods of
heavenly music which has been bottled up
in a national music room pour into the apart
ment, bearing the drowsy god on the
strains of "'rhe Sweet Bye and Bye" Dixie
will, of course, be prohibited; but il ye
smart Yankee wishes to rise at B A NJ he
sets the alarm and is Weakened from his
dream of dollars by the inspiring notes of
"Yankee Doodle" This will beat even the
Meem Brothers, which we were innocent
enough to think was not an easy thing to
do There is something peculiarly interest
ing TO multitudes in the promised methods
of Offering worship in the good time coming.
Pious saints will be at no manner of trouble
10 discharge their religious obligations.
| They need not go to church at all, except
when on occasional dress parade. The
preacher will occupy national station
somewhere in the city, talk to or into a
curious piece OF mocha nism, while his hearer
lies in bed or Tolls in his easy chair, listen
ing to much such discourse as is in this
book, with "A phenomenal occurrence for a
text, with old time politics for the topic,
ami a gloriication of Boston ideas for the
peroraton. Ii by mistake-not at all likely
to occur-the sermon should rub sore place
in the listeners conscience "the CALLED Jade
will not "wince," but simply shut off the
connection and resume his cigarl In the
language of the female slang singer OF the
nineteenth century, "it will be awful nice. "
The most wonderful characteristic OF the
halcyon days predicted is the utter self alb
begaton which is universally TO prevail
The usual motives actuating men are to be
replaced by sentiment we can AT present
think of as dwelling only in the natures OF
angelic spirits. Self and the individual are
forever 10 sink out of sight@ Men now plan
strive, stint, starve, lie, cheat, steal, to graft
iy the desire for personal profit or selfish
pride. Six thousand years has been toe
short II period in which to elevate men to
disinterestedness or humane consideration
of the rights or sufferings of others. After
the Roman conquest, in Il nationality OF 80
conspicuously elevated principles and ideas
as that OF Judea in a land capable of pro-
ducing so high type of patriotism rs that
of the Zealots, men debased enough to be-
come farmers of the oppressive taxes levied
ny tne tyTdnnlcdi ConuueTOTS hOOunueu
among the Jews. Making the great leap tc
our own era, animals in the shape Of men
have been as plentiful who dealt in the blood
OF their fellow countrymen, who betrayed
and sold their neighbors. But, for the time
to come. "honor and the hope Of mems graf
itude, patriotism and the inspiration Of duty
are the motives which shall produce and
control all human actions Honor is, in
deed, a master motor
Nine honor keeps the weather Of my fate;
Life every man holds dear but the dear man
Holds honor far more precious dear than
life -.
Yes, he does that, if the mans name is Hec
tor, and the play is Troilus aud Cressida
| 10 Il 10 In, nd