The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-22
THE TENDENCY OF THE AGE.

Ever since Mr.. HERBERT SPENCER pub
lshed his principles of Psychology"
thirty-six years ago, he has been recognized
as great thinker; in fact, has been classed
among the few great and original philosoph-
ers of all time. In the thirty-six years
that have elapsed since he published his
first book, he has been as one sitting on a
watch tower, calmly surveying the prob
lens of mind and matter, and watching
especially the trend of human development
to be seen in the constantly changing con-
ditions in society and government Occas-
sionally he has given to the world q book
in which he has noted down the results of
his lonely but philosophical observations.
His books have not been fascinating be-
cause of their literary style. Mr.. SPENCER
borrows little from illustration of any kind,
disdains ornament and is said to
have a contempt rather than to have
an ambition for that literary attrac-
tiveness which PLATO and ARISTOTLE
sought so hard to acquire, and in which
they did not hesitate-staid philosophers as
| they were-to array their philosoph: cal
deductions; but Mr.. SPENCER has con-
tented himself with the employment of
clear, strong, simple, Anglo-Ssxon phrase
ology, which, in spite of its dryness. has
been read in all English speaking countries
| His books have also been translated into
many languages; and everywhere, if not
accepted as an absolute authority on ques-
tions OF sociology, his opinions carry with
them great weight; for they are known to
be the result of close observation, weighed
by sound Judgment.
And now, what is it that this sage
philosopher, this watcher on the lonely
tower tells US in relation to the trend of
civil society? AS published in The SUNDAY
HERALD, in the letter of one of our CORES
pondents, he tells US that therelis ''re-ac-
ton against individual liberty" That
the world is tending toward state
socialism, which means, in the estima-
ton of Mr.. SPENCER, "a worse form
of tyranny than that of any government
now recognized in Civilizations "At
present" he continues, "the state is alb
sorbing the individual activity of men. 1t
is intermeddl ng in all manner OF ways in
what should be private enterprise" The
philosopher is of the opinion that gradually
the state Will so on usurplng the functions
of private enterprise to such an extent that
finally the people will effectively resist it.
This Mr.. SPENCER says of the world al
large. When questioned in relation tc
America particularly, he was of the opinion
that what he had said of the civilized world
in general was equally true of America
that 10, that the trend of affairs was to-
wards tyranny, towards the destruction o.
he liberties of the individual.
These are practically the same viewl
which Mr.. SPENCER expressed abou
America when he visited our country {
| few years ago, and it seems that he ha,
not changed them. We believe those view
are correct. We believe that the tendency O.
the age is just what Mr.. SPENCE
declares it to be-toward Capitalization o
| power in government, with all its attend
ant evils. We call attention to the view
+ of this philosopher here because they JUS
, now are of special interest to the people o
Utah, as many Of our good people ar
forming their political ideas and decdin,
their political party affiliations. Two grea
political parties present their claims t.
J their consideration, the one against tn
J other favorinG, if not by direct means the