Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-12-01
HISTORY As WE MAKE H.

HlNlWlkl ~ W y MANI AAs
Ifthere are historians At the close OF
the next century, aud n they have the
opportunity Of perusihg the files OF
papers now being printed by the mil
lion for the people Of today, what n
picture OF the b3asled civilization Of
tho nineteenth century they will be
able to present 10 their rcadcnl
without going back beyond the half.
way station In this cycle Of ours, nor
giving n glance ut any other nation
than our own, enough can be seen In
the record Of the last thirty years to
appall even those most familiar with
the details and hence least likely 10 BIO
disturbed by them.
There was the civil war, costing ia
hundreds Of thousands Of lives, with
fathers, and sons, aud brothers, meet.
ing each other 10 deadly combat on the
farm from which each gained llvell-
hood, or in the same valley where
each first saw tho light OF life;
and the attendant scenes In pris-
ons and hospitals where unfor,unAtos
were kept for weeks aud months In a
condition ut times worse than the dark.
eat slavery or the most ignominious
death. After the war was over came
the slow and painful days Of recon-
atruotlon, with gross indig tiles Of
armed forces on the one hand, met by
atrocities OF Ku klux and similar
organizations on the other hand. In
the train Of these events came a dread.
full disregard for lawful methods Of
dealing with real or supposed Grim.
inale; White Caps and others, North
and South, taking tho law into their
own hands, anJ moba OF unroasoning
men executing criminals In the moot
barbarous manner, as-to cite Quo In
stance-placing the wTetcnod victim
on stand In tho midst Of vast con.
~ r.a and torturiag hitn hfst with red
bot irons, and then, after satur-
ating his clothing with coal oil,
burning him alive. Other cases will
be remembered where tho horrors and
inhumanitios praoticed were equAled
only In the days OF Nero, and Of the
early Christian martyrs. Who needs
to be- reminded Of examples Of lynch.
Ing that are matters Of almost daily
Teoord-the taking OF prisoners from
jail, In some cases where trial was In
progress and aequittal was probable, In
others whore the thirst for blood had 10
be- quenohed, and small thought IA 10
the guilt or innocence Of tho victim
was given II only the sacrifice were
forthcomingl
Then, turning from sectional and
communal crimes 10 thoso Of individ.
uals, what picture rises before the oye,
Of murders, attended or not by suicides.
blood reeking from every column
OF the printed papers; daily cases Of
highway robbery, the stealing Of
whole railway trains, the holding up
Of others. the merclless shooting down
Of engineers and conductors, tho rob.
bling Of helpless passengors-decds Of
daring beside which the doings OF the
Turpina aud Duvala Of old, were mere
paslimes; then the bank robberies,
with presidents and cashiers fleeing
over the border to escape punishment
and live like princes on their ill.gotten
wealth; the counties cases OF family
inconslancy, and the whole land
painted with prostitution In such hide
eous form that the wiOkedness OF S0i0m
Gomorrah and ancient Rome Seem
only shadow; those and thousands OF
unmentlonabo crimos-somo lesser
some most grave-c0mbine 10 make "a
page that VIII scarcely beread without
a shudder,
Yet We try 10 think the world Ia
growing better year by year; that light
and intelligence and charity anu
Christianity are putting evil Ia sub.
lection ana elevatlug the good. Per-
hAps the picture here drawn may DO
deemed unjust In that Il Is devoted
wholly to the dark ani admits none Of
the iunumerablo rays OF ligh, thut
have illuminated the period named.
Let usaIl hope the historian oil O cone
fury hence will not be uumluI.ul oi
cur good deeds and VIII give them nll
tho prominence he con. 10 Doc o. lrulh-
FOL, lac will have enough tbnt is lis.
cteditable 10 describe.