The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-10-26

( plsTt RhaNJr ~ ExfyTIxo CnSprTTuSN
| IL can ~ s~~n a; cuc. that II ts trnpps-
l sihlc fSs sncs~Ey is r,-c~tve each day thi.
! tremendous ATmy ot heel. and le~ers
| without causing = radical disturbance
IN fhe existing se~-sal eS1i-y within the
| near fUtur,s Lal~1r organizations In
/ their blind igu"raacr have fought che In
/ try~iuCItun ~ machinery in tho labor os
/ the world. But NJ they l-cosns educated
/ they Will NOT le slow in srcing that the
work of The wpFld can he done by ina
/ chinrry IN frsS hour. when that mA.
chincry Is hAru,ssrd by a cooperative
social order
The Developments Ot scisnC., during
the past generation have hrvn So mar
vcluus that We literally live Ia q new
world ls>rAlse Of those devrkspsnenss
Each day Tcvral. new c,onaerw. The
p5r~"n' rai" Il pvugr'ne. If maintained.
VII give a civilization ia tie early part
~ ihc twentieth century The very oui-
lines "i which no prophet can forvtsil
TODAY. The my problem il. Gan tho
present r..tc = pru=,t"ss be maintained
in tn" discovery az naturr's ssS rvis hy
th"~r who arr searchiug for thetnl The
pruhah htlIty - that IL viii not only hc
malntaineSl hut accelerated for where
there Was uun man IN search of the &C.
crcts IF nature for useful ends 20 years
ago there are Thousand meu today
searching with might and inaiu Tor these
secrets To give them Immediately to tho
world as a prRc;icRl contribution 10 i,s
socia, and economic life. Speculative
lea
practical science, aud the man 81 spccu-
latlvc mind cannot refrain from making
tine application even on the page of his
philosophic speculation.
THr GROWTH or CTIIEs
The growth uf cities has been 80 re-
rlarkablc within the past generation
and is SO rapidly increasing in the prc~-
ent that II presagcs "A new life IN the near
futurc--a new hfo. social. economic, re-
hglous. A glance al the development OF
the cities within the rasi decade and n
comparison of each decade in the SEN
tury Will reveal that the growth of tho
city has been one uf the marvcls OF mod
ern life. In 1900 the population ot the
United States was Ia round numbers
4,0oo,o~ The population of the cities
nj that time was IN round numbers 1884,
Oe0-3.3j per cent uf The whole popula-
ton, leaving n rural population Of 98.e5
per cent. La 1890 we hal "a population
of o., coo 900. The population Of tho
cities had grown 10 ~, 250. 900, about 30
per cent of the entire population as CON
trasted with D per cent IN 1900. The city
has grown, in short, To- dominate the life
OF the century. The rural district has
lost its power. The sceptcr Of import
has been transferred Ia the streets of the
great cities. and from the streets Il has
sunk to the cutters. an, ihe dives. and
the sewers
The domination of Clty life over rural
lii" il one tnat cannot continue long
without a radical change in the whols
social order. The growth of the city
means the growth Of the darkest ele-
ments Of orr life. At the expense, for the
time being. IF the saving elements. The
growth of the city means the growth OF
the active principle Of our civilization.
The city liz the center of activity. IL IL
the center of good and the center Of evil.
1t means, therefore, the necessary inten-
sification of life. 1t means the inteEaif-
cation of crime. The development Of
crime within this latter part Of our CEN
tury has been out Of all proportion 10 the
progress of law and order. We have
1000 murders in America and 100 legal
executions.
The daily record of our crime Is some
thing appalling to the heart Of those
that love their fellow man. The genera
ton Of criminals who have served their
term in penal institutions is increasing
with marvellous rapidily. a penal COL
ony within the body Of civilization IL
something with which we have never
been confronted before. The number of
convicts Of various degrees which are at
present adding to the slunr population of
our cities is something beyond computa-
ton. Corruption in society and in gov
ernment and in commerce has increased
in gcometrical proportion To the pres
sure of life.
CORRUPT MUNICIPALITIES.
We have today the most corrupt civili-
Lation III some respects that the world
has ever seen. IL we take our own city
IF New York as an example in the de-
gelopment of political life in the close Of
the nineteenth century. we will have
food for the philosopher and the philan-
thropist. In the past generation in this
city corruption ruled in municipal life,
but it was a corruption 80 manifest that
public Indignation could be aroused and
the criminals brought to justice. The
Tweed regime was routed in short order
when once its rascality was made mat
ter of public comment and public sus-
.sxt, v1.xt ~. 4 Il
point of scientific development in pub
hc crime Of which Mr.. Tweed never
treamed. Tweed was thief who rose
from the lowest walks of life to roll In
luxury, To sport his diamonds and his
carriages out Of public plumber. But
he was clumsy thief.
Today his successor in Office, Mr..
Richard Croker, is the boss Of our political
life. He is the most important factor In
our American politics today. A few
years ago he was priZefighter, a gen.
e-al sport. and he was poor. Today he
lives il. a palace, he owns magnificent
rural estates, he sports the finest blood
horses in America, and his wealth must
be estimated by the million. He holds
no public Office and bas no visible
means Of support save. as the boss OF .
political club organized for plunder In
great city.
Not only have we such corruption BE-
fore our eyes and absolutely master Of
our municipal life, but more-they add
insult to injury; they pose as the bene-
factors Of society. The people are uH-
mercifuIly taxed to fill the pockets Of
these thieves, and the masses Of the poor
people in the cities must bear the bur-
den.
WEALTH AND POVERTY.
What is true OF New York is true In
smaller degree in nearly all Of the great
cities of America today. This intensi-
fcation of life has brought rs the mar