The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-04-05
THE Age OF PROGRESS.
1t Will Not End with the Nine
teenth Century.
now THE WORLD WILL wAGIN1oo3

the EepuDbcan and Democratic Parties
viii Live Forever.
Copyright, 1899, by American Press Associa.
toni
In 1903 there would be population with.
in the present area of the United States OF
$50, 0O0, OOO-if It should double every thirty
years. The actual figures would hardly
fall below 400, 100000. This would imply an
immense progress in the irrigation OF our
arid lands, in the cultivation of our noun
tains and sand plains, in the drainage OF
our lowlands, In. the utilization for manure
of the present waste of fertility through the
sewage of our cities, in the restorat ion Of
soils and of forests, in seed selection and
intense plant culture so as greatly to in
crease the product per acre, and in the in
PRODUCTION from all parts of the world of
new animals and plants and fishes for food.
The average crop of wheat per acre where
planted, will be likely to rise from twelve
or twenty bushels, as now, to 125 bushels per
acre, to which all ground intensively cult
waited is equal The size Of food animals
will increase by 10 or 20 per cent, and uten-
sils ard dwellings will be manufactured
largely of pulps and cements, so as to util-
lie vegetation and stone in every stage of
decay. waste or unfitness.
SO vast population could hardly be held
under one government unless the principle
of federation should be so extended as to
leave larger measure of home rule or
state rights or local option" than would
now seem possible. But think the states
of North and South America may by wise
measures of Zollvereins, reciprocity, cur
rency union, arbitration and subsidized
lines of transit be so interlaced and aflil-
lated that the distinction between Ameri-
can states not now in our Union and those
which are in it will be lessened.
As to the world at large, IL will be more
clearly divided between four great Ian
guages and races-viz, the German-Anglo-
American, which is Protestant; the Celtic,
Slavic or Tartar, the African and the Chi
nese. The three or four Latinized languages
of western Europe-viz., English, French,
German, Spanish and Italian-will have be-
come more nearly or quite one language
by process of constant reciprocal borrow
ing of new words and because of their
Saxon-Roman blending.
The functions Of government will be less
coercive and more suggestive-i. e., they
will relate less to the preservation Of order
and more to the promotion Of pleasure,
progress and the diffusion of information
and thought They will imprison fewer
felons and publish more statistics. The
army, navy and treasury will decline in
relative Importance, while the census,
bureau Of agriculture and geological sur
vey will contain the substance of the gov
ernment's future work and the germs OF
its future expansion.
The distinction between state and pri-
vate management will not be so definite
as it now is, Us very much state business
will be open to the influence of private in
dividuals, much rs the national mails are
now carried by private contract under the
restraints Of open competition. Most edu-
cation is done by private enterprise through
the press, and in our recent war the most
effective battle was fought by the Monitor,
a private ship worked by private capital.
The railroads and telegraphs will in the
near future be the field in which state and
private management will most freely blend
the state managing ON behalf of the users,
and the trustees representing private capt.
tai managing ON behalf Of the creators of
tlNse ways. Public means of cooling all
dwellings, in summer and warming them in
winter, of irrigating all lands, of supplying
power, implements and workmen for all
industries will in like manner exist, the
capital invested in which will be source
of private income to individuals, while the
mode of use and rate of cost or tax for use
shall be largely state questions
Experience has shown that gold and sill
yer coin depend for their abundance, util
ity and value upon the private industry of
the miners and the effective demand of the
commercial world, and that governments
in coming can do little more than to certify
facts already existing. II any change in
monetary methods shall occur, II will be to
make the Issue of both coined and paper
money more palpably an affair of private
industry and less of state control.
Intemperance in the use of liquors now
results largely from the custom Of treat
ing" Treating results from the fact that
the laboring classes get their news concern
ing work, prices and the means Of living in
the saloons, which are also the only
places where worthless mans opinion can
find u hearing or where a poor man can
drive bargain or cater for employment
without paying intelligence Office fees or
brokers' fees II other agencies can substi-
tute some different sort Of clearing house
for worthless mans opinions and some
other kind Of exchange for poor mans
labor, there will be less treating and less in
temperance.
AT present every introduction to new
acquaintance In q saloon must be ratified
by the social glass; every bargain must be
sealed by drinks; every negotiation Is
smoothed by whisky. Yet out of these
arise most of the acquaintance, bargains
and negotiations which help millions to
earn their living. If temperance legisla-
tion undergoes any changes, 1t should be In
two lines-viz., toward the substitution of
pure for deteriorated liquors, Of light wines
for high wines, of cheap liquors in place of
dear liquors and Of the official sale Of
liquors instead OF the taxed sale.
The confinement and punishment of GRIM
inals Is mischievous to the criminal, wholly
without reformatory tendencies, and is Of
little and doubtful value TO society as de
terrent force. Industry is the only reformer.
1t is more promoted by marriage, COLOMBIA
tion, freedom and success in life than by
enforced solitude, compact dwellings, con-
straint, celibacy and failure.
Freedom OF divorce IL race element. IL
was stronS in Greece, lacking In Rome,
privilege OF the male sex only In Jewry, but
of wom,n also In Germany. Its adjust
ment will depend on species Of local OPP
tion which will vary according as race and
blood prescribe.
As TO the accumulation OF wealth, the
ownership Of all the forms Of wealth which
are In social use must increasingly become
the basis of private fortunes; bat the use or
loan or enjoyment Of all this social wealth
must increasingly inure TO the public.
So long as daily experience proves that
society gets the use OF every form OF social
wealth.. G., wealth which Is 30 invested
"a To earn an income, cheaply In proportion