The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-10-19

IL Will De possible 10 90 all tn0 Work |
necessary for tho production and distri
button of economic goods within few |
hours of every week, If society can be |
organized upon the cooperative rather |
than the competitive basis.
A DISTURBANCE IN EXISTING CONDITIONS. |
Il can be seen at once that it is impos-
sible for society to receive each day this
tremendous army of wheels and levers
without causing radical disturbance
In the existing social order within the
near future. Labor organizations in
their blind ignorance have fought tho In
PRODUCTION Of machinery in the labor of
the world. But as they become educated
they will not be slow in seeing that the
work of the world can be done by ma
chinery in few hours when that ma
chinery is harnessed by cooperative
social order.
The developments Of science during
the past generation have been 90 mar
velous that we literally live in new
world because Of those developments.
Each day reveals new wonders. The
present rate Of progress, il maintained,
will give civilization in the early part
of the twentieth century the very out
lines of which no prophet can foretell
today. The only problem is, Can the
present rate of progress be maintained
in the discovery Of natures secrets by
those who are searching for themp The
probability is that it will not only be
maintained, but accelerated, for where
there was one man in search of the Sc
crets of nature for useful ends 20 years
ago there are a thousand men today
searching with might and main for these
secrets to give them Immediately to the
world as a practical contribution to its
social and economic life. Speculative
science has everywhere given way to
practical science, and the man of specu-
lative mind cannot refrain from making
the application even on the page of his
philosophic speculation.
THE GROWTH OF CITIES.
The growth of cities has been so re-
marlkable within the past generation
and is so rapidly increasing in the pres
| ent that it presages O new life in the near
future-a new life, social, economic, re-
hgious. A glance at the development of
the cities within the past decade and a
comparison of each decade in the CEN
tury will reveal that the growth of the
| city has been one of the marvels of mod
ern life. In 1890 the population of the
United States was in round numbers
100000. The population Of the cities
at that time was in round numbers 131,-
| 000-3.85 per cent of the whole popula-
| ton, leaving a rural population of 96.G5
| per cent. In 1890 we had population
Of 62,600,0 900. The population Of the
cities had grown to 1926. 900, about 30
per cent Of the entire population as con-
trasted with 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 sCepter Of import
has been transferred to the streets of the
great cities, and from the streets it has
sunk to the cutters, and the dives, and
the sewers.
The domination of city life over rural
life is one that cannot continue long
without radical change in the whole
social order. The growth of the city
means the growth of the darkest ele-
ments of our life, at the expense, for the
time being, of the saving elements. The
growth of the city means the growth of
the active principle of our civilization.
The city is the center Of activity. 1t is
the center of good and the center Of evil.
1t means, therefore, the necessary inten-
sihcation of life. 1t means the intensif-
cation Of crime. The development OF
crime within this latter part Of our cen.
tury has been out of all proportion to 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
tion of criminals who have served theil
term in penal institutions is increasing
with marvellous rapidity. A penal col
ony within the body Of civilization IL
something with which we have never
been confronted before. The number oi
convicts of various degrees which are al
present adding to the slum population Of
our cities is something beyond computa
ton. Corruption in society and in gov
ernment and in commerce has increased
in geometrical proportion to the pres
sure OF life.
CORRUPT MUNICIPALITIES.
We have today the most corrupt civili
zation in some respects that the world
has ever seen. If we take our own city
Of New York as an example in the de
velopment of political life in the close o.
the nineteenth century, we will havC
food for the philosopher and the philan
thropist. In the past generation in this
city corruption ruled in municipal life
but it was corruption so manifest tha
public indignation could be aroused ant
the criminals brought to justice. Thu
Tweed regime was routed in short ordel
when once its rascality was made mat
ter of public comment and public sus
picion. But this generation has reached
a point of scientific development in pub
lie crime Of which Mr.. Tweed never
dreamed. Tweed was a thief who rosc
from the lowest walks Of life to roll il
luxury, to sport his diamonds and hi
carriages out of public plunder. Blu
he was clumsy thief.
Today his successor in Office, Mr.
Richard Croker, is the boss of our politica
life. He is the most important factor il
our American politics today. A few
years ago he was prizefghter, gen
e-al sport, and he was poor. Today HI
lives in palace, he owns magnificent
rural estates, he sports the finest blood
horses in America, and his wealth mus