The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-22
THE IDEAL DEMOCRACY.
England at the End of the Twentieth
Century.
From L ondon Punch.

Century.
From L ondon Punch
II think that you left directions that
you were TO be thawed in 1884 preciseIyn
said the stranger politely. ALLOW me to
introduce myself-Number Seven Million
and Six. If you feel equal to the effort,
and would care to see the vast improve
ments in our social condition since the
close of the benighted Nineteenth Gent
ury, shall be pleased to conduct you"
Mir. Punch then began to realize that
he had had himself frozen by patent
process just a hundred years ago, and
that he had returned to animation in
time for the close of the marvellous
Twentieth Century; so he prepared, in
much curiosity and excitement, to &C
company his guide.
by the way" observed the latter,
you must not be annoyed if your-hem-
hablliments. Which we are unaccustomed
to nowadays, should attact some atten-
| tion."
Singularly enough, Mr.. Punch had Just
begun to feel a certain embarrassment at
| the prospect of being seen in PicCadilly or
Regent street in the company of person
| attlred IN gray cellular palamas, drab
| blanket and glazed pot hat. However,
! on reaching the street. he found that
! while his own costume-which, in his
original century, would only have been
! remarkable for It's unimpeachable taste
was, in this the subject of universal and
| invidious comment.
! You'll have your regulation pot hat
! and pajamas served out to you in time :"
| SAID Mr.. Seven Million and Six, encour-
| agingly ''Then -noone will say anything
to YOU. In these days we resent anything
! that tends to confer an artificial distinc-
ton on any man. Surnames, for example,
which occasionally. suggested superiority
| of birth, have long been abolished, and
official numbers are substituted You
seem to be looking for something yon do
not seel" he added, noting certain
darkness and disappointment in Mr..
| Punch s expressive countenance
Il was only wondering why | saw no
! signs OF any new and marvellous inveu-
tons at present. said MIR. Punch. Il
rather expected to see the air full of cleo
trio trains, manageable balloons, or
coveys OF citizens darling about on me-
| chanlCal piniOus. But / see none, and
even more people go on foot than in my
own time"
''Inventions, take it," was the reply.
only served to enrich the capitalist,
and save time or labor. Now we have no
capitalists and no riches, and no reason
for hurrying anywhere, while it would be
uD9 "a u anu uoGlCSS W ltSSCI the amount
OF manual labor when, even as it is, there
is scarcely enough to keep every one en-
ployed for six hours-a day7'
why are all the women / see dressed
exactly alike in naVy4blde wooden frocks
and coalscuttle, bonnets2" Mr. Punch in
quired presently. "Surely they can't all
be members of the Saln-
"A uniform costume was decreed by
! plebisclte some years ago. eepled his
mentors promptly. ANY real equality
among women was found hopeless so long
| as some were able to render themselves
exceptionally attractive by distinctive
toilette"
What" exclaimed Mr. Punch, Ibid all
the pretty women consent to such a sacri-
fce"
They We're in a very decided minority,
even then" said Mr.. Seven Million and
Six land it is not our way to think much
OF mlnorities. At present, owing no
doubt TO an enactment which penalized
every pretty woman by compelling her to
wear blue goggles and ,respirator, femi-
! nine beauty is practically eXtinct.D
Mr. Punch could not restrain a sigh
They were now entering a somewhat
gloomy thorOughfare between massive
blocks OF buildings with large doors and
innumerble small windows, which tow
cred into the SKY on either hand.
81 seem TO miss the shop fronts,'' he
] oaAu dIOuu, WIN lu6lF- pldIeg lass, ana
| all their glitter and luxury. What has
become OF them alll'
such necessaries as the citizen re-
! qu1res" SAID his companion, ARE pro-
cured at the public storehouses, which
you see around YOU, by the simple method
OF presenting ticket The luxuries you
refer to were only procura bic by the rich,
ana nobody Is rich now. ii you will come
! with me Will take you over one of the
state dwelling houses and show you one
! OF the suites of rooms. Every citizen has
room: or, il married, a couple of rooms,
exactly the same shape and size as those
of his fellows.
Beautifully clean, you sect" he re-
marked, complacently as he threw open
! one OF the doors, Neat whitewashed
walls, plain deal furniture, nice holland
ollnds--what more can any reasonable
citizen want in the way of comfortl"
There used to be a celebrated poet in
my time, - said MIR. Punch, with some
hesitation, who designed and sold very
oeautitu upholstery-tape wall-pa-
! pers, curtains and so on. l fancy he held
! socialistic views But see no trace of
! his work here. -
II think know whom you refer to-"
| was the reply, The community would
! doubtless have been glad OF his services
| II he would only have contracted to sup
! ply every citizen with precisely the same
! pattern ana quality of his manufactures,
at say, pork-pie yard. But, for some
reason, he could not see his way to il, and
the industry declined; which is not to be
! regretted, for it certainly tended to fos-
! ter indiyidualism I.-
| 1T is curious" said Mr.. Punch, when
they were outside again, that have not
as Yet seen a single policeman"
| NOT at all curious. We have none
! Crime simply proceeded from The calling
sense of Social inequality. Consequently
as soon as that was removed Justice