The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-02-10
PROVO CITY. FEB. 10. 1885,
MODERN PROGRESS.


All lovers of mankind cannot but re-
ioice whenever they thoughtfully take
time to reflect upon the many and the
constantly multiplying evidences of
the improved conditions of human So
cietY. We say this in the full con-
sciousness of the broad trurhfulness of
the statement, and after having fairly
measured all the detracting utterances
which adverse critics have made and
are continually making.
To our judgment the most signal in
stance Of the distinctiYely humanizing
influence of modern ideas is afforded
by the action of the United States gov
eminent after the close of the great
civil war. A war of uneXampled mag
nitude, costing thousands and thou
sands of lives, and many millions of
money, and was fought throughout
with unexampled determination. The
yanquished had begun the war, and in
view of the victors were rebels, but
not single hair of their heads was
touched after the contest was over,
not a single political prisoner was
brought to trial. jeff Davis was not
hanged on a sour apple tree. and the
leading generals and politicians on
either side for the most part returned
quietly to civil occupations. What
will an historian writing a century
hence think of this magnifcently hu-
man record, as contrasted with Euro
pean wars?
If the spirit of the age be really
skeptical and democratic, as all admit
and many deplore, then skepticism and
democracy are deserving praise. For
it is not in war only that milder man
ners and more human and charitable
spirit have accompanied, if they have
not been created, by the development
of these two great principles of mod
ern society The very atmosphere of
these modern times is full of projects,
visionary or otherwise, which are all
based on the spirit, if not on the letter
of christianity, the spilit that seeks to
relieve the raOr and suffering and that
labors for the sw6etening OF the gen.
eral conditions of life. Bismark and
the German emperor adopt large
schemes of state socialism, and aim at
universal insurance of Workmen
against poverty and old age. Labor
unions, provident societies and saw
ings banks do the same on an ever
widening scale throughout the En-
gllsh speaking communities on both
continents. The old harsh principles
of English law, which formerly were
too apt to side with the strong against
the week, with man against woman,
with landlord against tenant,
with capital against labor, have in
these modern times steadily broken
down in all directions. The too cold
and too rigid conclusions of political
economy are no longer accepted as uni
versal axioms. The duties of property
so very long ignored, are steadily but
surely coming into better relations
with its rights.
These and many more of the ad-
yancing and ameliorating forces are
working their way into all the depart
ments of modern life. To every careful
observer there is manifest growth
and, progress towards a more lasting
basis of what may be called the religion
of humanity. The world has had more
than enough of the high and dry creedaI
religion. Traditional dogmas have
utterly failed to save the world, and
now has come and is more and more
coming the grand Christly spirit of
practical helpfulness and love.
The skepticism of the age, ig not a
skeptlcism so much against the Christly
spirit Of our enabling faith, but rather
an earnest and searching criticism that
seeks to separate the chaff from the
wheat. Theologies and isms of religi-
Gus controversy have alienated the
masses of the people on both contin-
ents from the old creeds, but not, as we
think, from the spirit of the great mas.
ter and teacher of human happiness.
Healthy, rational and honest critic
SIN can but purify and steugthen
whatever is good and noble, and the
sooner we can get rid of what is either
irrational or superstitious the better
or mankind in general.
Some twenty years ago, Lord Bea-
onsield wrote letter to the
Duke of Marlborough, in which ,
e predicted the following in sub. :
tance; see the rise and beginning of !
mighty tidal wave of democracy that Z
! a few years will cover the whole of
iurope for good or for evil. b
Now why could that great statesnan
9e SO clearly that great wave, yea, and sI
Ear the very sound of the ''vox
'puli," at so great distance2 For the n
ason that he himself was essentially &C
Id really democrat, and worked on
e best lines of democratic principles, Is
It party democracy, but the democ-