Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-08-30
Take Ayers SarsapariIa for the Complexion,
is 1T DECADENCEY
kSHARP CRITICISM OF THE DO MOTH
ING TIME IN WHICH WE LIVE.


An Age of Mediocrity In Which About
the Only Activity Is In tho Direction of
Fadism-There Are No Great Questions
and No Pre-eminent Men.
1t is II serious question whether we are
In period of dccndrncc The whole world
appears to be in condition of intellectual
inactivity, or ut least without those great
mental struggles which characterized the
recent past. We are numcrously following
fads, exercising the mind on trines, read
ing and writing trash, and interested in
few general problems. The long peace of
the world has Cnervatcd men, especially as
there have been no great problems of peace
even. The preceding century closed in
storm, the American and French rcyolu-
tons having excited the energies of the
world. The present century promises to
close in Il calm that breeds malaria The
last generation, active over the antislavery
conflict and civil war, prolonged its ex-
element through the German wars against
Austria and France The present genera
ton is relatively without INTEREST," people
have nothing specially great to think
about. When it was II question of saving
the country or settling great moral prob
lens, mems thoughts were great and their
activities on corresponding scale. The
world was undertaking gigantic tasks, and
brains were in demand The orator, the
poet, the statesman were busy in their
greatest creations. The intellect of the
people was fcvcriSh. With universal dis
cussion and discussion Of wcighty prob
lens the times produced men like BceChcr,
Lincoln and Bismarck. Whittier wrote
his "In War Time" tic sanitary commits
sion was created, the development Of phi
losophy launched and Italy united. Tho
world was doing something, and mankind
was conspicuous for working as u whole
or in great groups.
OF late, however, there is a widespread
feeling that we have nothing to do, and
the people, like idlcrs, are devising spe-
cious tasks for themselves mostly means
of recreation. We are in period of diet
tantism. 1t is the age Of brio brac in
art, of ceremonies and entertainments in
religion and of dress in society Scholars
gossip in clubs, instead of debate in lyce-
ums, and college students are known chief
ly as football players. No new philoso-
piers have been conceived in this age, no
great poems have appeared or remarkable
adventures. 1t is an age of mcdiocrity, in
which many como forward in every de-
partmCnt, but none is conspicuous. The
whole world has been recently convulsed
over wedding. A superficial book on bo-
hemianism has made the greatest success
in literature. The principal interest in
politics is an easy way to pay debts. So
cialism is rs deep as the public can see in
to government. Claptrap interests men,
and public officials arc capitalists instead
of statesmen.
Is all this an evidence of decadence, or
is it inscparablo from long career of
peace? When the great questions are set
tied must the people turn to the small? If
anything important interested us we
might go to war, whereas now peace is
maintained by having nothing to fight for.
Such languid feeling as the present
could hardly be reused to war. We are not
interested enough to dispute seriously,
much less fight. We are making some
progress indeed, in the refinements of
life, and perhaps advancing in slow way
by catching up with great projects con-
ceived when men were more vigorous
But when an age is refining it is usually
doing little else. The people are polishing
what they forged in the last generation.
This is q period of rhetoric, when men try
to say nicely instead of think greatly. 1t
gives fewer thoughts to the world than it
restates. By correcting and identifying
the more vigorous productions of other pc
RODS it does its characteristic work.
Life is not MS serious as it was 80 years
ago, when men lived for something. The
question then was how to do, whereas it
is now how to live. Instead of acting men
are behaving, and the amenities Of life are
our chief interest.
Trying chiefly to get rid Of the attri-
tions of society, we are learning to use
what we have rather than getting any
thing for humanity. We are in period of
adjustment and exercised over what to do
with ourselves. The present problem is
mainly to keep mon good, or rather to
keep them proper. Social life is about the
highest problem we are considering. Men
need to be recalled to the vigorous. Tho
of life must be entered to pro-
duce strong people. There is need of
some Of the old Puritan earnestness. Life
should be more serious and lived on a
larger scale. The pleasures take too promi-
nent n place, as in the beginning of the
century. The ablest minds are
largely engaged in amuAg the people.
The drama is the chief department that
prospers, and the greatest thing now seen
is an opera or pageant. We are celebrating
great deeds instead of doing them. If we
are to be much in the near future we must
look around for greater undertakings.
There is enough to be done to make heroes.
Though no new worlds can be discovered
or races freed, there are lines of enterprise
waiting to be pursued. Africa is yet to bo
settled and reduced to civilization; new