St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-11
RIVER At 8 a. NJ
A Low CIVILIZATION.

The expression "a high ciViliZa-
ton as applied to that of the Unit
ed States and a few of the leading
countries of Europe, is in common
use. We assume, without question
or investigation, not only the supe-
riority Of our institutions, customs
and achievements to those Of less
advanced races, but their inherent
and essential excellence. We take
it for granted that we have travelled
the longer portion of the road. In
all that makes for the comfort of
life and the refinement Of character,
we feel that our standards are far
advanced toward the ultimate. That
is what we mean when we lay claim
to a high civilization" and speak
of contemporary peoples as less civ
ilized than ourselves.
It has probably escaped the scru-
tiny of most people that the term en-
ployed is almost wholly relative;
that when we boast high civiliza-
ton, it is because we compare our
present with our past; that a COM
pariSon with absolute standards
might make a different showing;
and that, while we have gone vastly
further than the races which went
before us, we have still so much
ground to cover, even to the point
where the road vanishes from our
view UP the steep ascent Of progress
now unimagined, that there is more
than reasonable doubt whether
we can lay claim to be called CIV
iliZed" at all. If one but compares
the actual conditions of life which
he sees about him with those that
exist in the utopias described by
romancers, he will see at a glance
what is meant. The methods of
reaching the advanced economic and
social state may be hopelessly
chimerical; but the superiority of
such a state itself, as pictured, will
be acknowledged instantly. In COM
parison with it, ours must be called
low civilization.
Let US look, for curiosity, at a few
details. The first care of a really
civilized community must be the ac-
cessories of public comfort and pub
lie health. The G l o b had occa-
sion to show, a few weeks ago, that
the United States is, in this respect,
imperfectly civilized. We know, for
used for household purposes, no mat
ter whence it may be drawn, unless
from deep artesian we'll, without
previous filtration. No community
can be called fully civilized which
endures the danger and discomfort
of an impure water supply, when
the creation of filtering plant would
secure purity and protection. Yet
nearly all the cities of this
country fall in that class,
and seem not to care particularly
about getting out of it. With even
more force does this apply to the
disposal of sewage. We are salts
fed to discharge the liquid refuse of
city into the nearest body of water,
Indifferent to the foulness of the
practice and the danger to others.
1t has been proved that filtration
will make this matter, too, as innoc-
uous as the average running stream.
Therefore, in our measure and &C
cording to our lights, we are just as
little civilized in our turn as the
ignorant barbarian who wades
through the refuse of his establish
ment to get exit from his hovel.
The same rule holds everywhere.
Compare what we know with what
we do, and the age is not more high
ly civilized than it's predecessors
Its achievement lags as far behind
its possibilities. What, for example
might any city of this generation
possess if it was determined to be-
come an exponent of the highest
civilization possible to our present
knowledge? AS we have already in
fimated, it would have an absolute.
1y pure water supply and an abso-
lutely perfect system Of sewage dis.
posal, with compulsory use Of both
by every inhabitant. Next it would
have well-paved streets, kept con-
stantIy clean. These conditions alone