The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-06-10
A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE.

Arcola, H., April 23.-George Dill
liner, one OF the first settlers in this
county, died at his home near here
last night, aged 60 yelrs. One of Mr..
Dilliner's peculiar hobbies was his be-
Lief that the world was fiat, and not
outstanding the fact that strong
evidences TO the contrary were
brought to bear on the subject, during
his life, his opinion was never shaken
ia the least and he passed to his
death firm in the belief that the
world was not round.
About one hundred years from now
the following article will appear in
THE DAILY REPRESENTATIVE" Of
that period.
night there died at the county poor
house, in this city, Mr.. John Smith,
aged III yearS,-a very curious and
eccentric individu II, was we'll
known to all our older citizens 1t
was common amusement for our
young blOods to call on him at the
poor house, and induce the old gentle.
man, by few glasses OF beer, 10 talk
lie would present the most absurd
and ridiculous ideas with the graveSt
face in the world; and strange to say
he had full faith in them. They were
the opinions, we learn, Of an age long
since passed away.
He believed:
l. That there could be no money
unless the government stamp was put
upon pieces OF two metals. one was
called silver-the name OF the other
we have forgotten. Why these
should have the exclusive privilege of
n r ct h, <on
but he was sure it was so. He be-
lieved that if these two metals did
not increase as fast as the growth of
the human race in population the
race should be reduced, by starvation
and ruin, to the measure of the
metals; and il the supply Of the
metals gave out altogether mankind
had got to die, and it was right that
it should die. These opinions he
would express, with the utmost grav-
ity and confidence, amid roars of
laughter from his audience. He as
sured us that in his youth such ideas
were held by all the great and wise of
their time.
2. He believed that whenever any
thing had to be done for the benefit
of the people, il there was no profit
in it, the government should perform
lOs OOU, ii duy pFOuU Cbulu Uo IQdGo OuU
Of it, it was to be turned over to GER
tain favored individuals, who would
make immense sums of money there
by, and then combine to undermine
and destroy the very government
which had enriched them. This he
claimed made beautiful variety in
human society; and, when the few
were thus made wealthy, they became
"Cultured class" who would afford
employment for the poor. When we
took issue with him, he would num-
BILE through his toothless jaws two
words, which we did not understand:
these were,- paternalism' and $50
cialism" They must have been
something terrible from the way in
which his old eyes would blaze when
he uttered them.
All these things remind us of the
time when the whole christian world
believed that every storm was mani
festation Of the power Of the devil;
and bells we're rung to scare away the
demons of the tempest from DESTROYS
ing the churches: and when it was
argued that there could be no anti
pOdes because St. Paul had said that
all men were made to live ION the
face of the earth," and therefore
they could not live on the back of it!
Mankind parts with great reluct-
ance from it's errors"
And that utterance is as true today
as it will be in 1896 d.