The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-03-12
SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS.

'p"S'' u h'cbOAy eO''o o' $500
Samson, a man of vast strength,
ong hair and impressible heart
)ne time did valiant warfare
ne sinsf the enemies of the He
brews, his only weapon being the
JawbOne of an ass. Profane history
tells us that the capitol at Rome
was saved by the Ca k ing of geese,
who thus awakned the drowsy SEN
tinels in time to repulse the steal
thy approaches OF the enemy.
~
All history of HI past carries a
lesson 20 the present. What then
have we here?
~
In Washington's time, the popu'
lation OF this country with the ex-
ception of three per cent, was rural
The subduing of luxuriant nature,
the clearing of tangled forests, the
raising Of props, the hunting OF
wild beasts, and fighting for Liber'
ty absorbed the energies of a nation
of farmers. From his day, until the
present, there has been q steady
proportional increase in urban
populations. The fact that one
third of all our vast population IL
now gathered within town or city
limits will show how marked this
transition has been.
*.*
A crowded population c0mpli-
Gates government tremendously.
Vast aggregations of human beings
about new crimes, new needs, new
trainings. / deduce then ne
cation from the stories Of Samson
and of Rome. We have no author.
ity to expect power from either
asses or geese for graphing with
the problems of increasing COM
plexity in our Republic.
Ky
/ write unto you young men be-
cause you are strong. Think a mo-
ment on what confronts this nation
Every thirty years of our nationa
existence has witnessed doubling
of our population. In all likelihood
the 6O,OOO,O00 of 1890 will be grown
to 12O,OOOO0O in 1920. Upon the
shoulders of you young mel the
Government will then be resting
and dominion will be under your
feet. The protectors of Rome ant
the weapon of Samson will helI
you but little.
~
You will have to to think clearly
and prepare wisely for these bur
dens of government that are al
surely coming upon YOU as old age
You will be called upon to be doors
of deeds and not mere dreamers o
them. A mans ability to paddle
the air with his JawbOne will fl
him for furnishing the filling o.
Pneumatic tires but will unfit HIN
for the problems of the future.
Xxx
A nation of farmers knows M
hunger; a nation of city workers
is never far removed from starva
ton. The farmer laughs the biz
card to scorn, and'holds the cold II
derisioD; for hath he not barrel
below stairs we'll filled and fra
grant? The artisan knows no peace
when his livelihood is withdrawn
A week sees his margin of saving
de.ninishtd, u second week and hi
credit is questioned, third weel
and he begins to pawn, fourtl
week and he is an object of charity
The increasing crowds of competi
tors will increase his problems
the increasing mouths on decreas
ing wages will make him almost {
ravcning wolf. You government
bearers of the future meet him no
with the'trumpting of a goose, o
the wagging of a Jaw. If he asl
bread will you tenderd him stone
*xw
When a few small men can cal
control the necessities of nation
and at a turn of the hand or no,
of head fitch extra millions from
the pockets of those who feel tn
loss the most, the poor forced t.
buy in small quantities at exorbi
tant rates, you controllers of tn
future must match brains agains
brains, lofty purpose aginst ignobl
and selfish. Don Quixote charging
wildly 90 windmiIls, the children
crusaders mowd down by the Sara
Gems, the old woman sweeping bacl
the waves with broom, were non
of them more pitiable in their in
efficiency than you rulers of tn
future will appear II you undertak