The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-07-08
4 MELANCHOLY PROSPECT.
UNEoUALLED CONCLUSIONS NEAR
At HAND.
An Able Young Woman Writes
Startling Article.

an AOAe 1Ouu& woman WrlteS q
Startling Article.
As an example Of college opinion the
following was the best essay read yester-
day, all the students seen by reporter for
the Eagle saying So It will be interesting
to analyze the paper in order to get at
what students are thinking about The
students Of today will be among the think
ers Of history in the future. The paper
was read by Miss Cora B. Bailey.
Standing at the threshold of new CEN
tury. 1t is well and proper that we glance
at our surroundings and ascertain whether
we are advancing in the scale of human
Progress. The casual observer as he be-
holds the wonderful progress we have been
making in the past half century, as he con-
templates the wonderful inventions of our
geniuses, the application of these to the
production of wealth, as he sees the Inn
mense wealth that has sprung into exist
ence by their magical touch, he is bew.l-
'dered. So great has been our advance
ment In the production Of wealth that in
the last quarter OF century we have pro-
duced more than any other nation has pro-
duced In q hundred years. AS we see all
these things and behold the grand cities be-
ing built on every hand, colleges libraries
and churches springing up throughout the
land. How the great railroad system is
extending it's arteries into every nook and
crook, followed by the telegraph and cleo
tr.c car. Again contemplating our great
authors, philosophers and thinkers; the
thought that we are degenerating has been
kArthest from our consideration. But II
we look deeper into the environments by
which we are surrounded, we are startled by
the revelation which follows. He would
have been a rash man who would have
said that Rome was entering her decline
when Aubustus was chang ng the Rome of
brick to the Rome Of marble; when wealth
was increasing; when manners were be-
coming more ref1ned-literature rising to a
higher splendor. Yet such was the case.
And ,hrhosoever will look may see that
though our civilization Is apparently ad-
varc.ng with greater rapidity than ever,
the same cause which turned Roman pro-
tress into retrogress.on IS operating now.
There are certain immutable laws
which govern and control governments and
rociety, and to discover these and compare
our conditions with them, we can readily
ascertain whether we are still advancing or
have reached our zenith, and are now on
our downward course There Is no ques-
ton but that government and organized So
ciety, like the individual, have their peri
DDS OF youth, manhood and decay. There
are certain things that mark the progress
or retrogression Of society, in which are the
successes or failures IN the worldly busi
ness, the increase or decrease of pen.ten-
tiary offences, insanity, id.ocy, suicides,
aCtemperance, and the increase or decrease
of the number of home owners. For COM
par.son we have selected the years 1860
and 1890, which Will give the conditions Of
this generation with the one that preceded
It as near as the census statistics would per-
NIT We find that during this period the
Increase of population IN the United States
was 80 per cent. The number OF business
failures increased 318 per cent; the number
Of conv.cts 301 per cent; the insane 342
per cent; idiots 400 per cent. The expenses
Of running the government during the same
time increased 300 per cent per CAPITA
Marriages on the decline, divorces on the
increase, use of alcohol drinks and narcot-
les increasing. In regard to home owner
ship, we find from the eleventh census re-
port that 81 per cent Of the American peo-
pie are tenants, and that there were 9.O0O.-
100000 mortgages. II we add the mort
gagged homes to the rented, which virtually
:s the same. 65 per cent of our people are
tenants. While our people have created
wealth without parallel on the one hand,
the homes of the producers of wealth have
slipped from them at rate unequalled in
past history. Another indication that
points the course OF a people in the last de-
q a o.. 49,
homes In the rural districts they drift to the
large cities and become tenants. for we
find q much greater per cent of tenants in
the large cites; for instance in New York
city, 50 per cent Of the people are tenants
one Of the signs Of congestion of society.
But we have on one hand wealth beyond
the dream OF avar.ce, while on the other
we have vice, crime, immortality, degrade
tion appalling to contemplate. AS we look
over past history we find that wherever a
people lost their homes degeneration and
national decay has always followed. No
nation OF homeless people can remain great
any length Of time. While we are not only
becoming nation Of tenants at a rate be-
yond precedent, and the machinery is com
pleted for the deprivation Of the balance OF
their homes, the greater majority of the
people approve Of the system and are in
favor Of It's continuation. As we c0ntem-
plate the situation and the seeming impos-
s.bilNy Of arousing the people from their
lethargy, we can but conclude that we have
reached the zenith and are now on the
downward course. Once in While Dam
iel .nterprets the hand writing ON the wall.
but little or no attention is paid to it. A
short time ago Governor Fifer, of Illinois.
said: Just so certainly as l stand here.
this gOvernment Will fall. All things tend
to wealth, wealth to luxury, luxury to
weakness, and weakness to .apse.' Pas
history justifies this conclusion. Yet the
American people will sleep on while the
politicians Of one party hurrah for tariff
reform and those of another yell themselves
hoarse for reciprocity. Thus the dance OF
death VII be continued. Already to the
careful, d.scerner the sweat OF death IS vis-
ible on the body polite. The extremities
OF society are becoming r.g.d. Every fore
runner Of revolution Is manifest. The
conditions OF society are ripe, me.low-ripe
for change. The conditions which affect
our pokt.cal, social and mora, ideas Are
manifest n all Christ!andom. The future
promises lconyulsi0ns unequalled and un-
precede1t1d n the past.-W.chita Eagle
June II, 1896.
sBond and Industrial Slavery" &c. Bes,
0Doot Liquidation book out.
5Sa sS s So sf