The record-union., 1896-07-11
WE ARE NOT GOING BACKWARD.

All history proves that Government
is a never ceasing effort to attain the
level of higher standards. In the course
of this endeavor it very often descends,
and it not infreQuently becomes worse
In order to become better. Hence it Is
that so many governmental expert
ments prove failures. But on the whole
there is a. steady up grade of advance
ment quite abreast with the growth of
knowledge, the expansion of intelligence
and the progress of discovery.
That our own Government in the
no frank student of political science and
sociology believes for a moment. We
have made perhaps in the last fifty
years greater advancement than any
other group. In the recognition of the
individual factor, in the guards and Sc
curities cast about individual right, in
the checks against fraud and corruption,
In the elective franchise, in the assertion
OF the community power to regulate and
curb, in the broadening of the educa-
of citizenship and advancing the privi-
1ege OF the elector and requiring of him a
higher grade of intelligence, we have
made the most notable advances.
But while doing all these things we
have encountered any number of crazes
and host of theories and demands for
radical and speedy attainment of altru-
sstic ideals, most Of which have been
Empracticable, some of which have been
dangerous to human rights, and some of
which have been and still are absolutely
threatening to liberty, and the lifting of
the Individual out of the rut of the COM
nonplace. At the present time we are
beset by any number of these plans for
speedy and complete betterments, the
mass of which are simply impossible of
accomplishment Mr.. Godkin, in a re-
cent essay, has said:
The history of all republics and Of all
Tnonarchies is, like the history Of man
himself, one OF incessant change. The
Greek Republics, the Roman Republic
and Empire, the Venetian Republic, the
French and English monarchies, have
all undergone notifications from gener-
alton to generation, in institutions. laws
and manners. The English monarchy
has since Elizabeth undergone at least
four enormous changes, involving COM
plete transfer of power and a complete
revolution in political ideas. Even
China is succumbing TO what is called
sthe spirit of the age" To sup
pose that We with forty-five republics,
fnduIging in annual experiments in Gov
ernment. shall be exempt from the gen.
eral law is absurd. These changes con-
Efst. too. as rule, In adaptation of the
institutions of the country to an altered
condition of popular sentiment, to the
revelation of new dangers, to the decline
or deterioration of some law Or custom.
Democracy in America, like de-
nlocracy and monarchy elsewhere, is
following the course OF other political
societies. 1t is suffering from unforeseen
evils. as well as enjoying unforeseen
blessings.
We are of those who believe that it
will find and apply the remedies, and
that while In doing so gross injustice
and much cruelty win be done, In
4he long run we are to continue to ad-
vance and achieve betterments. We
are prone to consider things worse than
they really are. to consider evils ana
friction due to widely differing causes,
as wholly chargeable to the political
and the financial system, and to seek our
remedies in mere legislation, when they
should be found lying far deeper and to
be developed from moral beterments'
and the education that gives us clearer
perceptions of human rights aside from
political privileges and Legislative
grants or declarations.