Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-07-08

pfOuAui5 " ntie - tat<icek W you
that / should dwell nt length some
what upon the preaznt rather than
the past. We are fond Of boasting
that we live in IN age Of great pro-
gress, and when this claim 10 limit
ed and applied to material progress
it may be truthfnlly 20 maintained.
Within the one hahcred years, Of
which this is the anisersary OF the
establishment d this old school,
science and dssc5teries made By
science have actually and absolute
ly revolntionized the methods Of
the world. / have only to ask those
persons who remember, and those
who are too young to remember. to
contrast the old four horse stage
with the limited vestibule palace
car train Of the day making the dis
tance, with perfect comfort, ease
and elegance, from the capital Of
the United States to its principal
city--New York-in less time than
our forefathers made it from Char
lotte Hall to Washington. Think
Of the revolution produced by steam
upon the seas in the travel and trade
of the world. No longer are our
rivers and bays white with canvass,
but wrapped in the curling smoke
Of the proud steamer which defies
time and distance. No longer do
we wait for the lapse of a whole
week to hear the news in a weekly
edition of newspaper from ada
cent neighborhoods, but at our
breakfast tables we read the news
from all countries Of the globe, con-
veyed by telegraph from it's remot-
est section. Not content with this
rapid means of transmitting news,
we are enabled now to stand at the
telephone aud talk to friends thous-
ands of miles away. What the fu-
ture has in store for additional i'm
provements On these methods il 10
impossible to tell. Think for mo-
ment Of the vastness of the differ
ence between astrology as taught
and of astronomy as taught today.
There is hardly limit to be placed
upon these wonderful inventions
and discoveries and their applica-
ton. Think for q moment of the
culling by the slow process of the
hard the seed from all the cotton
fields of the world and then think
of the advance made by the cotton
gin.
| might extend these illustrations
almost without limit, but / desire
to impress upon you the fact that
while these great improvement
have added immeasureably to the
comfort, health and we'll being oil
society, there are other question,
touching which this matter of pro
gress is not so pronounced. / hav,
been speaking of material progress
What about moral progress? Wha
about intellectual progress? Wha
about political progress Have W
conclusive evidence that the worlt
is very much better morally?
fancy when this question. is asket
that am pointed to the splendi'
edifices erected all over the land
with their magnificent equipments
their deep toned organs and thei
beautiful service. am pointed 4
what are known as the great chari
table institutions OF the world, wit
their doors spread wide open bid
ding suffering humanity to ente
, and be comforted. But how mucl
, unrequited toll and how much un
, rebuked infamy stalk about tn
/ land principally in the cities wher
, the instrumentalities for instruc
| ton and relief are most abundant
[ Time does not permit me to dive
! very much at length upon this Q
. any other topic upon which sha
{ touch. Ny remarks have been an
e shall be more suggestive than othel
: wise. a.
, How about intellectual advanc,
. ment? What great orators, poet
Q scholars, divines and statesmen hs
!: this generation produced, who con
: pare st all with many Of those VIII
existed in the centuries previous
! Has this modern progress produce
q Shakespeare? Has it produce
Bacon? Has it produced She
IS idan? Has it produced a Burke
:. Has it produced Washington or
Jefferson? Has it produced Pa
II rick Henry: Has it produced
W.i&a- Cnosf or RuIwars Has