The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-06-16
CONDITIONS cHANGlNe.N
Has to Pay the Penalty for Disturb.
ing Nature.

Far his luxury, convenience orprofit,
,,an is doing much to disturb the op-
a-ations of nature and believes that he
ear improve on her means and ends.
that he is not always successful we
nav conclude from the complaints of
sood and drouth and insect which
burden the wires and terrify our peo-
nla and disturb the settled calm of in.
ggnstrial life. We found a continent
covered with forests. and nature had
odiusted itself to such conditions We
fonnd equable winters, so far as the
ioose observation of earlier DAVIS at
test the seasons observed their APP
nointed procession. and the rain fell
mon the just and the unjust The in
hahitants of the continent kept the
balance in exact adjustment-the in
sect crept from its chrysalis to feed
the birds which failed to find its stock
necessary to replenish the supply, the
birds enemies kept his numbers with.
IN bounds, the fittest survived, and the
march Of events followed the order de-
cided upon in the beginning.
T-pon these conditions civilized man
came suddenly and all was changed.
He cut down the forests. drained the
marshes and dug waterways where
before there were none. He exposed
me insect to light and warmth and fed
him on tender crops not intended for
his consumption. and then grnmbled
n because things were not as they were.
He cNterminated the enemies appoint
n ed to keep within limit the little folk
fiat burroW within the earth and ven
mre forth only by stealth to destroy.
and then he brought in strangers like
INTO himself to restore the balance he
had disturbed. The West complains
of the locust and caterpillar; Boston
declares war upon the sparrow brought
over TO stop their ravages. Our boards
of agriculture prescribe poison to re-
place natures agents. and still the old
evils exist, though they may change in
character. Is it not time that we stop
to consider what we do? When the
forests have disappeared the rains
must rush in floods to the sea. for
there are no longer delicate pumps to
lift and dissipate the superabundance
of moisture gently into the air; to tenn
per the climate as nature intended
when leaves were sent to serve and
be7utify the earth. The blizzard
PUSHES without hinderance over wide
areas which formerly knew it not and
men shiver and die with new diseases
because of the sins they have commit
ted against nature and themselves. We
dlain marshes for few acres of land
never designed for our use by wiser
economy than we know, and then the
reservoirs cease to exist and the
warmth of water in winter does not
protect vegetation nor its GOODNESS
bring the summer dew. We straight
en- the rivers, and they rush to the
ocean without winding from glade to
glade to fertilize and gladden. the wild
est possible extent of territory.
We heap under the glowing sun the
refuse of our congregated life, and the
scavengerS nature appoints to remove
1t turn to rend us, and we wonder
that germs multiply and microbes Of
strange shape and deadly character
are conceived from new conditions to
rack us with gnawing pain and EN-
bitter our days with coughs and weak
ness. Is it strange that man begins
again to envy the savage as in the RO-
man day. and that a Tactitus arises on
every hand to warn us the day Ofretri-
button is at hand to call us to repent
ance?