Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-06-23
4ssFS County 9Gala.
ISLAND PoxD. JCNE %.
Curious Tenaeneies Of the Times.


Curious Tendencies Of the Times.
The close relationship and influence
which men Of like characteristics aud
which similar events and trudrurirs
tear oand have one upon another Il
remarkable. almost myStcIi6us SAiriy
is -getting 50 deusr aud its currents ~
strong that men are carried along 10y
the momentum Of tuch other rather than
reasoning their way along. The inn
pulse of one imparts force and direction
10 another more than it did in more
primitive times. The influence of men
and their pursuits upon each other is
most manifest and hest accounted Tor IN
common things Of life. \ man inn
proves his residence or property; that
naturally stirs the pride Of his neighbor
and influences him to like action One
starts out with snowy equifage; that
stirs Others envious and weakly vain to
strike the same passionate gait. pc
tition is circulated TO have particular
thing done. 1t acquires momentum 10y
individual force. Let that force he re-
versed by remonstrance against hay
ing the thing proposed done and it will
run back along the whole line and take
IN nearly all. There is a contagiOn III
social ideas that is ever plainest in COM
mon every day life where cause and eff
feet is most discernible. Nobody pre-
tends that the most accurate or best re-
suits are reached by such currents or in
fuences instead of by independent indi
vidual thought, and only those who for
get themselves assert that the wisdom of
a given course is settled by the tendency
If the masses which sway in one direc-
ton now, and then in the opposite. 1t
was to prevent such lurchings to 6X-
tremes that fundamental laws were es-
tablished in society. A community will
go in one direction today and in another
almost the morrow and if not controlled
by some unvarying rule of action the
consequences of such movements would
break up society. If each individual
should be entirely absorbed in his indi-
vidual pursuits and gains and should
give no attention to public interests and
contribute nothing to the common good
then progress would be arrested. But if
on the other hand each should give up
his occupation and cease production and
contribution and all join in steeple
chase to determine who could possess
himself individually of the most already
produced then increase would end and
rapacity and plumber begin. Perma-
nent prosperity comes only from order.
regularity and system Of stable rules
respected and willingly eonfOmed to
by the people,
When the judicial, Legislative and ex
ecutive branches of the government are
moved by contented but enterprising
men in their own proper sphere and each
man works in his own proper occupation
or place with due regard to the rights,
prosperity and happiness of Others then
the relations of individuals to the public
or government and of each department
of the government to the others are har-
monious and work to the best advantage.
When the most opportunities for men to
work themselves into public confidence
are furnished the most incentives to
work and healthy development will ex-
ist. But when men get weary of toll,
discontinued with their lot when they
leave their work and scramble over each
other without regard to delicacy, truth
or fidelity, even to each other, to get
into the easiest places and where the
most can be possessed, industries are
disturbed and discomfort attends them
all. If the tendency of the times fur
nish opportunities for designing men to
leap into positions Of inordinate wealth
md influence, where they can look down
With contempt upon those they have
used for their elevation, very few will
strive to compete with them by means of
any regular progression. But the trouble
is not so much in what is unjustly and
undeservedly taken possession of in this
manner as in the fact that to be sue
cessful in the race one must run along
with the prevailing currents no matter
where they tend. We are in evil condi-
lions when men study more to get the
directions of the currents and what their
probable directions will be than to get
at the true, just and safe course to pur-
sue. Moreover the country is in unsafe
conditions when the argument that a
certain policy will be adopted in any
event determines popular vote, for
where the hope of success leads the way
Adventures and moral towards are sure
to follow.
Now no one can be blind to the fact
that enchanting networks of individual
designs are being woven and are retlou-
lating through the country, the successes
of which are discouraging honest toll
and encouraging Adventures, Their
weavings are subtle and ingenious and