El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-30
FIRST M. e. CHURCH.
1.-The Signs of the Times" the Sub
ieCt of AR. L umpkln'S Sermon.

Times" choosing as his text, Habak-
kuk 2-1: 81 will stand upon my watch
and set me upon the tower and will
watch to see whaL he will say unto me
and what [ shall answer" The follow
IL e is part of the discourse:
The natioa al statistics that are taken
every ten years, reveal two remar-
kable facts. First that the population
of the United States doubles in about
30 years; and seco d that our present
population is something more than 70
millions. If these two things are true,
unless some great calamity befall our
country or some epidemic depopulate
all or part of it, there are those
here this morning in middle life who
will see the population Of this country
reach $50 millions; and school boys
and school girls who will see it reach
300 millions, and before the close of
the century into which we are soon to
enter, the population of this country
will be more than 900 million souls.
When we contemplate these facts 1t
Il not strange that those OF US who
have an interest in the future welfare
of our country should ask ourselves
what manner of man shall these 600
millions be and what shall be their
condition.
There are some things in regard to
this vast population OF the future,
which we cannot even conjecture.
There are other things that are almost
positively sure. First, they will speak
the English language. 1t has long been
the Opioion even of non English schol-
srs that in the future English will be
the universal language. Already 1t is
very largely the language of COM
merce. 1 speak from personal knOwl-
edge when I say that he who has q
reasonable control of the English Ian
guage can travel with but little incon-
venience in almost any part of the
world. In Japan and India today, and
less 80 in China, knowledge of the
English language Ia almost absolutely
necessary on the part of him who would
hold any important position. How
much more SO this will be as the stars
and stripes are unfurled in the islands
of the Pacific, rs the English army
pushes up the Nile and the American
missionaries up the Congo.
The causes giving rise to different
languages are rapidly disappearing.
First among these was the lack of in
tercourse among men. There was q
time when an imagina national
boundry, q river, or chain OF noun
tains. more completely separated men,
THAI q hundred and eight degrees of
land and water does today. We are
more in touch today with the remotest
were with the states next adjoining
them.
A decade ago, there was fear on
the part of some that the foreign Ian
guages taught in the home AND in the
schools might ultimately supplant the
English. That fear has past. and it
has been discovered that the same love
for his native land that awakened in
the foreigner desire TO retain his own
L. u ha
has become acquainted with the Ian
gusge and customs OF orr country,
bind him forever to the land of his
adoption
There was a time-(when Alexander
swept with Irresistible force over Ma
cedopia and Western Asia, and North
ern Africa)-that there was almost q
univ ersal language. That time will
como again; but 1t will not be the
Greek. 1t will be the English langu-
age.
Another thing that may be safely
predicted of the vast multitude to
which l have REFERRED is that ey will
retain the American form of govern
ment. The rapid changes that have
taken place in the past few ths,
have caused some to be apprehensive
he who reads Alright the ''Signs of the
Tines sees only a glorious future in
the triumphs of American arms and
modern civilization.
Our highest interests and loyalty to
the government demands that every
American citizen stand by the chief
executive. Nothing will SO prolong the
war and cost us money and lives as for
the report to go abroad that there are
divisions in our own ranks.
Imperialism need not be feared. 1t
is doubtful If there is an American
born citizen in our whole land, from
Mckinley down to the poorest laborer
who pitches dirt for CSC. day or acts
as city scavenger in a back-woods viii
lsge, who at heart is an imperialist.
The spirit of liberty has gone forth
and will never beat q retreat. There
is not today, believe. an empire or
world. Liberty and self government.
These are the two great ideas of the
age. Like two huge giants they stride
from nation to nation and march in
terrible grand eur around the world.
Beneath their feet lie broken crowns
and scepters and in their train follow
excited nations, delirious with the pro-
spect of freedom and rending the heav-
enswith the shouts of liberty and equa-
lily forever.
But not only will this vast number of
people to which have already referred
retain the English language and the
repu blican form of government, but
they will maintain and wonderfully de-
velop the scientific, mechanical and in
tellectual resources of our country.
What the future holds in store for man
in the way of Invention ADD discovery
God only knows. A hundred years ago
there was not steam engine an iron
clad, Calling gun, a telegraph or
telephone in the world. The power of
and use of electricity is only in it's in
fancy. The future will make reality
of things that the present generation
has never dreamed of. 1t will relegste
the horse TO the bOne-yard and the