The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-06-08
C.S. Allison & Son.
II North Washington ST., OWosso.

which they have already laid, they
would surely become useful citizens
and thereby would fully repay the debt
which they now owed to society.
The address of the evening was
scholarly and sympathetic exposition of
the relations between the individual
and society with especial reference to
relations in democracy such as the
United States. In fact, it be might, mar
rowed still further by saying that it was
made with especial reference to the
United States.
In the course of the last hundred years
the changes in society have been stu
pendous. Then the same sickle, and
nearly the same loom were in use as
were used hundreds of years before.
Since that time man has invoked the
aid of nature in his work. He has read
the history of the stars, weighed the
planets, rushed across the ocean with
the aid of steam, talked with electricity,
and now even harvests his grain with
machinery which former generations
could scarcely have regarded with less
than superstitious awe. 1t has indeed
been an age of progress in material
things, but there has also been an un-
mistakable moral development. Thus
obligations have become stronger rather
than weaker. The present century has
been marked by feeling of responsi
bility for the welfare of ones fellow
man even tho this has been called a
materialistic age.
One hundred years ago society was
slave holding society with the single
exception of England, and even she had
not got beyond the point where her
show of goodness was in many respects
a hypocritical one. Her slave mer-
chants were in the very worst of the
terrible slave traffic, for those were the
days when the SLAYER crossed the ocean
with its cargo of human freight suffer-
ing and gro aning between the decks.
And the ruin of the terrible structure
which has fallen have not all been clear
ed away yet, but still, human slavery
has disappeared, during this one hun
dred years.
One hundred years ago the jails were
filled with all kinds of abuses. They
were foul, so foul as to be unfit for the
shelter of ones horse or dog but in them
were confined together, all under the
same ban and all in the same loathsome
hole, murderers, thieves, and the debtor
in the same pen with the rest No one
can deny the spirit of humanitarianism
which the century has seen develop.
Maudlin indications of it are apparent
everywhere. In the organization of
societies for charitable purposes are
seen still further manifestations of the
same spirit. Modern society has found
that individual feeling is so strong that
it must sometimes be checked. Colleges
have established chairs of sociology for
the study of the needs of society and the
best methods of meetingI them. The
great missionary societies of the Chris
tian church are imbued with loftier
spirit as is also the church itself with a
new ideal for the uplifting of man.
Even the atrocities of war have been
obliged to yieiI to the humanitarian
spirit Of the time, and although militar-
ism is still the scourge of Europe, and
an evil portent in America, yet the
greatest war of the century presents as
its most striking features the signs of
the humanitarian spirit. Its greatest
characteristics werei not sits sterrible
battles but its hospitals. The war of
two years ago was peculiarly awar for
humanity.
The spirit of humanitarianism has so
manifested itself that he who would be-
come factor in society must no long.
pull and scramble. N The child shou d
not have the idea impressed upon him
that he is going out into world in
which nothingI but selfishness exists.
The world is not entirely commercial.
To be sure there is still enough of
sordid selfshness, perverting of JUS
tice, and turning of public office to
private gain, but the young should not
be pessimistic; there is a spirit of fra
ternity abroad in the country which
they are about entering. There has
been growing the feeling that one is not
living entirely for oneself, but that he
has part with others. Whether ad.
mitted or not, there has been a drift
away from the idea of individualism
Even the mechanical devices of our
day are driving the people together in
Industrial matters and the same
characteristics are manifested in poll.
tics. One hundred years ago there was
a distinct fear of strong central gov.
ernment. 1t was believed that strong
central government meant the loss OF
Individual liberty. The less govern
ment, the BETTER was an axiom of one
of the principal parties and was along
the lines of the teaching of Payne ami
Jefferson. But now there Is a demand
for strong central government whicn
shall be efficient MS never before In thu
history of the people. So largely l.
this recognized. too that there Is NJ