The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-04-13
WHAT'S the use Of Civilization Anyway.


hell, the dread Of the future, and
biting anxiety Of the present.
Also, insane asylums, hospitals,
iails and saloons. Ii
Pretty things.
There are no insane among the [
uncivilized, nor are there many sick,
and very, very few criminals.
The heather in his blindness knows
enough to keep his wits about him,
anyway.
Unless there is a missionary some
where about.
Those missionaries!
Good people, kind people, well
meaning people, no doub.-out,
oh, what lot OF harm some we'll
meaning people can do.
Take Hawaii. Why, few years
ago in Hawaii Paradise.
The air was sweet jasmine and
roses, and every man you met wore
q wrea'h, and every woman was
girdled with garland.
You could lay sackful OF broad
gold pieces on the threshold OF your
hut, and no man disturb them.
They didn't want gold.
They had the sun, and the sea,
and the sweet breeze from the Pail.
When they were hungery they
caught a scarlet fish in their brown
net, or pulled the bread fruit flom
the tree. They had no songs but
love songs, no griefs but natural
'ones-quickly healed, as are all
natural wounds.
When a man fell i'll, he journeyed
to the volcano, threw in peace Of
fering to the goddess who dwelt
there in her eternal fire.
If he must die, he wrapped his
cloak OF feathers about him, closed
his eyes and was done with the
|, world.
He was born in peace and died in
tranquility.
Now he's civilized. He's learned
how to steal, and to lie, and to wear
clothes, and to be afraid to die.
And he and his beautiful race will
soon be q dream and forgotten.
} l met man from Japan the othel
day.
:. 'Japan,' he said. "Oh, yor
must hurry and get there before the
missionaries completely spoil it. Il
used to be long dream. In a few
years it will be a night mare. The
} christian religion sits as ill upor
. them as do the christian clothes
, There is not one harsh word in the
japanese language. You can'l
curse man if you speak Japanese
T If you offended man past an apollo
8 gy, in the ha!cyon days that are
passing, he gathered his robes O
state about him and committed
suicide in your portico. To Kill
!. you would have been too rude.
II don't care for Japan now. The
. christians have taught the japanese
how to swear"
{ The world is growing civilized.
4 Is it the happier, the wiser, the
9 better for it?
! What do our modern improve
9 ments bring Us but care and anxiety
!. and the bitterness OF fierce competi
: ton.
What's the use OF a telephone i
we have no messages to speak int
lit?
{ What good do all these luxuries
all these fine things, to a man wht
i is 80 worried that he hasn't hear
3 to enjoy anything?
What's the use OF a fine dinner t
| a man who has lost his appetite?
The march Of progre So!
4 Who wants to march when he has
! no feet?
| How much better off are you, al
J far as happiness is concerned, living
! in your fine house, with mortgage
' on the roof, than your grandfathe
:. was in his little log cabin out in thu
' clearing, with his dreams and hi
+ hopes for company?
! Civilized!
It's SO skin deep, this civilization
j, Of ours.
Yes, barely skin deep.
I A little shining veneer. Rub !
3 of, and you 6nd the natural man.
The great virtues which lift hu
8 manity above the british beasts arr
not taught by civilization. Courage
3 self sacrifice, love and hope-non'
I of these are specialties Of the civi
8 lized races. !.
You can't civilize nature.
She will break out, modern i'm
= provements, or no modern improve
q ments.
4 That's what makes the drunk
-