The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-09
Cash or Credit.
]. 4. BUSBY,
90 FOuShee 4 Broad.

the motor car is stirring III every more,
producing, new combinations. uprootinS oto
ideals 1t has been the privilege Oh tAi'iei
leans 10 feel that movement itrst' am.
to respond to it America mas studied
new methods, and from these has evolved
new practice III those directions Ill winch
she has applied these. the trlunphs nave
been to her Can England do as much!
The answer must lie N one word Is the
British an exhausted race If we take the
empire as a whole the answer can only
be- and emphatically, No! If we take Eng
land alone. and 1t IS England that our
critics have specially in mind what must
we reply?
Civilization. the civilization of the great
town. is certainly a consuming. eXhausting
process But it is not peculiar to E.nrland
The town grows everywhere through West
ern civilization at the expense OF the coun-.
try population, perhaps not much more so
here than elsewhere. Here. as elsewhere,
there are still strong currents of moral
soundness-the music hall and the betting
list do not dominate us a all. And II these
elements will learn the rest matters very
little. they will become, as they deserve.
aewers OF wood and drawers of water for
the others. 1t may be that this is a feeble
defense to a charge sustained by cited
Instances extending into every department
of the national LIE. That it is a. probe
matte solution may be admitted.
weakness AND NACCILAT1ON.
Weakness and vaccilation are true indict-
rents of the British policy as it is; but
that they are due to diminishing vitality
In the race, is, as said above. not at all
proven The Euglishman more than other
men, changes his standards slowly. Just
uow he is living amidst the ideals OF the
false eentimentaIism and of the hard ma
teriai!sm prevalent in earlier periods of
tle century. He has got these opposing
IDEAS very mixed He believes, on the one
hand. in the morbid sentiiEentalism OF the
Manchester school. with its desire never
to oppose the wishes of its foreign Gus
TONER'S" On the other. the influence of the
mater.alistS, with their tendency TO grade
all men alike, and that OF the lowest
possible grade, guides him still The re-
suit is that Mr.. Bull is not at all sure
where ne stands. He is the prey of con-
dicting theories, which he cannot reconcile,
and no wonder. He feels that all is not
right. nay. is very wrong. but can get no
further. He would Ike TO thrash Hooli
gans, but is restrained by the desire not
TO give pain to g fellow creature. He would
like to have cheap canal transit. but
doesn't like to hurt the interests of the
railways He wishes to be strong on the
sea. but fears it might give offense if he
built many ships.
Is this decay or is It merely transition:
1t has the appearance of decay. certainly:
but, for all that it may be that Mr.. Bull
has only to look things squareIy in the
face to come out very strong" Let him
or7ce cast aside the feeble seni-solutions
of the past. and do what the Americans
are doing-study his problems de novo
ferretng out clearly where they lead him
Just now he has struck blow. and no
light one, at the pseucao-sentimen SITS. the
little Englanders: let him follow it up by
clearing MS mind of other can't. and we
may find he is not in need OF our tears.