The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-04
SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 4. 1900,
PROGRESS AND LONGEVITY.

PhOOhESS AMI 1AUNGEpII1s
It is no doubt generally recognized that
the century which is passing has been
premetive in many directions and to a
wonderful extent Of the kind OF progress
which increases human comfort and adds
to the sum Of human wealth. Human
happiness may not perhaps have been
added to in equal ratio. and no doubt there
is today as much, IL not more Of discon-
tent among men and women with their
lot than ever before. It has been said
that happiness is not to be sought out
side of ones self. and that earthly pos
session does not augment OF lessen the
supply. This may or may not be, &C.
cording to the point of view from which
the problem of human happiness is re-
garded. But it IS becoming more and
more apparent day by day that the one
possession which is most valued by hu-
man beings has been promoted In WON
derful degree during the past fifty years
OF so. Life itself and the health to enjoy
It Is the one possession Of all others which
men come IN the last event to regard as
the one supreme blessing here below. And
this Is today made more secure than ever
before
1t may safely be said that the great
revolutions In the knowledge OF life and
its mysteries which have distinguished
the nineteenth century were generally uR-
felt until the last fifty years. In that
time what wonders have been wrought in
the direction of the preservation of
human health and the lessening Of what
may be called the frictions Of life!
There are those. who tell US that the
conditions Of modern life which have in
that period prevailed. making 1t more
strenuous. with the attendant speed of
living and the greater intensity Of the
struggle for SUCCESS, haze operated to the
detriment Of the race. The belief is I'M
founded. OF all the characteristics of
life In the nineteenth century, the prin-
cipal one is that Of the lengthening Of the
average duration Of human life. We live
ten years longer than our grandfathers.
The length of the life OF the average man
In the United States Is now Recognized as
having increased In the past 100 years
from thirty to forty years. That class Of
population which the more rapid and ex-
acting methods of life might be expect
ed to affect most seriousfy-the men who
work with the brain, rather than with &he
hand--far outlive those whe a hundred
years ago wrought as they do. Men who
Ia the past Atty years have borne the
greatest weight Of responsibility on their
shoulders and have wrought most for
their race, all of them what we call men
of genius. and not all Of them possessed
of marked physical development. have
lived surprisingly long lives. Gladstone
lived to be eighty-nine. Leo XIII. still
lives at the same age. Bismarck died at
eighty-three. Webster reached seventy
years; Seward, seventy-one; Grant, sixty
three: Sherman. seventy-one. Darwin
died at seventy-two; Whittier at eighty
FIVE; Longfellow at eighty-three; Tenny-
son at eighty-three. Humboldt lived to
be ninety; De Lesseps to be eighty-nine:
Pasteur to be seventy three, and Rushin
to be eighty. while Queen Victoria has
celebrated her eightieth birthday.
Today we know more than we ever
dreamt of concerning the law Of health
and the causes and prevention of disease.
1t is true that many of the worst evils
which have afflicted human life are still
with us. We still have extreme poverty.
social inequality. pauperism. public cor
ruption. But none Of the Affections of
our day was unknown in the days of the
centuries before this. and many Of the
crimes which are generally unknown, and
which will not find expression in print
among us, were widely prevalent In even
the most enlightened periods In the his
tory Of the world. in every century and in
every land whose people had been lifted
out of barbarism.
And the span of human life and the
sum of human happiness. we have ample
reason to believe, will find far higher
ratio Of increase during the twentieth
century, during which it may not be more
than dream to hope the relations Of
man to bis fellow WILL be. not az Il Is to-
day. in great degree the relation OF VIC
3 F..