The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-01-03
Problems of the Twentieth Century.

EEODleltlc Oh Int lwtnIIetn century
When it is an impossibility to abso-
lutely designate any of the many
great problems solved during the
nineteenth century as the greatest, it
is promptly realized what an impossi-
bility it would be to envelope any one
of the problems which must be ans
with a superlativeness. Mems views
and purposes are conflicting; that
which impresses one as a matter of
/ supreme Importance in the mind of a
neighbor is but secondary One will
/ look at the scientific advancement
as of supreme Importance, another
will give the same position to the me-
1 chanical development, another will
/ find his ultima thule in some phase of
governmental development, and so on.
But despite these circumstances
/ there have existed in the past CEN
| turtles certain guide posts which seem
to indicate the paths of the future.
An analysis of the great events of
past centuries generally reveals a
close connection with industrialism
Even the greatest of moral reforms
have not been separated entirely from
industrialism. In fact, it would seem
that the great reform movements
have been more truly an outgrowth
of industrialism than being of spon-
taneous birth. When the great moral
waYe has swelled in unison with the
surge of industrialism they have uni
ted and swept all before them. When
they have met in opposition, the
cause of reform has proven the weaker
and been overswept by the other.
We are prone to speak of the wide
spread growth of representative gov
/ erment, one of the great achieve
ments of the past century, as vic
tory of morality, a recognition of the
| rights of man. Go deeper to the cry:
mo taxation without representa-
| ton" and you find that the cause
was industrialism, not reform We
look to the overthrow of slavery by
| the civil war as great moral adj
vance. Go back and you find that
the civil war was precipitated by in
dustrialism. The increasing conflict
between the free labor OF the North
and the slave labor of the South had
more effect in precipitating the civil
war than the moral opposition to
slavery. Industrialism, as in the rev.
olution, here united with great
moral crusade and swept on to vic
tory.
! In view of these facts and guide
posts speculative inquirers into the
problems of the dawning century
must be industrial, rather than moral.
We find the great prablem to be that
of Over-production. 1t has always
been a difficult problem in every cen
fury, but the development of human
energy in the past hundred years has
been such as to increase it to an over
whelming Importance. Tables pre-
pared under the supervision of Mr..
Wright show that III forty leading
manufacturing industries taken to-
gether 1.-The productive power of the
labor unit was fifty per cent. greater
in the ninth decade than in the eighth
decade" and it is probable that when
the census Just taken is analysed as
remarkable an increase will be shown
during it. The surplus products of
the various manufacturing nations
must be disposed of or the mills must
close. 1t is this grinding of indus
trialism that frequently forces us into
violent conflict with our own moral
impulses into policies which are in
excusable on other grounds than
those of necessity-an adherence to
the all pervading law of self-suryival.
The topic is great one. with man
fold radiations that will soon be-
wilder and perplex the investigator
indeed, from the start it will be found
necessary to limit the area, if the sim
gle inquirer. is to accomplish any
thing. In the light of the knowledge
thus gathered many things that the
future holds that may seem pulling
as thay arise will be rendered clear !;
just as those of the past appear now
VIII en- subjected to its rays.