The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-01
THE CAN AND THE r.oSs.

THE GAIN AND THE LOSS.
The century whose doors have closed
upon US has been one during which the
civilized races have made vast progress
In all the material arts. 1t has brought
increased comfort to humanity, increased
knowledge of the world and its mysteries,
and, perhaps, too, increased doubt as to
the truth and reality of many things
which men accepted unquestioningly in
the past. No one will think of Doubling
whether all the increase of worldly
blessings which the century has been SO
productive of is to the gain of the race
But many will and do believe that the
gain has brought many loss which may
not readily be compensated for
The century which preceded that which
closed at midnight was most benefcent,
perhaps, in the understanding which it
brought tc the mind of the warfaring
man that he himself represented after
all the true source of governmental
power. What the United States have
done to bring this conception home to
the intelligent understanding transcends
in Importance all that has been accom-
plished in this direction by perhaps all
the other forces which have worked to
that end. In some measure at least the
French revolution was the product of
the profound conviction which found ex-
preston in the Declare ton of American
Independence. There are those students
cF
influence of that great political and social
cataclysm, and of the events which led
up to it, really found reflection in toe
revolt of the American colonists and in
the establishment of our constitutional
rystemis but The facts of history bear out
40 such theory.
The progress of reform in political in
- situations, the humanfzing of the worlds
laws, the advance of popular education.
the access by the masses to the increased
comforts and entoyments of life which
form so distinguishing feature of the
last half Of the century which has just
closed its doors, are due first and above
eli other influences to the American ex-
ample. If Lord Bacon is to be regard
ell as the pioneer in the adoption of the
truths of science to the advancement of
the mechanic arts, In a far truer sen-e
can the American mind and the Ameri-
can hand be said to have broken down
the barriers which have excluded the
masses of the civilized world from even
measurable participation in the material
world were reserved in such great meas
ure in the past to the favored classes of
society
But with ali the great advances which
were made during the nipeteenth century
In those directions which add to the irdi-
vidual and collective wealth. have come
certain tendencies which can never b,
looked forward to as operating ether
wise than to the detrlment of human
progress. Wealth is not all Material
comfort, bought at the cost of ideals of
duty and of faith which work to the
moral and spiritual uplifting of man, is
dearly bought. Riches too often blunt
the humane instinct. Wealth is TOO sure
to be accepted as the be-al and end-all
OF state of society which is wholly
commercial in It's spirit and tendency.
Luxury and Democracy are rarely recon
ciiable
While the American people stand on the
threshold CT u national development
which suggest the wonders OF Aladdin's
lamp, and while we are, from the indica-
tons eff the hour, justified in believing
that before the new century has sped far
on its way. he will be at the head of the
nations Of the world it would be we'll
if, as aspeople, we could pause and re-
nect whether we are not sacrificing much
that made us Great and respected and
even feared In the affairs of ma
tions when-we- We're yet poor and strug-
Cling. when we allow the. national ener-
gies to be wholly absorbed in the acquisi-
; ton of world wealth.
There is a Chinese story which was
found in children's books quarter of a
= century ago, but which has no place
y there today. 1t is the story Of Whang
the miller, whose natural avarice led him
to dreams OF great wealth In his dreams
he located his prospective wealth in the
form a box Of gold beneath hi:
own milestone. And he dug and dug
In search of his treasure till his mil
foppled and he had its ruins only to re-
pay him for his labor and his folly Let
US not dig too far beneath the founda-
tons Of our democracy in the cultivation
of the tastes and dispositions which are
begotten~ Of wealth lest we loose those
treasures of love Of liberty, frugality
and faith in the simple virtues, from
which our fathers brought forth in blood
and fame the Invaluable treasure of a
free and independent nation.
British history in 1900 is largely the
history OF the South African war and
lis consequences. The story from day
to day is full of the shock of battle.