The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-10-09

was the world. France is only small
part Of the world today.
Those who dream Of this Utopian
World Republic in the days to come
tell us that human nature is changing;
that men are getting wiser, better, less
harsh and brutal. Napoleon said:
Human nature never changes. Do
not try to tell me that man can
change his temperament" Napoleon
was genius. He had nothing to gain
by lying about this. am willing to
take his word for it. Life, as far as
can see, is about seven-tenths suffering
and three-tenths pleasure. Schopenhau-
or defines life as q "Constant oscillation
between boredom and misery" That
is to say, life is one great Groan.
To give vent to their misery and to
forget their boredom, men war on each
other. AS Victor Hugo says: "Ships,
fleets, armies, crowns and scepters,
these are Mans playthings." Take
away his playthings and he would go
mad from boredom!
| Again, war, to me, seems as much a
part of Nature as gravitation. Man
wars with the elements, the sun, the
soil, plant life, animal life, etc. He
wars with all these that he may obtain
sustenance. That he may exist. Plant
life and animal life war with each other
to live. Billions of tragedies occur
every moment in every corner of the
globe" says Professor Huxley. Earth
is one vast altar drenched with blood
If the laws Of Population" by Nautilus
is correct prediction, and it has been
accepted as such by the worlds great
est scientists, then there must come a
time when the earth's surface will be
insufficient to support the population.
And the resuIBp Horrible to contem-
PLATED
| WHISPERING TONGUES.
Those who have observed the march
Of events know that during the past
fifty years Europe, and possibly Amer
lea too, has been advancing slowly TO-
wardsa gigantic revolution. This move
ment has made itself felt. It has
stamped its impress on literature, art,
industry, morals. The Imagination of
men throughout the civilized world has
been, during the past half century,
haunted with this idea; this dream, if
you wish to call it such, that in the
near future there is going to be war
compared with which the French revo-
luton was mere child's play. Edwin
Markham writes the "Msn With the
Hoe," and Immediately leaps into uni
versal fame. And what is "The Man
With the Hoep" A poem with some,
q little, literary merit. Why did it
seize so quickly on the imagination of
the massesp Because it rang, rang
from beginning to end with the brazen
notes Of Revolution. 1t expressed the
voice of the masses who will:
''Speak and answer back to God
After the silence of the centuries"
Lord Tennyson foresees this struggle
and predicts its outcome in his great
poem, "Locksley Hail." Ingersoll tells
US that after this revolution ''this
poor earth on which we live mag be
q perfect world-a world without q
crime without tear" Herbert Spen-
Ger foresees it and comments on it in
his last and latest book. He calls it
the Decentralization of the world
Huxley speaks OF it, in his works, but
takes the same pessimistic view as
Spencer. Schopenhauer comments on
| it with his usual bitterness. Max
Nordau foresees it, calls it "Degenera-
tion," and writes powerful attack on
it. Count Tolstoi sees it, writes few
books on it, and Immediately becomes
the idol Of the people. Tolstoi, the ex-
communicated revolutionistl n. G.,
Wells foreseea it. He writes sAnticipa-
tions,D and, "Mankind in the Making"
Result, enormous popularity. A writer
in the Cosmopolitan 'devotes eleven
verses Of soul stirring poetry to it, the
last versesrnnning thus:
zone moro war with nrs and famine
Gathers. I cAn hear IT. cfissl
And the years o. Nisht and Mammon.
Perish = WORLDS demipe."
Victor Hugo foresees It and sounds
4 = 5 - = -.