Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-12-04
10 McDILL'S MUSINGS.
MAKING PROGRESS.

O, yes; we ale making progress. mean,
us Americans. We are selling goods in all
parts of the world, We have splendid cities
and long lines of railroads. We are rapidly
increasing our armies and building greater
naves. We are 'word power" We have
eobbled the Philippine Islands, seized Porto
Rica and annexed Hawaii. We set up puppet
republic in South America and negotiated with
the puppet Panama treaty which calls for the
digging of great canal. We have nllionaires
without end, and more Matching. We have all
these things, and more, but, so had Egypt,
Greece and Rome similar things So far we
are not ahead of the ancents.
That old Giecian philosopher, Diogenes,
came ont Of his BARREL one day (Diogenes lived
in barely, and rolled it along the streets of
Athens When asked what ne was doing, lie
replied that he was ''making progress" Fine
piece of irony.
Strong tendency, just now, in America, to
roll the old barrel that the ancients attempted
to live in, and p,lislel in the attempt. The
Car hagenians were great traders, and we can
imagine that the old Phoenician merchant told
as whopping big lies as any American merchant
or manufacturer The Phoenicians sacrificed
human beings to their imaginary gods. World
commerce did not keep that people from cruelty
and lies. Their name has perished from the
earth, and the sites of their great cities can
scarcely be identified.
Greece went in for the arts and learning.
She made progress. There was no heart-no
humanity---in her progress. She went the way
of the Pnoencians, and the descendants of her
scholars are laborers on American railways.
Rome went in for conquest. She impover-
ished her home people with war and wicked
ness, and devastated adjoining countries. All
the mass of mankind was likely to perish.
Vast multitudes did perish.
Ronie's gods were the gods of war and licen-
liousness. Her religion was more cruel than
the religion of the Phoenicians, because it EN-
braced such multitude of victims. Rome,
like the American millionaire, when she wanted
anything that anybody else had, went out with
her armies and took it-took it in blood and
FIRE. Human life and happiness, to her, were
no more than stubble 70 the plowman. She
UISu d luulttuuC VI USS SSSalo III tiS hohiS Sity
and stole corn from other nations to feed the
vicious rabble. She had her reward Her sun
went down in night of midnight darkness, to
never rearrise.
Egypt is another example. The most miser-
able people on the face OF the earth are the
Pharaohs.
1t is hopeless task to undertake the reg, m
eration of Italy. An opportunity lost is never
regained. The ancient "world powers were
not worthy, because they destroyed that upon
whic! the world powers are bulded
A religion that does not embrace all humaa
ity is false as the "Father of Lies cruel as
hell and as damning wickedness Rome,
Greece and Egypt were without the first ele-
inent of great and enduring civilization. What
ever those nations attained to was through her
scholars, teachers and humble laborng men,
not known to history.
An empty, rolling barrel is not progress.
tin ece had much vanity and some learning.
Rome had so.called great warriors and states
men. Phoenicia had lying merchants and !
worid-ike commerce, None of those people