The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-07-14
sonos AMP pos1ER,rv.

U1lC ISSUE Va OOAA00 0AA my OAC OOuA
was that we ought not to
saddle debt on posterity.
1t does not occur to US that this az
gument is at all tenable. Our friends,
however, went so far as to say that
to do so would be crime; but, in the
particular instance under considera-
ton, the bonds would have been Offset
by giving value received in the shape
of a beautiful, stately and useful edi-
fee. So where's the crime? Surely
everyone ought to be willing to pay
for benefits received-at least a small
consideration.
We pay our full share, as our ances-
tors in turn did before us, SO why
should posrerity be unwilling to do
likewise? When has it come to be a
crime to pay for benefits received?
1t were better to leave posterity a
building attractive to the eye and
useful in design, purpose and appoint
ments, with a debt hanging over it,
than no building at all, or, if so, only
a log shanty or mud hut.
Why?
Because the surroundings and en-
vironments in which one is placed
gives one a nobler conception of
human possibilities, and one there
by starts out better equipped to carry
forth the work of the Greater De-
signer; or, if he is so unfortunate as
to be born in miserable and unprom-
ising surroundings, the reverse of
this proposition is true.
If we tear down the splendors of
our civilization, erase from the face
of the earth the noble structures
which beautify and adorn it, and
substitute therefor log cabins and
mud huts, we will have done to pos
terity fearful, objectionable crime,
because at the very theshhold of his
career we dwarf and degrade the
child's intellect by placing him in en-
vironments which fail to quicken his
imagination or give force, strength
and vigOr TO his faculties.
We have done a great deal for pos
terity. We have bequeathed to him
a wonderful civilization. He finds
that his ancestors have conquered
the forests. Have warred against and
finally beat down superstition. Have
studied the stars. Have penetrated
the secret places. Have vexed sea
and land and made them yield up
their storehouse of treasures and have
amazingly laid bare the mysteries of
nature in earth, sea and air.
If we had not done these things,
but were still wearing breachcloths
and figieaves, living in caves and
lodging behind trees to escape the
fury of wild beasts, posterity might
Justly complain.
But looking over the world and
viewing its works of architecture and
of art. we are convinced that poster
ity has no just grounds for complaint
even if some of these things are
placated with a debt; but, on the
contrary, posterity has every reason
to rejoice and be glad.
Posterity ought not to be migrate
full; it ought to be willing to pay full
value for the benefits received and
certainly its inheritance upon which
there is no debt, and which was pur-
chased by its ancestors with toll,
and sweat and blood, is great indeed.
So we contend that this argument
of our country cousins is an entirely
untenableone.
That awful noise is caused by the
Rev. DIR. Washington GLADDEN., Of
Columbus, Ohio, and the Rev. DIR. r..
S. Macarthur, of New York, swat
ting each other over Mr.. John D.
Rockefeller, who doesn't know the
scrap is going on. Both contestants
eventually hope to catch the oil mans