The Globe-republican., 1905-08-10
AMERICAN RACE
REACHED ZENITH?
rrof. Edward A. Ross of University Of
Nebraska Declares People Wore
Finer In Stock Fifty
Years Aso

The American race has reached its
zenith. After two centuries of exist
ence the morning" is passing and we
are about now to begin the AFTER
noon" Of our career Fifty years ago
|, the race was several carats finer in
stock than 1t is to-day Our salvation
is a general practice of the simple
life.
Such, in brief, Is the opinion Of
Prof. Edward A. Ross of the Univer-
sity of Nebraska. He is popularity
known as the author of the phrase,
race suicide" and is regarded as one
| of the foremost thinkers along socio-
logical and economic lines in the
world. His views were given in lee
ture on "The Sources of Americanism"
at the University Of Chicago
Two causes are assigned for the
early maturity Of the race. One is the
civil war and the other is what he
terms the great dilution." The blow
rendered the nation never has been
fully realized, Prof. Ross believes.
Our future is a question, he fears.
There is no longer a frontier which
was responsible for our two centuries
of success. Immigrants of lower
and lower type-not like those who
came In the colonial days for the sake
Of freedom-are constantly encroach-
ing upon us, causing marked sag
in our political welfare. Then, too,
city life has bowed us down and is abb
sorbing the country's geniuses with
out due replacement.
"The American race is now at its
zenith" declared Prof. Ross. "The
western shifting of people has slack
ened and the bracing selections of the
frontier have well nigh ceased.
"The civil war cost half a million
men we'll above the average In phys
ique and in spirit. The south lost her
flower. In the north the impulsive
were decimated, while the calculating
staid at home and multiplied. Had
this splendid half million lived the old
world would not have populated the
transmississippi region, and the NOM
enclature of many a western town
would have been different today. The
blood of the nation was lastingly i'm
poverished by that awful hemorrhage
Had this sterling humanity not been
squandered, the. south. now would not
be SO hysterical or the north so graft
rotted, as Is the case today, Notice
the declining production of statesmen
In the south.
Then came the Great Dilution to
pull down the average. The new
conner counts one at the polls, and
hence 1t is in our politics that the sag
is most evident. The higher types OF
men are prompted to act together,
because they believe In the same prin-
ciple or love the same ideal. The
inferior pull together from clannish-
ness or allegiance to leader. The
growing disposition to rally about
persons and the rising value of saloon
keeperS, the ex-pugilist and the boss
In controlling city voters would indi-
cate that the electorate has been de-
based by the too free admission of
political incapables.
Free land is gone, however, and
the fact that nowadays the hegira Of
the ambitious Is all to the man stifed
town from the spacious, prolific from
tier may be fatefui to the American
element in our population. The great |
glittering cities attract the brightest
youths from the farms and tempt
them to strain for the prizes Of sue