The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1905-08-19
AMERICAN RACE
REACHED ZENITH?
Prof. Edward 4. Ross of University Of
Nebraska Declares People We're
Finer i'm Stock Fifty
Years ADO

The American race has reached It's
zenith. After two centuries OF exist
ence the morning" Is passing and we
are about now 10 begin the after
noon" OF our career. Fifty years ago
the race was several carats finer in
stock than II Is today. Our salvation
IS a general practice OF tho simple
life.
Such, in brief, Is the opinion OF
Prof Edward A. Ross OF the Uniyer-
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 a lee
ture on 1.-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 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 n marked sag
in our political welfare. Then. too,
city life has bowed us down and Is alb
sorblng the country's genluses with.
out due replacement
THE American race is now at It's
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 million
men well above the average In phys
ique and In spirit. The south lost her
flower. In the north the impulsiye
were decimated. while the calculating
staid at home and multiplied. Had
this splendid half million lived the old
world would not have populated the
transmlssissppi region, and the nom
enclaturc OF many a western town
would have been different today. The
blood OF the nation was lastingly i'm
poyerished 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 to-day. Notice
tho declining production OF statesmen
IN tho south.
Then came the Great Diiution to
pull down the average. The new
conner counts one AT the polls, and
hence II Is IN our politics that the sag
Is most evident Tho higher types OF
men are prompted 70 act together
because they believe In the same prin
chile or love tho same ideal. The
inferior pull together from elannish
ness or allegiance TO leader. The
growing disposition 70 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 q
political incapables.
Free land Is gone, however, and
the fact that nowadays tho heglra q
the ambitious IS all TO the man stifed
town from the spacious. prolific from
tier may be fateful 70 the American
element In our population. The great
pllttering cities attract the brightest
youths from the farms and tempt
them TO strain for the prizes OF sue