The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-05-18
MAN AND HIS oELusloNs.

Mr.. Macaulay, in his history of Eng
land, tells us how strenuously the peo-
pie of England. opposed any and al
kinds Of innovations.
In the sixteenth and the beginning
|of the seventeenth centuries the pub
lie roads were particularly bad.
A days journey was only a few
miles and a coach and six was not
because of the wealth and extrava-
|gance of the persons employing them,
but because it required these many
animals TO pull the vehicle out OF the
lquagmires. Not only were boys, fens
and quagmires plentiful, but highway
men also patrolled the kings highways
and travel was worth almost ones life.
Freight was conveyed on pack horses
and finally on stage wagons.
When II was sought 70 establish
public diligences. carrying as many as
six passengers and going a distance
OF cAT1y. and. in good weather. fifty
miles a day, they were called flying
met with very stout resistance. II was
lvehemently asserted that this mode OF
conveyance would be fatal 10 the breed
of horses and the noble art of horse
manship; that saddlers and spurriers
would be ruined by hundreds; that il
would ruin travel on the Thames; that
the numerous inns at which mounted
travellers had been in the habit of
stopping, would be deserted and the
owners ruined; that the passengers
would be grieyously annoyed by inva-
lids and crying children; that the
coach would sometimes reach the inns
too late for supper and would leave too
early for breakfast On these and other
grounds, the establishment of public
conveyances was strongly opposed.
So likewise the same hitorian tells
US how mObs were organized To pre-
vent the Introduction of machinery to
take the place of hand labor because
il was believed that hundreds of the
poor would be thrown out Of employ
ment and the country would be pau
perized. The mObs smashed the power
looms and spinning frames. which came
TO supplant the hand looms and the
spinning wheel. Like Othello. they saw
their occupations vanishing and they
called the labOr-saving machines the
devices OF the devil.
The same thing occurred in this
country, only not 10 the same extent.
People believed that the sewing ma
chine would take the bread out If the
mouths OF the needle women and drive
them on the streets. Even 50 late "a
when the typesetting machine was in
vented. it was believed that it would
throw hundreds and hundreds of print
ers out of employment and So also. the
same argument WAS used rs To the
typewririnS machine. II would work a
great hardship on amanuenSes and
clerks
But At no time were printers and
typewriters more in demand. Nearly
every printing Office in United States
has need If more printers than they can
employ. The demand is greater than
the supply. The sewing machine has
added to the employment Of women
and the typewriter has added to wo-
mans usefulness and has enlarged her
sphere OF activity.
The same or a more stubborn fight
is being made against the railroads
in this country than was made against
the public dilisences' in England ii
the seventeenth century. We cannot
close our eyes 10 the fact. as Macau-
lay says. that those inventions which
abridge distance. have done most for
The civilization OF our species. Every
Improvement of the means OF locuIno-
'tion benefits mankind morally and in
Itellectualiy. even more than materi-
ally. They not only facilitate the in
Iterchange of the various productions.
but have largely contributed towards
Idices arising therefrom.
These inventions. the same as the
Ialphabet and the printing press. have
Iadded To the comforts and convenient
ces OF the human race and have en-
larged the capacities and conceptions
lof our people and have made If
worth living"
We inveigh against the railroads.
though an army with musketS could
not force US back To the OK cart.
The National City Bank of New
fork-Roekefeller- approves of
the interpositiOn of Secretary Shaw