The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-07-23

simpleton. The parents of these chill
drer-eannot accomplish everything in
the world and among the impossibili-
ties to them is the impossibility of
restoring to the respective children
sight, hearing and sanity. These par
ants for years neglect their children.
But they still live. The destiny that
seems to be outlined for them is black
in its ignominy. Twenty years pass.
Each child has, attained his majority
and still they are blind, deaf and fool
ish. Now comes a marvellous change.
An invention to restore sight. An
invention to restore hearing. An in
ventlon to develop and insure sanity.
Three inventions in one. These chill
dren grow away from their simple,
helpless, ignorant parents and after a
lapse of some years can see and hear and
think, and yet awhile when they have
attained exalted positions in their So
ciety. Who is there so narrow or so
obstinate as to say that the helpless,
incompetent parents had contributed
more to these childrens' benefit than
the great inventions which regenerated
them.
Ships and shipping were our parents
by discovery. Our States have been
the Children. The power of our par
ents for our benefit was as nothing
compared to the throbbing inventions
that not only continued, but developed
our life and our prosperity.
We come now to the End contention.
There is no achievement without pop
ulation. How narrow and fallacious
that statement. How equivocal its i'm
port. Because this gentleman tells
you that there is no achievement with
out population it does not necessarily
follow that population means achieve
ment. l tell you there is no achieye-
ment without instruments for achieve
ment. Neither a people, nor rail-
road could accomplish anything If
they were each denied the others CO.
operation. But judging from the last
5000 years all the countless souls in
this world with all their steamships
ans sailing vessels and water crafts
had slowly and with difficulty main
tanned crude condition of civiliza-
tiOn, which demonstrates, If there is
any demonstration, that their instru-
ments of operation OIL this earth, in
which have been included and are now
included my opponents water crafts,
have been inefficient in their scope of
usefulness. These ships so manifestly
inferior are the agents which my op-
ponent brings to impeach the merits
of our railroads that are now still IN
the youth of life aud that in this youth
have accomplished more than all the
preceding ages irave dared to hope.
This country was populated before
the white race beheld il, yet the oppo-
sition would not attribute to these
aborlgines any special achievement.
Why, friends, China has population
of 43O,OOO,OOO people, crowded into an
area of 100000 square miles. There
is an Utopia for your population ad-
vOcate. What claim can the United
States have with these enthusiasts
when she has only 100000 people IN
an area of 100000 square miles?
This argument of population neces-
sity" propounded by my antagonist
most certainly gives China more credit
than it does the Rentleman's own ma
tion. His proposition is wrong. The
value of population depends entirely
upon the agencies that employ it. The
value of inhabitation is secondary
one and derives its very existence. and
Importance, absolutely, from the i'm
plements Of progress. A billion souls
without efficient means of action would
degenerate. If their value becomes
great it is because the value of their
equipment is greater.
Immigration can be made valuable;
so can sunlight ana rainfall, but as
there must be adequate means of oper-
alton to benefit the latter, so there
must be adequate means of transp0r-
tation and intercourse to render the
former useful or even desirable. The
mere presence of humanity never has
guaranteed development or progress.
Great inventions have made the world,
and as civilizers, railroads are far in
the van.
toonsinued on page four,