The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1908-03-27

hdoIe, are worthy OF Delng brought
to the attention of the public This
country with an area of 3,026, 900
square miles or about one-seventeenth
of the total 50,656,0O0 square miles OF
the worlds area has population OF
eightysix million. This is about one.
twentieth of the entire population of
the globe. In agricultural products
the people OF the United States are
far surprising the population of any
other country. Although only one
twentieth of the population OF the
world is found here, yet we are rails
ing forty-three per cent OF the worlds
total production of wheat corn and
oats; thirty-one per cent OF the to-
bacco and seventy.one per cent OF the
cotton.
But the figures do not stop here. Not
alone in agricultural products but our
productive activity shows itself with
equal or greater strength along other
lines. We produce yearly forty.two per
cent of the pig iron, thirty-seven per
cent of the coal; sixty.three per cent
of the petroleum. fifty.seven per cent
Of the copper; thirty-five per cent of
the silver and twenty-five per cent of
the gold. We are operating 26,000,-
600 cotton spindles or twenty-one per
cent of the total number of spindles
in the world and we have already built
225,00O miles or thirty-nine and five
tenths per cent of the $4,000 miles of
railroad on the globe. The rate with
which we are increasing as the years
go by is shown in railroad building.
In seven years we have built more
than 10000 miles of railroad The in
crease in the seven years being equal
to the total mileage of all the railroads
in the United States in 1860.
Great as has been the growth of
the country in the years that are past
and rapid as has been the increase
along all lines of production-in agri-
culture, in manufacturing, in com
merce, and in the arts-there is
every reason to believe that in the
years to come the showing will be
still greater.
We are somewhat disturbed at times
over the prospect of great increase
of population which is bound to come,
but why should we be? Holland has
an area of only 12,50O square miles
and supports about $50 persons to the
square mile, while the United States
| has about twenty-siX to the same
area. And yet among all nations of
the earth none are more prosperous
than the thrifty people across the
by their dykes. If this country had
half the density Of the population of
Holland even then it would have 675,-
100000 people.
1t is we'll to contemplate the future
possibilities of the Greater America
of the centuries which are to come.
Another century will see at least
3OO,0OO,O00 or 4O0,O0O,000 of people
within the present limits of the Unit
ed States, but it is we'll to remember
at the same time that the true grand
eur of the United States lies alone in
| its material resources, which is mex
pressibly rich, but beyond this in the
high ideals of its people who are grow
in wealthy and great, not by plumber
ing other nations but by spending their
energy in the peaceful development of
their own beloved land Occupying as
it does peculiarly fortunate position
between Europe on the east and Asia
on the west, if it can be true to the
fundamental principles of righteous
ness in the government of the nation
and in its relations to the world laid
down by the founders of the republic,
there is no reason why America
should not only control the world s
commerce but should be a beacon
light to lead the nations of the world
toward that liberty of thought and
action exemplified in the career of
it's own people.