Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-08-06

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chicken was shot annually by the
score, the pheasant beat his drum and
the rabbit furled his flag. Clouds of
pigeons darkened the air and the wild
duck swan upon the streams. Sleek
fat cattle wandered oyer the great un-
fenced common. The OK team with
the creaking cart transported farm
products to distant markets. Schools
and education were sadly neglected.
Now all ischanged Cultivated fields
have robbed the game of their living
places and the hunters gun COM
pleted the destruction The deer. the
duck. the pheasant and the quail are
fast disappearing Fat sleek cattle
wander over the fenced green pastures
and by the quiet waters. Waving
fields of golden grain occupy the place
of forests. On rich farms we now see
the straw-stacks gleam of gold and
the sumacs fame of red. The rustling
silken tassel in fields of waving corn
greet the eye and ear instead OF barren
land. Flower gardens and vineyards
now ornament the home of Moscow
folks. The electric light has dis
placed the tallow candle, the auto
mobile, the pedestrian and the To-
comotive whistle the creaking ox-cart.
Educated sons and daughters surround
the family board. We live in an era
of progress. The signs of progress are
the changing of questions and shifting
of grounds. Old questions are put 10
new forms. Old grounds are dis
cussed on new principles.
The progressive tendency prevades
every department of life-its theories,
its philosophy. it's material develop
ments, its brickyards. In what does
this progress consist? Is it material
growth. 1t is because Iowa county
possesses increased population, or can
raise more cattle, hogs and grain.
Does progress consist in individual ef-
fort. in self control, in the distribu-
tion Of education, in the application
of justice, in the cultivation of the
Imagination. Progress cOmprehendS
all these and infinitely more. Pro-
gress consists in the conquering of
useful fields. The weapon of progress
is persistent thinking Progress con-
sists of continuous change and read
justment of views
Among the great factors of progress
we may mention the following:
|, INDIVIDUAL EFFORT is the main
lspring of progress 1t is the pendu-
lum which swings the race forward
We live in an age of achievement, but
the achiever is the individual. The
names of individuals are the alphabet
of advancement. Because progress is
shifting and indefinite mans concep-
tions of it are often partial and indis-
tincG, but the essential idea underly-
ing all progress is individual liberty,
individual effort. There is progress
when the slave is liberated from
bondage when the inquiSitiOn is con-
demned as an instrument of torture,
when there is no master or no slave
The advancement of every age is
marked by some distinguishing char
iactertistic The present century more
than any other discriminates between
truth and error. To-day theories.
which but Yesterday were supposed to
be established in wisdom are being
weighed in the balance and found
wanting. There are two iDseparable
elements in progress-the individual
and the race. Or these the individual
is the more important. Only through
the individual is the progress of the
race possible Whatever crushes in
dividuality introduces slavery and
ignorance National liberty is gained
only as individuals break the Shak S
of individual bondage. The indi-
vidual is the center of growth and
change. The individual has always
been the landmark of progress. We
know of historic nations through their
individuals. Alexander and Socrates
reminds US of Grecian progress while
that of Caesar and Cicero recalls that
of Rome. The individual has always
stimulated and introduced original
thought The individual is the
specialist OF progress and from him
will come the new ideas. The indi-
yidual arouSes the world from the
lslumber ofetixed and decided opinions
and thus prevents it from lapSing into
barbariSm.
Aristotle and the still crater Bacon
controlled and guided the scientific
and speculative philosophy for CEN
turies. The chief force of the indi-
vidual is observed in the fields of dis
lcovery and invention, as chloroform.
the safety lamp, the steam engine,
the electric telegraph. the discovery
of disease germs, the curative sera,
antiSeptic surgery, vaccination. Re.
formations are begun and completed
by individuals. The force of the in
dividual is amply evident in national
progress. The growth and strength
of the United States owes much to
the honesty of Washington, the elo-
lquence of Patrick Henry, the Sagacity
of Franklin, the wisdom of Jefferson
and the great brain of a Lincoln.
Webster's argument maintained states
union.
The glory of America consists not
so much in her rigid laws as in
her conditions for individual growth,
and the stimuli she furnishes for in
dependent effort. With her, liberty
rests upon individual character: in
which respect America furnishes a
strong contrast to the early republics
of Greece and Rome, They knew not
individual liberty and responsibility
The state was their god, and life's eff
forts were blindly sacrificed upon its
altar. When by virtue and intelli.
gence a Grecian politician had ac'
Quired influence, he was ostraciSed
and sent to end his days in exile, lest
he should become dangerous.
. Every nation becomes stationary
when it ceases to encourage personal
effort. Turn your attention to China
over which centuries have come and
gone with scarcely sign of improve.
ment. The castles of society are al
ways of the same mold: their desire
and capacities are s,arved; native
pleasures are dead; custom reignS
supreme, and to it justice and right
must conform. But from fixed and
unprogressive China turn to England
and America, where individual energy
finds welcome field England has
felt the impulse of her Pitts and
Burkes in every part of the nation;
Wrlberforce, after a torty-five year
struggle triumphed in witnessing
in every remnant of slavery abolished
under the English flag; howard has
demonstrated that by individual eff
fort even prison convicts can be ele-
waited to nobleneSs, and the crime OF
/ the world leSsened. What is it that
has brought Europe from the dark
ages but individual perseverance?
Nothing is truer than that indi-