The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-28
THE PROGRESS OF SOCIETY

| lt1h FpOGNESo Oe
The idealist plans the future state
of society, and the practical man makes
1t what it is in the present. It is true
that all castles are first built in the
air. fguratively speaking, and that
cranks turn the world. We are in debt
20 our philosophical dreamers, because
they have looked off, from their "moun-
tain peaks of thought and have
given us ideals for which to strive.
Not all dreams of social equality can
OF will be realized, yet we get mental
power from consideration of the lofty
conceptions which the enthusiast pro.
pounds, bringing them down to earth
for the only test which is reliable. 1t
must ever be so. While the unification
of knowledge is the dream of tho phil
osopher, we shall have dreamers; and
perfection, hence no complete accord
among men.
In the eternal struggle, which reason
demands and life impels, progress is the
essence which Nature distills from hu-
man activity; and. however much the
pessimist may doubt. the upward march
slowly progresses. This modern evolu-
tion has produced civilization that
bids fair to grasp the earth S subtle
forces, gradually rising to realization
that this globe is our proper subject,
the one which must be mastered before
we aspire to that which is at present
incomprehensible. However this may
be, it is certain that we are centering
our efforts on earthly affairs and sue
| ceeding more and better as we do so.
| pirations has made us what we are be-
cause there was some truth all through
the dark groupings Of antiquity; some
gem of real worth lay hidden beneath
the imaginative pictures which en-
thralled the souls Of men. In our race
evolution we are progressing towards
individual freedom, though the ad-
yancement may seem slow.
In the social structure we are push
ing forward from one extreme towards
another, this being from despotism OH
one end of the social ladder to com"
plete freedom at the other. The ideal
ist sees the direction and the pos
sibilities the future holds in store. But
he ofttimes makes the mistake of sup
posing too much, therefore of being
Impractical. The old world can go just
so fast, hence the enthusiast must have
patience. We have on the one side
those who cry for reforms and revolu-
tionary measures, looking towards the
realization of their dreams; while on
the other side are the conservative
minds, continually pulling towards
safety. Yet in this turmoil we always
reap progress. When men become
learned, they become dissatisfied with
their former opinions, and change them
for better ones.
In the social unrest, that is general
throughout the civilized world, there
is great promise, The radical clement
will not get all they desire, yet they
will accomplish something, loosen up,
as it were, the crystallized conditions,
making the future generation better
able to see still farther towards the
goal.
In the cry for equal opportunity there
is hope, because such demands portend
evolution. There must ever be unequal
chances for those who toll, whether in
mental work or physical labor, because
men are unlike, and the earth 's surface
is extremely varied and complex, But
competition calls for success and I'M
plies failure; and those who fail to
reach the desired ends will always COM
plain, yet they will grow less likely to
blame their fellow men for individual
failings as they get more light, The
plane upon which competition takes
place must continually shift with the
evolution of society, yet competition
must ever be the prime mover, for COM
binatiou dcadens effort.
There is much food for thought in the
contemplation of life i'll any department.
of human endcavcr. II is from those
men and women. There is more for the
fighter today than ever before, and
the prizes to be won are the greatest
the world has known, The lagsard, or
sIuggard, falls behind and cries for
help when none is due; but the 8m-
bilious person knows the world is as
merciful as it can well be. hence he is
an optimist, whatever his success. Tho
greatest mistake any man can make is
to suppose that any form of present
social or political action. such as creeds
and parties, will not change,