The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-10
DRIFTING.

Good old Doctor Johnson, who took
a gloomy view OF life, once wrote OF
can age that melts in impoverished
decay" and thought he saw in the
4 England of his own day the elements
OF political decay that would sweep
his country to its doom. Johnson
lived a century and more ago. but the
England which he criticized is still
first among the nations. and the peo-
pie whose vices he condemned sun
lead their fellow men in conquest, in
daring, in achievement; yet there are.
men in this day who see the symptoms
of the same illness in America which
threatened the life of England in
bluff old Johnsons day. One of the
most astute. Of them, and one who has
studied long the history OF his coun-
try, recently remarked that America
had passed from the open seas OF
progress to the still water inshore.
and was drifting, no man knew
whittier.
In time Of peace and an age OF
well-nigh universal prosperity this
may seem gloomy view OF national
life but the more one studies the DO
litical situation, the social order, the
movement Of our literature, the more
one is convinced that we are where
the historian declares we are--in shoal
water, drifting towards change.
There Is much in politics that shows
l,.tfts 80
years ago America was evenly divided
between two great parties, each of
which represented definite political
ideals and positive political opinions.
Democracy meant something; to be a
Republican was to stand for policies
the nature of which every man knew
Now all of this has changed; our great
political parties remain. but the line
of division between them, in actual
operation. is often difacult to deter
mine. We have Populists and Con-
servatives and Progressives and Insur-
gents and Stalwarts and Radicals. IN
stead of Republicans and Democrats.
In addition, a host of minor political
parties have arisen, standing for no
principles of lasting equity and founded
on no policy Of national Importance.
but drawing the disconnected from the
ranks of either party, spreading re-
4 bellion and threatening chaos. Even
within these parties there are men
bent on the satisfaction of personal
ends, men who ito party gave up what
! was meant for mankind" and see IN
the triumph of a party principle, how
ever small and base, the greatest good
of the State. Such men are easily led.
and, in a day of change, need only
some INSCRIPTIONS chieftain, waving
the standard OF Instruction, to over
throw the structure reared on the
bones of our fathers and cemented
by their bloods ID,
In domestic life no less than in pol
itics. we are drifting. When Alexis de
Tocqueviue visited America in the mid
die OF the last century and wrote his
Democratic in Amerique," he saw in
the homes OF the people the greatest
security Of the Government. IF ]
were asked" said he. ITO what 1 at
tributed the greatness and peace OF
America, should say to the sanctity OF
the home and to the purity of the wo-
men" There are signs that at leas;
one Of these two rocks of our civili-
cation is being riven, and in some
parts OF the country one may almost
say that home life has ceased to exist
There is divorce and unrest and un-
certainty and social crime and social
depravity that make one remember
with shudder that France once gave
itself up to dream of pleasure and
awoke In thunders of Revolution.
In industry and in literature there
Is to be seen the same spirit of national
drift From the factory and the mine
come the sullen murmur of deep dis
content. Labor is rebelllng, capital is
uncertain; the one grasps at trada.
un!onism to find in II weapon of de-
fence; the other seeks consolidation
monopoly and privilege to gain its
point by sheer force.
In literature there is no less unrest
WueIe WAL OIlt !!AQ All american writer
who breathes the spirit of national
and social progress? Where will one
find an irving 10 picture the peace of
the people? About it all. poetry and
prose alike. there Is the fetid odor OF
national sick-rpom. Pessm!sm is
the keynote OF our verse and social
rottenness the inspiration of our nov.
els
BY, every canon OF history these
things presage change. When our
American parties forgot their princ.-
pies and mingled each with the other;
when old differences were blended and
men stood above principles, the thun.
der OF Sumter told of struggle Ia
restore political simplicity, When
England went mad to swell her Golfers
with gold, the South Sea Bubble broke
and the Industrial Revolution came
When Voltaire scoffed and Rousseau
preached abandoned selishness, the
"Marseillaise" was about to be com