The Paducah evening sun., 1910-12-31
THE END oF A DECADE.

=
measures OF time: yet each year and
each decade has its own significance.
though movements OF Importance
and crises may lap over from one TO
the other.
The year 1910 closes a recognized
decade with census of the country, a
thing, which in itself provokes
analysis and directs popular attention
more closely 20 its events. During
the decade just ended, and more par
ticularly the year fast drawing to a
close, we observed world move
ment. an unrest that manifested IT.
self yariously. according to the pc
culiar conditions of the country un-
der observation, yet possessing COM
mon symptomatic characteristics,
which defined the Relationship be-
tween the struggles going on among
y all civilized peoples, like the general
advance of a great army. rushing for
ward here, temporarily checked
there, a thanking movement to the
fright and apparent repulse on the
left-confuslng as panorama. but
clearly a systematic advance, when
studied with a Typographical map.
In this country where the restraint
is least applied the turbulence is
least manifest. In those countries,
where restraint of the individual is
most severely applied. the struggle
burst forth into rebellion and, more
than once successful revolution.
F, Turkey and Persia and Portugal
caught the full tide of the rise of the
masses: Russian turbulence has in
creased; military Germany has been
rocked by the clash between the
theory of the divine right of kings
and advanced socialism; even Eng
land presents the queerest assort-
ment of political bed fellows and the
most remarkable bed coverings the
world has ever witnessed. in the fight
OF the commons against the ex-
empted aristocracy on the one hand,
and Catholic Ireland. fighting for
autonomy in league with Protestant
non-conformist Scotland and Eng
land against the established church.
The east is not sufficiently en-
lightened vet to feel the violent
|, effect of internal readjustment. and
nationaldsm is still the dominant
political force in Japan, the menace
lof which will hold the United States
lpoised by the same sentiment until
European peasants throw OF the
'back-breaking burden of naval arma-
ment, and popular education enables
the Japanese coolies to distinguish
between patriotism and loyalty to the
ruling classes. Another decade
should see the fulfillment OF much OF
the promise of world peace and in
ternational comfy made in this.
In the United States the ferment,
being less confined. makes less dis
} turbance; but the fermenting process
is none the less marked The first
manifestation was the disintegration
of party lines. They retained their
forms until pressure was applied,
and then they dissolved. Democrat
and Republican mean less TO this
generation than progressive and
"reactionary" Control of public
service corporations in the interest of
the public; punishment of men in
high places for crimes against the
social order; demands for popular
primary, initiative and referendum,
in response to a recognition of wide
spread lack of confidence in politi-
cally machine selected officials; SAM
10 nd a.
poor. prevention OF disease, develop
ment of rivers, conservation Of
natural resources and the laymen's
organizations in the churches, indi-
cate the trend OF popular sentiment
in this country, leading the world
movement. that Is sweeping like a
tide around the earth, roaring and
destructive, where encounters opposi-
ton, but irresistible.
p The progressive" spirit, which is
called insurgency and Is most
marked, naturally, in the dominant
political party, has almost entirely
changed the character of the political
leaders of the country within a half
decade. Foraker, Aldrich. Cannon.
Platt, Hale-one is dead. and all
have grown old in the service. but
everyone was swept out by the re-
form wave and there is no one Of
their kind risen to take their places
They are succeeded by Taft. Roose-
welt, Root, Cummins, LaFollette,
Beveridge. and men of that stamp.
And the change in the minority party
Is even more significant. for within
year really powerful national
figures have appeared as the cham
pions OF mocracya-Harmon Will
son, Folk-and they stand for the
same policies the Republican leaders
stand for.
The decade has witnessed, too,
something like a triumph of Ameri-
can diplomacy-once contemptuously
dubbed "shirtsleeve diplomacy" be-
cause our unframed representatives
concealed no ulterior motives under
suave approaches. American in
fluence in China is dominant today.
because America has consistently
been China's friends, and has stood
for the integrity of the empire.
American capital will aid in building
the great railroad and American
capital will reform the currency Of
China In SOuth and Central