Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-03-19

The word "progress" is word with
which to oonjure. 1t appeals strong
ly to the imagination of every dis
contented person who desires change.
But it is very indefinite and delu-
sive term. 1t induces men to hope for
betterment TO come to them through
some sort of advancing movement set
in motion they know not how, but des-
tined to issue in good whatever may
be its goal They can not tell whence
IL comes or whittier IL goes but the
motion being labeled progress" il must
surely end in blessing, they think.
Hence they go after the proposal which
bears the name with the same sort
of blind confidence which some minds
Of a fatalistic and superstitious bias
accord confidence to the predictions of
fortune-teller
In these later years during which the
theory of evolution has attained to a
certain prevalence the word progress"
has acquired an increased fascination
for all that class Of minds which be-
lieve that whatever is must be best
and whatever is to be will be better
1t is the word which is always on their
lips, as they yield to all strong cur
rents about them and blindly reioice
in the conviction that by floating with
best port in the end after the most ex-
hilarating adventures on the way. They
feel that they are in motion, and they
assume that the motion is carrying
them and all others forward. They
resent any suggestion that a movement
may be in the wrong direction, and
they hail with acclamationst every one
who salutes them as they pass with
the mystic word progress" 1t is
next to impossible to break the spell
which the sound of the word has cast
over their minds; for he who so much
as hints that there is the slightest
danger Of leaving behind some indis-
pensable good or meeting before some
uncomfortable evil, is denounced in
stantly as a "back-number," a moss
back" etc.
Certain politicians finding such a
handy word for their use, have within
recent months put forward the most
preposterous schemes of government
and named them progressive policies"
To the captivating password they have
found responses in many quarters
Multitudes of unthinking people are
ready to hail these politicians as Mes
siahs, and follow in their train with
out regard to consequences.
1t is time to seriously question the
"progressives" about their program
Of progress" We want to know what
they are going after, what they pro
pose to leave behind, and where they
propose to haul up?
While they are a trifle vague in some
of their talking, thoughtful man does
not find il impossible to discern some
thing of what they intend.
What are they going after? The an
swer to this question is clear, They
are concerned for material things only
While they habitually iterate and re-
iterate such truisms as men are more
important than property" and such
meaningless phrases as human rights
are superior to property rights" it is
perfectly clear that they are absorbed
wholly and>~eXclusively with questions
about the distribution of mere property.
They are as perfectly devoted to this
one issue as the widest socialist pos
sibly can be. With them the highest
good is having much goods and the
worst evil is having few goods. The
millennium about which they prophesy
is a golden age in which there will be
no evil because. every one will have
an abundance of earthly possessions.
All the evil now in the land they at
tribute to conditions outside the hearts
of men; and, therefore, they propose to
rid the country of evil by working on
these conditions, taking little or no ac-
count Of character. The propcrty-less
man they hold is already in purgatory
and the man of property is already in
Paradise. The problem before them,
therefore, is how to get the prosperous
man into purgatory and the thriftless
man into Paradise. All progress is
measured by the degree of advancement
that is made toward this end
One who accepts Christ's teaching
concerning poverty and wealth can
hardly accept the end which they pro-
pose by this program of progress"
Jesus said 'the life consistent not in
the abundance of the things which a