The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-05

BY John A. Sleicher, in Leslie's.
rs the world growing worse? Many
think so. Elderly men and women say
things were different when they were
young. The pace was not so fast; lux
uries were not as common living was
cheaper; we were not so constantly on
the go.
We stayed at home; we read less and
thought more. The family circle described
our circumference. We made less, got
along with less, lived simpler life on
palmer food with fewer amusements. not
satisfaction.
Our elders ask: us there a reason for
the new pace we are following? Is any
thing different from what it was?" Alas,
yes! Everything is different. We are
living in a new world. In SO years, un-
thought of, unimagned, and unperceived
changes have been brought about with
a sweeping hand.
1t is world of doing and daring The
field of endeavor is no longer limited.
Time and space are minimized and limita-
tions discredited.
The telegraph, telephone and cable make
market prices for every commodity for
all the globe, every day and every hour.
No deserts are without travellers, no
dark continents without explorers
The ocean is ferry crossed by gigan-
tic steamers in less time than 1t took
ITO go from Buffalo to New York by packet
boat New York and Chicago are only
three-quarters Of day apart. and the
jump from the western metropolis to the
Pacific coast is made in three days. Is it
remarkable that mans vision has been
broadened and his wants multiplied with
such an amazing increase In his oppor-
tunities?
l. If our nation is great, it is because the
world is great. The world is now the
field of action of every leader of finance
and every captain of industry. Read the
proofs in the figures of our wonderful
export trade. now surprising that of any
nation but Great Britain.
Reflect on the meaning of world mar
corn, oil, machines and fabrics to the
vast total value of over $2.25o 100000. Woe
be to any hostile hand that under pre-
tense of preventing restraint of trade
paralyzes our world wide markell
The American is a speculator by nature,
as the Yankee Is an inventor by birth. 1t
is the fashion to decry the speculator.
He is the world builder, the discoverer,
promoter. explorer and the real progress
sive All history proves it,
Behind the magnificent development Of
! our farms stands the courage OF the
| pioneer starting with all his little worldly
possessions on prairie schooner ito dare
the dangers and hardships Of the emil
grant traiP' with trusted rifle in his
hand and the love of God in his heart.
Behind the spidery web of railroads,
reaching into every section and giving a
market to every farmer, producer and
merchant stood the enterprise of men
with capital and brains ready to take the
risk of building the iron highway because
they had faith in their country's future.
Behind the magnificent material devel-
opment of our land, opening the iron
mine and the coal field and exploring the
oil regions, has always stood the daunt-
less captains of industry of whom we were
once sc proud and who one day will come
| into their own again.
| Perhaps we are not all as good as we
were, but this Is an age of activity and
publicity. We do more good and we see
more evil. The larger the field of ripen-
| ing corn the greater the number of the
weeds and the harder the task of the
lhusbandman to cultivate the one and de-
stroy the other This does not mean that
the soil is less fertile or the weeds more
plentiful. Nor does it mean that the re-
ward of toll is lessened.
The world is what we make it, Oppor.
tunities are only worth as much as we de.
termine to get from them. We have oul
choice between good and Evil. We car
cultivate the corn or we can let the weeds
exhaust the soil. Let us not impute te
others the evil results of our o.,
comings.
The world has expanded during the pas
$50 years. 1t is larger. 1t is wider 1t |,
richer. 1t has more people and their ia
cilitios are more intense. It's evils hav,
grown with the good for nature is impair
ttial, but it is not a bad world. 1t Is onlj
as bad OK as good as we make 1t.
Does any OF US believe that in the strug
gle between the good and the bad, II thu
lchallenge were given, II the lines wer,
drawn and the battle opened, the contes