Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-10-03

| AANlI, z.
Again. my friends, we have gather.
cd % observe the advent OF the new
year, and few there are among IA
who do not feel the seriousness and
the Significance Of day like this. L,
is the milestone at which the traveller
over LIES journey halts to rest and
reflect lie looks backward and for.
ward and inward and asks. "Wha,
" the meaning Of life. what ia the
lnesaase OF the passing days and lhe
multitude Of ycarsg"
OFT are such questions asked, but
only seldom are they answered. For
20 realize the meaning OF life. one
must have a true philosophy OF ifc.
and the philosophy % life Of many
Is pesslmlsm There are many Ia
whom the universe IL nll dark. life n
blank. vanity OF vnnlties. For such
the Ornament Of iife h an overcast
With thick clouds. tho stars Of hone
are hidden. the bright messenger OF
coming dawn unnoted. Not TO them
90 the days speak. nor the multitude
% years make known wisdom. Theirs
~ not true conception OF life and
they cannot, therefore, grasp the true
meaning % iifo. Theirs is nhiios-
ophy Of darkness, for. just as night Is
not real, but only the absence Of light,
30 ~ pcssimism, which generally or
iginates In physical ailment or mental
disappointment. but tie absence OF
the appreciation 81 life and light.
To rcfute the arguments OF these
preachers OF pesslmlsm All that IA
necessary Is but 10 examine them.
There Is nothing good In tho world.
they tell us--soeioty IL retrograding.
politics have never been 90 corrupt.
morals never 50 low. the poor never
so down-troddon. the rich never so
tryannous and mankind never rushed
so rapidly 20 It's own porniciOus de-
struCtion.
These are the arguments advanced
by the pesslmlstic philosophers of our
age. liut are they right2 Is Il not a
fact that the heights on which We
stand are almost dizzying when COM
pared with the dismal depths from
which We have slowly and painfully
lifted oursclvesg True. pain and sor-
row have not yet disappeared from
the world. True. physicians know not
eases; they often guess at cures and
blundcr In diagnosis. but IL Il not
also true that physicians have largely
mitigated the tortares Of pain2 Il Il
not true that they have lesscned the
horrors OF the sickbod, that they now
cure diseases which IN former years
proved fatal, and that with every
year they add new stores 20 thoir
knowledge and new blessings 10 sur
ferng humanity? Who OF us would
go back 10 tho medical treatment Of
"A century ago, who would swallow
some Of tho drugs that were then dis
pensod, or suomit 20 the modes OF
surgical operations that we're In vogue
before the days of anaosthctics and
antiscptics ana stcrillzed instruments 90
True. much Ignorance still abouuds.
But do not the hundreds OF schools
and colleges and libraries where hard
~ any existed but few years ago.
show the vast onward strides of know
ledge? True. mere ~ much reason
for complaint about our state OF poll
itics. There Is bossism ana there b.
bribery and there is criminal malad-
ministration. But with all that. who
can TAIL TO be aware and apprccintiye
81 the manifold political blessings Wc
enjoy what is the political boss OF
our day compared with the autocratlc
ruler of former days? what are the
burdens Imposed upon as by greedy
Office holders compared with the siay-
cries ana crueltlcs 90 which former
generations were subjected 50 that
royalty might indulge Ice Outrageous
cXtravaRanccs and Courtlcrs their
costly caprlcious pastimcs, and q vast
army of nRhtinR men alternate idle
ness with blOodshcd? Who would cx-
change our present hoerty Of con-
science and freedom az speech for
those times when man had 60 believe
as he WAS commanded, and think and
speak as he was hidden. or suffer tho
consequences nt the stake or ln the
dungeon? notwithstanding boss-rule
and fraudulent election and abuse Of
trust. IL is the people who hold su-
prome sway and whatever evil there
Us. exists by the peoples own suf-
ferance.
True there is much poverty In our
land, more. surely. than there ought
10 be- ln "a country as rich as ours, and
among e people that counts 20 many
millionaircs ana milliouaires.
But II Is not true that this shows o.
rctrogression OF society Some of BE-
h.. no doubt due 10 tho rapacity OF
employers whose thoughts are bent
solely on the largest profits 70 them
selves, oven Trough these entail star
walton wages Go those who have an
equal share In tho production Of
wealth. But q is not true that this IS
tho only source of existing poverty
Much of the existing poverty Is due Co
ldloness, intempcrancc, improvidenco,
and disease. against which tho richest
land and the highest wages are pow
crlcss Nor is II true that capital is
opposed 10 labor, and that every om-
plOyer is the enemy of every employe;
nor is Il true that the lot OF the la
boror In former times was better than
Il Is today. Never before In the his
tory OF wago-oarnlug has the working
man received so large return FOR
his labors as he doe now. Never be-
fore have his wurkldg hours been so
few: never before has his labor been
So much Hghtenod by steam and elec-
tricity and mechanical contrivanceh
lie Ii no longer the serf that he was
in bygOno days; he ~ a free man to-
day often frcor than his employer
auN pff.a hotter maid.