Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-02
AMERICA FAR FROM DECAY,
DR.. STEINMETZ DECLARES
Electrical Wizard Tells How
Modern Inventions Have
Insured Stable Government
and Abolished Slavery

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass
"Whether the country is going to
the dogs or not depends upon two
things-your age and your diges-
ton" according to DIR. Charles P.
Steinmetz, electrical wizard and
authority extraordinary on social
developments.
Speaking before the leading bust
ness men of the country at the Bah
son institute, DR.. Steinmetz discussed
the future of American civilization.
The old civilizations of Greece
and Rome" he says, were founded
upon a system of slavery. The citi-
zens of Athens enjoyed their leis-
ure, produced works of art, attended
the theater, and pondered on philO-
sophical problems, only at the eX-
pense of a much larger class Of
slaves who labOred long hours that
the Athenians might live in luxury.
The Roman citizen in his time en-
joyed the freedom of the world, but
Rome prospered at the expense of
hundred subject states and be-
cause of the labor of a hundred
subject peoples. In both of these
older civilizations q very small pro-
portion of the people enjoyed their
advantages at the expense of a
large majority.
Idle Rich Pay Price
"The idle rich degenerated as the
idle rich will, and the great mass
of the common people finally re
acted to the impositions put upon
them as the mass of humanity al
ways does eventually react. To be
sure our histories tell us that Rome
was sacked by the Vandals, but only
because the great mass of the COM
mon people who made up the real
Roman empire were quite willing
that it should be sacked. Theaters
meant nothing to them but years of
toll under the slave drivers lash.
Great works of art meant tribute
and taxes. The culture of Rome
spelled nothing to them but oppres-
sion and extortion. The vandals
were welcome.
To-day we have made slaves of
steam and electricity. Tasks that
used to spell weeks of drudgery and
the hardest kind of work for human
hands are now done in few mo-
ments by the electric motor. Goods
and merchandise once transported
slowly at the expenditure of great
effort are now carried swiftly and
easily by the steam locomotive. Our
present civilization is enjoyed and
shared in by every member of So
ciety. There is no great slave class
to rise in revolt against it.
THE other weakness in the old
civilization" continued DR.. Stein
metz, was the difficulty of COM
munication. AS long as these old
city states remained within their
own walls they got along very well,
but the moment they extended their
borders beyond these walls decay
began to set in. The Roman empire,
for instance, was necessarily ruled
from Rome, but since there was no
easy method of communication be-
tween Rome and its subject coun-
tries scattered all over central Eu-
rope and Africa, the governing was
done entirely by the people living at
the capital. The situation was very
much as though the United States
of America today was governed en-
tireIy by the citizens of Washington,
u. c., or of any other one city.
Insurance Against Revolt
an such a case there is no guar
antee that this relatively small
group Of people represents the best
brains and highest minds in the
country at large. In fact, exactly
the opposite was the case in Rome.
The citizens of this great city be-
came degenerate, luxury loving, and
lustful. The government fell into
the hands of the greedy, selfish and
short-sighted, who were called upon
to shape the destiny of a great en-
pire The inevitable downfall of
Rome resulted.
"Our modern newspapers, our tel
egraph systems, our telephone and
our wireless, which make it possible
for all the people of the United
States, all the people of the world
for that matter, to keep in touch
with what is going on in any part
of it, furnish ample insurance
against a reversion to nou-represent-
ative government They make it
possible for all people to be posted
on public questions and to take an
active part in the affairs Of the
government even though they be
many thousand miles from our cap
ital city.
seems, as some degenerated reform
ers would have US believe"