The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-20
Edison and His Age

Edison and his age
Thomas Alva Edison is most significant Symbol
lizng better than any other American the dominant
trend and the outstanding challenge Of American life
His era has been characterized, above all else, by
staggering progress in mechanical science and by
equally amazing stagnation in the field of culture,
institutions, and ideas
1t is this juxtapostion of an airplane technology
and an oxcart society which is the outstanding threat
to the further happiness-even existence-of human
society
Edison himself contributed much to this advance
in material culture, especially in matters of light,
sound and applied electricity. But he is even more
important the symbol of his age. If we were
compelled to single out one person when thinking Of
applied science, we almost inevitably would bring
Edison to mind He has conspicuous rival
In Edisons era-say since 1870-we have been
lifted out of the Middle Ages in our material sur
roundings Modern machinery has made possible
production and greater factories. New and
faster transportation methods have speeded up the
distribution OF commodities
We have built better locomotives and cars, have
added Pullman cars, have invented safety devices on
railroads. have built surface, elevated, and subway
lines and have passed from the bicycle to the
mobile and arpane. We have improved the steam
engine devised the gas and gasoline engines built the
Diesel engine, and constructed practical electric
motors.
Chemistry has wrought its marvels in the iron
and steel and rubber industries in the manufacture
of dyes in the exploitation of by-products and waste
and in the synthetic recreation innumerabe and
diverse commodities.
Modern communication has passeG from the crude
telegraph to the telephone wireless and radio station
The human voice has been preserved by the phono-
graph and transmitted by the radio We build vast
skyscrapers and imposing bridges with nonchaance.
In Short when it comes to science and engineering
we are something to marvel at if judged by earthly
standards.
But the sober observer must admit that we con-
tinue to think and behave much did, not only
when Edison born but when the actual battle Of
Yorktown being fought
Our social ideals are based on pecunary Standards
snobbishness, class system and the worship of
display. Excusveness and exploitation rather than
cooperation and service, dominate
In economies the reverence for wealth and prop
erty is undated When the dollar no longer is
prize, sheer economic power becomes such. We
mouth the fallacies of the days of Adam Smith and
Ricardo, still crediting rugged ndivduasm" which
outmoded before Lincoln split rail,
The state still is viewed with hostility as the COL
ective policeman rather than the instrument of social
progress and justice.
Politics is as much "air-driven" as in the days of
Clay WEBSTER, ana Calhoun, except That the quality
of the air markedly has deteriorated. We trust
ority rule and believe in numerical democracy. The
party system continues without notable reform.
Our own party system is a travesty and joke, even
with national committeeman. There is clash of
vital economic and social interests in major party
divisions. Outside few commissions, expert knowl-
edge and direction is derided and rejected.
Law is playing the game according to archaic rules
which were disgrace to the human mind in the days
of Blackstone. Legal evidence is an affront to all
science and logic. Even lawyers laugh when one
naively connects law and justice
Religion has made little progress since Tom Paine
Our modernists only trying to find phrases to
envelope obscure old ideas and practices. Morals
still are based on the theological formulate of heavenly
salvation instead of secular guidance for happiness
and well-being here and now.
Journalism is only vastly successful commercaliza-
ton of gossip. Rarely does it pretend to intel
lectual and social leadership. Education has made
some progress theory and assumes to prepare people
to live Actually, it still is chiefly mechanical and
punitive machine crushing zest and ambition.
Broadly speaking while frank and daring in
technology we are cowardy, evaSive, and unreliable
in thought and conduct, The honest man is as
rare and in as much social jeopardy as the days
Diogenes.
Such is the challenge of social order. We can
not go on forever with foot in an airplane and
the other bound to ox-cart. We shall need socolo-
gical Edsons or the work of the scientific Edsons will
topple in the dust and snuff out human civilization
beneath the scattered debris.