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Show Progressing. - The people; of the United States are thinking more than they ever did belore. We see it in many ways, in some states naming their candidates candi-dates for state officers and United States senators in advance; we see it in the letters of the people to the great eastern papers; Jn the increased anxiety of politicians to gain the good will of the If masses. It seems as though a new appreciation of the duties of citizenship is stirring the masses, ' and legislators are more anxiousi to satisfy their 1 constituents than ever betore. Where formerly the power of money was deemed the most Import- ant factor in a campaign, it Is secondary now. Of course the world Is filled with vagaries, but even they are an evidence that men are beginning to think; if they are blinded It is because from the darkness of their own souls, they are coming intc tile" light. For the past thirty years we believe be-lieve that capitalistic class which congregates most In eastern cities, has directed legislation and in great measure controlled national elections. elec-tions. We do not believe that class Is lacking in patriotism. They have tried! to do the best they could for themselves, but the most of them have believed what would be "best for themselves would be best for the masses, who look to them to shape business and give employment to the thousands who depend upon wages for their livelihood. But the criticism of this class, or at least of many things that they do is increasing, not in denunciation, denun-ciation, but In argument to prove they are wrong. This is compelling more caution and care in what is proposed and done. Of course this is a slow process. With a million Immigrants, Immi-grants, many of them altogether ignorant of free institutions, pouring in upon the country annually an-nually from foreign lands, the assimilating of the host is about as much as can be done, but as events are now moving, could that lnllux be shut off for twenty years, we believe just in the natural course of events, ours would by that time, come nearer being a government of the people, by the people and for the people, than the world ever saw before., The way prohibition Is spreading in tire southern states la a sign of a new awakening; the decreasing of the anarchistic anarch-istic spirit is a hopeful feature, as we believe will be seen when the vote for Dobs Is counted; and our belief Is that the belief that nothing per manent can succeed unless It la tounded In justice, jus-tice, is growing. Of course there are yet manifold mani-fold wrongs; the criminal records show tliat there are hosts of bad men In the country; there are still many sorrows, many mistakes and much cruelty to man and to beast, but the trend is upward. The schools are doing a great work; it is a pity that attendance upon them Is not made compulsory, but when, that comes provision pro-vision must be made so that the children of the very poor can attend. Men are broadening. If they do not revere authority as much as formerly, for-merly, they have more respect for their fellow men. Then the spirit of Peace Is spreading among the nations. It would require a bold people to precipitate a great war now, and were It to be tried our belief Is that there would ba a torn-bine torn-bine to stop it. The truth Is that the light of our flag is growing in its sheen. The simple fact, that a people who were almost without a name or Influence only a little more than a century ago, have since multiplied, subdued a continent and are feeding half Europe, are facts that make for free government as nothing ever did before. There Is an advance all along the line and our own people are in the lead and the general average aver-age Is growing better every year. |