on the Coming Civilization. 383 



erately plan out and create for himself a higher type of 

 civilization. 



Now, what is that ideal condition of the world of which 

 all lovers of their kind must sometimes dream and which 

 they always desire ? In broad outline, it can be indicated 

 as a condition of things in which all persons shall be re- 

 leased from over-drudgery, and shall have both leisure and 

 means to develop and gratify the higher wants of their 

 natures. This would necessarily mean, and would carry 

 -along with it, the elimination from human society of nearly 

 all its present disease and vice and crime. For most of 

 these are the natural accompaniments of our present imper- 

 fect stage of civilization. 



In order to do this, more wealth must be created. For 

 we have already seen that an equal division of all that 

 now exists would not be enough for our purpose. To do 

 this would seem to demand a more exacting toil on the 

 part of everybody, instead of setting people free to culti- 

 vate themselves into a capacity for living human lives. 

 But this I believe will appear to be a fallacy, and that our 

 hope of sufficient leisure is not an unreasonable one. 



In the barbaric ages, men had few wants, and those 

 almost exclusively of an animal kind. And so long as man 

 is compelled to work all or most of his working hours for 

 mere subsistence, he can be only an animal who hunts or 

 fights for his prey, tears and devours it, and then goes to 

 sleep, only to go through the same routine another day. 

 He must develop the mental, the moral, the spiritual, the 

 social, in him, before we can call him civilized. To this 

 end he must have time and means. To this hour in the 

 world's history, it is only in so far as time and means have 

 been gained, and in the case of those who have gained it, 

 that any civilization has been attained. 



Here, then, we face the problem. It is along this road, 

 if at all, that mankind must go. Can they go ? Is it an 

 open road ? Or, if not open now, can we open it ? I be- 

 lieve we can. I believe this old earth is capable of sustain- 

 ing an ideal civilization — one as fair as the fairest that any 

 most enthusiastic dreamer has dreamed. And I believe 

 this wondrous race of ours, that has accomplished so much, 

 is capable of realizing it. But it must be by facing facts, 

 and by working along the lines of existing laws and forces. 



