Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1900 — “As the Century Dies.” [ARTICLE]

“As the Century Dies.”

* 'the above headline is used over an article in the Sunday TimesHerald, in reference to certain extensive plans of certain organ- , izations, to observe the last fear i weeks of this wonderful centurv now so near its end. This remind* us that just a year ago now the end-of- the-century controversy was in full blpst. The Time*' Herald was the principal advocate of the view that the century ended last year and that the year 1900 the first year of the 20th century. That paper has no doubt long* Since.seen its mistake, and it now quietly and tacitly accepts the fact that tbe v 20th century will begin on the Ist day of next year. It was an extraordinary fact that a paper of the high standing in all respsets of the Times- Herald and its well deserved high reputation for common sense and wisdom should have taken up and maintained so persistently 6Uoh an indefensible and illogical contention. But yet it must be admitted that there are quite a number of plausible but sophistical arguments and analogies which can be advanced in favor of the view that the century ends at the beginning instead of the end of the hundredth year, and thereby always convince a great many persons. And the controversy comes up anew every hundred years and will probably con tin ue to do so as long as the Christian era endures. The 19th century ends at midnight on tne 31st day of this present month of December, however, and no one now argues for the other view. And when the 19th century ends, there will end a tury in which mankind has made mere progress towards perfected material developement than in all the previous ages of the world, together.