Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1882-11-24
WHAT OTHERS THINK.

WHAT OTHERS THINK.
In his pathetic last will and testament,
written while he was smarting under the
charges of bribe-taking and malfeasance in
Office, the great Lord Bacon, confided his
fame to "foreign nations and the next ages"
and 1t is sort of aphorism that the opinion
OF foreigner upon country is likely to re-
fleet in some measure the matured verdict
of poste,ity. This being so, it ought to be
particularly interesting to us to learn what
so celebrated foreigner and so carefully
trained an observer as Herbert Spencer
thinks of what he sees in the United States
at this time. Since DeTocqueville came
among us, fifty years ago, for the special
purpose of studying our institutions, no
foreigner so competent as Mr.. Spencer to
pass judgment upon our condition and
prospects has paid us visit, and what he
says is at least worthy of consideration.
In highly interesting interview pub
lished few days since in New York
paper, MIR. Spencer said that such books
about America as he looked into had given
him no adequate idea of the immense de-
velopment of our national civilization
"The extent, wealth and magnificence of
your Cities" he said, shave altogether as
tonished me. Though / have not visited
the wonder of the West, Chicago, yet some
of your minor modern places, such as Cleve-
land, have sufficiently amazed me, by the
marvellous results of one generations ac-
tivity. Occasionally, when have been in
places of some ten thousand inhabitants,
where the telephone is in general use, /
have felt ashamed of our own unenterpris-
ing towns, many Of which, Of fifty thou
sand inhabitants and more, make no use of
it,"
Replying to question, he said that though
our free institutions have been partly the
cause of these things, he did not consider
them the chief cause" In the first place, the
American people have come into possession
of an unparalleled fortune-the mineral
wealth and the vast tracts of virgin soil
producing abundantly with small cost of
culture. Then they have profited by in
heriting all the arts, appliances, methods de-
veloped by older societies, while leaving be-
hind them the distractions existing in them.
They have been able to pick and choose from
the products of all past experience, appro-
pria!ing the good and rejecting the bad.
perceive in American faces generally great
amount of determinations kind Of door
die expression, and this trait of character,
Joined with power Of work exceeding that
of any other people, OF course produces an
unparalleled rapidity of progress"
In our political condition he sees much to
excite foreboding, II not alarm, and with
directness that proves his acumen and insight
he puts his finger upon that "Boss" system
which was so overwhelmingly rebuked at the
recent elections. at is true" he says, "that
those who rule you do not do II by means
of retainers armed with swords, but they do
it through regiments of men armed with
voting papers, who obey the word of COM
mand as loyalty as did the dependents of
the old feudal mobiles, and who thus enable
their leaders to override the general will
and make the community submit 10 their
exactions as effectually as their prototypes
of old. The political machinery as it is now
worked has little resemblance to that con-
templated at the outset Of your political life.
Manfestly, those who framed the Constitu-
ton never dreamed that twenty thousand
citizens would go to the polls led by boss
1t seems TO me, that the sovereign people is
fast becoming puppet which moves and
speaks as wire-pullers determine"
Being asked if he considered Republican
institutions to be a failure, he said: "By no
means, imply no such conclusion. Thirty
years ago, when often discussing politics with
an English friend and defending Republican
institutions, as | have always done and do
still, and when he urged against me the i'll
working of such institutions over here, /
habitually replied that the Americans got
their form OF government by a happy acct
dent, not by normal progress, and they
would have to go back before they could 90
forward. What has since happened seems
TO me 10 have justified that conclusion, and
what l see now confirms me in it,"
As to the effect OF education and the diff
fusion of political knowledge in fitting men
for free institutions, he declared that he had
little faith in it, For, said he, at is essen.
tally question of character and only in
secondary degree question of knowledge.
Are not the men who officer and control
your Federal States, your municipal organi-
zations-who manipulate your caucuses and
conventions, and run your partisan cam.
paigns-all educated men? And has their
education prevented them from engaging
inc permitting, or condoning the briberies
and other corrupt measures of your admin
istraions9 Perhaps party newspapers ex-
aggerate these things, but what am | to |
make Of the testimony of your civil service
relormers-men of all parties"
Further along in the interview Mr. Spen.
Ger declared that he believed the Republi-
can form OF government 10 be highest posi-. /
bic 10 man, but he added that for this very
reason it requires the highest type of human
nature-a type nowhere at present existing.
"Wein England" he said, shave not grown
up to it, nor have YOU In regard To the
future of Republican America, he said that
no one could form more than vague and
general conclusion respecting it, as the fac
tors are too numerous and too vast. And con-
Gliding his extended observations, from.
which we have here and there merely re.
ferred to such portions as struck us with
peculiar force, he says: "That there will
come hereafter troubles of various kinds,
and very grave ones, seems highly proba-
BILE, but all nations have had, and will have
their troubles. Already you have triumphed
over one great trouble, and may reasonably
hope 10 triumph over others. l think that
whatever difficulties they may have to sur (
mount and whatever fluctuations they may
have To pass through the Americans may
look forward to time when they