New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-20
HERBERT SPENCER'S VIEWS.
HIS IMPRESSIONS OF AMERICA.


FIRST Observation-Disclosures OF REPUBLICAN
| INsTITUTIoNs-Two AMERICAN TRAITs-A BRILL
| IANT OUTLOOK.
Herbert Spencer recently returned TO TINS
city in somewhat improved condition OF health "hen
asked whether what he In this country equaed
| his expectations, he replied:
% has far exceeded them. Such books about America
as had looked into had given adequate idea OF
| the immense developments OF material civilization
| which have everywhere found. The extent, wealth,
and magnfcence OF your cities, and especially inc
splendor of NewYo, have altogether asonished me.
Though have not visited the wonder Of the West chi
cago yet OF your minor modern places, such az
| Cleveland have sufficiently amazed me, by the mar
velous results of generations activity Occasion
| ally when have been in places OF some ten thousand
| inhabitants where the telephone Is In general
use have felt somewhat ashamed OF
our own unenterprislng towns; many OF
which, OF fifty thousand inhabitants ana more
make no use OF It, From my first impressions may say
that though free institutions have been partly the cause
of these things think they have not been the chief
cause In the first place, the American people nave
come into possession OF an unparalleled f0rtune-the
mineral wealth and the vast tracts OF virgin SOIL pro-
duclng abundantly with small cost OF culture Then
they have proted by nherng all the arts, appliances
methods developed by older societies, while leaving be-
hind the distractions existing in them They have been
able to pick and choose from the products OF all past ex
perience; apprOpriatng the good and rejecting the
| bad Then besides these fayors OF fortune, there
| factors proper to themselves. perceive
| In American faces generally great amount OF
determinatOn-a kind of do die expression and
this Of cl racter Joined with power OF WORK ex'
ceedng that any other people, OF course produces an
unparalleled rapdity of progress once more, there ID
the lnventiveness which, stimulated by the need for
economzing labor, has been wisely ostered Among
US, in England, there are many foolish people who,
while thinking that who tolls with his hands has
ola IN nrOdupt and III he has special
skill may rightly have the advantage Of It, also hold
that II tolls with mis- BRAIN perhaps for years. and
uniting genius with perseverance, evolves some Vau-
able invention the public rightly claim the benefit
The Americans have been more farseeing. lie enor-
nous museum of patents which saw at Washington, is
significant OF the attention paid to inventors caimsj
and the Nation profits immensely from having, in this
direction Though not in all ohers) recognized property
In mental products. Beyond question: In respect OF me-
chanical appliances. the Americans are ahead OF all
Nations II, along with your material progress there
went equal progress of higher kind, there would re-
main nothing to be wished.
is true that those who rule you do not dOit by
means of retaners armed with swords but they do IL
through regiments Of men armed with yOting-papers'
who obey the word Of command loyalty as did the de-
pendants Of the old feuda MOBILES and who thus enable
their leaders override the general will and make the
community submit to their exactions efectually
their prototypes Of old 1t doubtless true that each OF
your citizens for the candidate he chooses for this
or that office from President downward but his hand
is guided by power behind wnicn leaves him
scarcely any choice. Use your political power as
we tell you. OF else throw it away is the alternative
offered to the citizen The political machinery as 1t Is
now worked little resemblance TO that contemplated
at the outset OF your political life. Manlesty those
who framed your constitution never dreamed that
twenty thousand citizens would 20 TO the polls led by
boss America exemplifes at the other end OF the |
social scale change analogous to that which has taken
place under sundry despoms 1t to me that the
sovereign people, is fast becoming puppet which |
moves and speaks as wire-pullers determine"
REPUBLICAN INSTITUTIONS NOT A FAILURE.
"Then you think that Republic institutions are a
failurel"
"By no means imply such conclusion. Thirty
years agowhen often discussing politics with an English
friend and defending republican institutions, as al
WAYS have done and do STILL and when he urged against
me the i'll working OF such institutions over here, L
habituay replied that the Americans got their form OF
government by happy accident, not by normal prog
res and that they would have to back before they
could 20 forward. What has since happened seems to
me to have justified that view, and what now con-
firms me In It. America ia showing on a larger scale
than ever before that paper constitutions VIII not
work as they intended to work The truth that con-
stitutions are not made, but grow which is part OF
the larger truth that societies throughout their whoe
organizations are made but grow, 40 once, when ac
copied dispOses the notion that you can work as you
hone any articialydeyised system Of government lt
becomes an that II political structure mas
been mauulacluIeu, anu hoI
begin to grow into something different from that IN |
Misunderstanding in harmony with the natures OF cru
zens and the condition under which the society exists
And II evidently has been SO with you Nlthlh the forms
Of your 1nfrf aas aorebe e n2contem
plated at the outset which has become III large measure
the ruling power
A QUESTION OF CHARACTER
"But will not education and the diffusion OF political
knowledge fit men for free institutional"
"No. It is essentially question of character, and
only I'm a secondary degree question of knowledge
But for the universal delusion about education as pan
aoea for political evils, this would have been made su-
c,nty clear by the evidence daily disclosed in your
papers Are not the mep who officer and con- |
troll your Federal, State, and municipal organiza- |
uons-who manipulate your caucuses and conven- |
TONS and your partisan campalgns-all |
educated men And has their education pre- |
vented them from engaging in, or permNiDg, or oOndOn
ing the 0rberies lodgings, other corrupt methods
which ytate the actions OF your administrations Per
haps party newspapers eXaggerate these things out
what am make Of the testimony OF yOur CNSerNlee
reformers-nen of all parties II unGerstahd tue |
matter Alright they attacking rs vicious ana danger
system which mas grown up unuer tne hatuaal
spontaneous working OF your free institutions e1
posing vices which education has proved po"eress 10
prevent go ,. 70 -, ...,,, .ro ,,,or, |
mas not, think sutcentiy quick seise Oi MS O"
cltima and at the same time. as Il necessary conse
queucc a sufficiently quick sense OF the claims OF
6thrrs-for the two traits arc organicaly related OBJ
serve that you tolerate various small lntcrerences anu
told that the English remarked for their tendency
to grumbe in such cases; and nave no doUot IL 10
DO You think it worth while for people TO make |
themselves dsagreeabe by resenting every thrilling |
aggression Americans think 1t involves too much loss
oil fine and temper, and doesn't pay"
Exactly. That is what mean by character III IS |
this cas- gOing readiness to permit small trespasses be
cause would be troublesome profit or unpopular
to oppose which leads TO the habit OF acquiescence III
wrong and the decay of free nsttutiOns."
HOW ONE AMERICAN TRAIT Is SHOWN.
"You nned that while Americans do not assert their
own udyiluaIties sufficiently in small matters, they
reciprocay. do not sufficiently respect the individual
ties OF others"