Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1883-06-29
The New 'Impending Crisis"

AAo No" AnpShoAhS1 NiAoAS'
In the North American RerieU Pro-
fessor Winchell. the eminent geologist
of Michigan University, devotes several
pages to maintaining the thesis that
communism is growingupin America,
that our fundamental political axiom
generates and fosters it. and that the
communistic tendency is and must nat
urally be, progressive, until probably
some great changes are made in the
basis of political power. Among the
evidences of the growth of this spirit
Professor Wmchell mentions the des-
tructive hostility which is manifested to-
ward moneyed corporations. and par
ticularly toward the national banks,
whose functions have been purely bene-
fetal, and who have given us an emf
nently satisfactory circulating medium.
This sentiment includes. also, the rail-
ways in its operation, although their
functions are purely industrial. 1t Or
ganizes strikes whenever there is any
reason to suppose that the employer
can be successfully coerced into an in
crease of wages. The same spirit actu-
ates the trades-unions in demanding
uniform wages for all workmen in a
particular branch of a trade. regardless
of individual capacity or skill. 1t also
underlies grangerism, which is mild
form of trades-unionism applied to the
farm.
The source of this spirit Professor
Winchel finds in our fundamental po-
litical axiom, that ''all men are created
free and equal" Through the opera
ton of universal suffrage he finds that
1.-THE country is falling into the control
of incompetency." 1.-The exceptional
gifts in science, invention and technol-
ogy, which have achieved for our nation
so many shining eXcellences, find ex-
ercise only in isolated and conspicuous
situations. 1.-The country at large is
pervaded by reign of mediocrity which
is as greedy as it is stolid and inert. y
This state of things, he thinks, will 90 on
from bad to worse until it becomes I'M
bearable and some sort of reform will
be accomplished.
One of the most serious features of
the situation comes out incidentally in
the discussion. 1t is the increasing dis
position of the communistic leaders to
accomplish their ends by irrational and
destructive measures, instead of by ra-
tional and healthful ones. 1t is econom-
ically certain that, in the long run, the
condition of the undermost man in soci-
ETY. can never be improved by diminish
ing production, or by in any way in
creasing the cost of what he has to buy,
or by diminishing the volume of what
he has to sell. The constructive exper-
iments in socialism like those in Robert
Dale Owen and the various committees,
are cit her dead or dying through the
natural operation of the dreadful mono
tony which they involve. The signs do
indeed point toward wider and wider
activity of the more Objectionable forms
of the communistic spirit until their in
nate falsity is completely shown. This
bitter experience can only be avoided
by an unexpected influx of light from
some quarter, or from the rise of q real
leader of men able to deliver the work
ing classes from their thralldom to the
who now mislead them, to
their hurt. Unless such deliverance
soon appears Prof. Winchell's crisis will
be upon us.-Chicago Herald.