Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1884-01-16
Ollouuio fGpi6u,,c.
Published Wednesdays.
RANDALL 81 &BODEEN,
Publishers,
DEVELOPMENT.
The New Deity OF the Great Amert'
can Nation.
intellectual Cultivation Neglected for
Physical Devel0pEncnt---AP Peo-
pie Always ''esn the Jump"
"A Thoughtful Column.

/
"a Thoughtful Column.
| New YORK, Jan. 10.-"Gath" says: During
the recent investigation by senatorial COM
| 2littee of the labor question, l was interested
in the testimony of New York gentleman
who had paid special attention to the labor
| question. sought him out recently, and,
disclaiming any intention of bringing hin,
into publicity personally, desired to inquire
what lie thought of the tendency of Anlerl-
can people.
| Said he: II regard the present nation of
Americans as merely the vehicle for trans
ferring the population and capital OF Europe
ard, at the same time, satisfying our lnsa-
tiate passion f.r money"
SaidI: "Do you consider that the Ameri-
cans throw away their money!"
"No: considering how hard they work for
| it and what they spend it for, they merely
| fulfill an equation. In reality, they spend
most of their money on schemes to develop
| the country. The average life of an American
| is tolerably hard. He has a few years OF
high living, fine houses, carriages, foreign
| travel, etc; ; but, after all, what engages his
mind is to develope something, to add some
| thing to his community, or railroad, or dis
tant state or domain
Said I: "9yhat do you think of corpora e
management in the United States!"
sit is very imperfect; and yet, considering
how fast the railroad system has expanded, /
wonder that it is as honest as VIC, find it.
Railroad properties in Europe have been very
slowly built up, the people being
| slow to put ia their money, the gov
ernment insisting Ipon o supervision,
and finally, when you get your
great corporations like the London & North
western as,1 the French Northern railroad to
work they are precise as an old fashioned
| bank. Here we arefnever done with building
| more railroads. and as we have had to oper-
ate through the imperfect state legislatures
some injustice has been done TO stock
holders; the directors have assumed
| powe.s they were not entitled TO.
despar almost said my friend, Hto
see nation with such magnificent mission
as ours to settls ND this great contiIsent ha h ye
any literature OF fixed civilization. To use
| the ordinary phrase we are always on the
jump There seems to be an electrical con-
centration in the middle of the AMERICANS
| head which he cannot put at rest, his brain
becomes like ons of his muscles, vol
|
| form under the influence of this climate
and his destiny more work than any created
being, hut it is purely life of action, of en-
! terprise, and therefore is one-sided. The
consequence ON tho children must be bad
| Their fathers have no domestic rest ponder
| all night the operations of next day, discuss
| together some system or scheme for next days
operation, and the children, become pre-
IL @I,1.,, fo%E, ,I.,
everything. but d, NOT possess their fathers
| whose mhthers seem to think that they have
something to do with this development also
| The whole nation is ambitious, and every
thing that happens increases the stimula-
ton"
Said ]; "What view do you take of popr-
| lar education hsreT
"Nearly all Of it is merely to naake deyelop-
ers Of the American continent. The young
armies of scholars are marched into the pub.
lie schools: taught mathematics, chemistry,
etc., and then are sent out of the back door
to join the great army of development.
Some become engineers, some machinists,
some pioneers, but all are branded devel-
opers.a
Said I: ''Do you think re are corrupt
peoples"
"No, only as developers. When small
nation of men not bigger than France sent to
work to subjugate and equalize conditions
over q whole continent, scheming in
evitably grows up from the hope
fulness and daring of the people.
1t is a mistake to suppose that any large
proportion Of these schemes, railroad or
otherwise are dishonesty reee;ved. They
never could be accompanied by more swim
dlers. The belief of the man in this under
taking secures the customer.
(which of the people do 5ou suppose will
be the happiestW
"Upon my word, said my friend, II some
times think the happiest will be the latest
emig1a ants and their children, who may find
some country to be content in and keep their
former content. Yet the capacity of this
country to energize immigrant population
is remarkable. Take the case of Roeb-
ling, who built the Niagara and the
Brooklyn bridges and almost all the suspen-
sion aqueducts and viaducts in the country,
He was thoroughly educated at the Prussian
school, and came out to America
to be hermit, resolved to have nothing
more to do with the mechanical world
He settled among the mountains, and culti-
waited a little patch of farm. One morn
ing he heard horn; it was the coming canal
and barge. They came to a place where
they wanted to cross a river, and knew not
how. Roebling awoke from his repose
joined the active world again, became one
Of the eminent spirits of development, and
lis son, whom he named for Washington, is
now an invalid from disease contracted in
building a bridge.
Said I: "Wbat is your view about specula
lion and gamblinng?'
"They are parts and parcels of develop
ments The material surprises and discov-
cries on this continent arouse a hope
fulness and confidence which can find
no form of expression but to bet.
That instinct once awakened reaches even the
,tagnant portions of the population. While
you find the western people betting ON their
Town lots, town sites, railroads, mines, cat
lie ranges, etc, in the east they
ire studying tie tape and buying pools"
"What is your view about religion in con-
nection with our civilizationp
"The great fact about the United States
mas always been its Professionalism, That ac
,elerated the revolution against England, and
made the Republican form of government.
The idea of the Republic among the
;aints started with John Calvin, at
Geneva, spread to Scotland under Knox,
md to England under the refugees from
Queen Mary, was transferred to the United /
States, and exists here 5O, ,O00, 900 strong. The
influence Of Professionalism is not toward the
lrts and fine letters, but toward individual |
and personal independence
"Do you think that our young people are
worse off for not being apprentices, servants,
tic. 20
How can you make them SO when ap-
is an obsolete thingD said my
riend. THE apprentice in old times made
whole shoe or bound whole book. Now, by
livision Of labor, he is given little task in
which there is no mind to continue at it
'Fom year to year. Beyond the shop lies |