The Red Cloud chief., 1886-08-20
DECAY Or IN .7ERiAliSm.
Gratifying Growth Of B~~so~rstic 1dsas
Am.ns t.,- Nations .SELropr.

Gratifying Cro~th OF Ds1'o-rstio IdsAs
AIMING tie Nations .SEir"pr.
Notwithstanding the prosperity o!
Germany under Bismarck. and the
seeming peace Of other ET,pcan
countries. which are ruled b. Kings
ana Emperor-. there j. abundant. ev-
dcnce of the sur. and gradual decay 81
imperialism. There j. a practical corr
mon sens. in the spirit Of the century
that di.fG-cs Itself Ike light. aud
a. il bring into bold rcliefthc foTm,of
rulers claiming authority b. Inherit
ance and Divine right /: ~caricature-
them like the figures of a magic Ian
tern. Their. j.. so 10 speak. 4 pathetic
grotesqucnc-, in the spectacle Of dilap-
idated royalty musing V e the past
and bewailing the progress Of liberal
ideas. Even in England, where tine
Government represents a sort of union
between the past and the present. 4
royal head attached to Il republican
ppis 'Is' 'fbi'N-lpii 'u III sb'l'NAf :
~countenancc sometimes becomes rather
dolorous and mir;h-proyoking. This
i particularly 40 when she makes
a speech from the fhronc,'
which she has never written. and
the sentiments in which are by no
means always entirely 10 her Ikin-.
and i'll that trying moment her eminen,
responsibility of career aud character
doe. not wholly exclude the suggestion
Of a ma,ronly automaton acting IN
obedience 20 mechanical appliances
quit. beyond its Own control. But
there are other incidents IN modern
royalty that suffer in the >atiri"ai light
Of the prcsent-thc groups Of Princes
and Prince.,cS. with their fOllirs and
vices. drawing salaries from reluctant
taxpayers; the sounding assurances Of
the Gar Of all the Ru>-ia> respecting
the love and devotion of hi, peop.e.
when there is hardly a moment of his
life that is safe and peaceful; the clio
Jucnt manifes,OcS Of French Princes
whose claims 10 consideration are
based wholly on the %! an
ancestor. and the serio comic lament
ton, of Il people over the sui"iir Of 4
mad and vicious, King. Tines" things.
and the spectaclcs ~clSewhrrr visible
of sundry small Kings kept in
place BY foreign ~bayonctS. nil
help 10 stimulate the influence
% affecting the vital, Of inn
prrialism. When an element in
government becomes grotcsIuc in tn,
eyes Of the people lis fading away j,
only a question Of time. and in England
and Continental Europe, al present.
the lampconS. cpigrams and caricaturc-
continual circulating on things ROYAL
and royal ~pcrsOnagcS indicate Tn" ap-
preaching disappearance ~oftiesc inter
cstin. relic, Of by-gonc times. Tn"
proposition ~ the basis of representa-
tive government is quite ind sputable,
and not even 4 people mildcwcd by
antique notions and associations can
resist its fascinating and convincing
power. Where it does not entirely
itself as 4 spirit Of comparison and
criticism that. once introduced, can
never bc expelled and n never rest
in Iuieiude.
But the decay of ari>tocratic AMI
aniocraii: ideas is not merely aided by
the influences suggested. il i al.o now
greatly accelerated by the direct
teaching of prominent statesmen an,
political leaders. The whole drift al
political literature and of the public
speeches that amount to any thIng
now i all iii one direction. The
defenders and npologi>,S Of I'M
prriali>m are only listened Ia
within the jurisdiction of it, rep
rc>cntatiycs-thc interest of civ
! ilizaiion j. really alive only To the new
gospel OF democracy. Mr.. Giad>ton''s
power and influence are based on the
fact that he is in accord with IN" lib
cral impulses of IN" pcopIr-hc l. MT
the representative of a class. and lra>;
of all ot old imprriali>tic notions.
The same i ir,.e of all existing political
leaders whose influence NAV be SAID Ia
be really strong and growing. Grca,
and commanding is is the power "i
the massive nlini that now directs the
affairs of the German Empire. public
a~cJUic>ccncr in the principles he repre-.
SCENTS i already FESTIVE and uncertain.
Nothing can control the democratic
ideas working among the body Of the
people and inevitably leading Ia new
political conditions. The present is an
era of change. and chief among the
new and Iuict revolutions in progress
is that rc>ult;n" from the diffusion al
new ideas of government among nj
peoples representing civilization and
the consequent tendency toward demo.
cratic instituiions.-St. LoHS Globe
D,Bsocrd.
The Last Straw.
YOu know that b,aS.ly