The Portland daily press., 1894-06-27
THE SCHOLAR IN POLITICS.
Congressman Dingley's Address at Dart
mouth College Commencement.

Hanover, N. H. June 26.-Hon. Nelson
Dingley, jr.. NC. of Maine, delivered
the annual Grafton before the Alumni
Association of Dartmouth College today,
taking as his theme, "The Scholar and
Politics." The following is synopsis
of the principal points of his address.
The factors which make a free govern
ment. said Mr.. Dingley. may be grouped
under two heads-public opinion and
politics. While public opinion shapes
politics, yet it is politics-using the term
as embracing not only the art of govern
ment, but also the means and machinery
by which public opinion is made and or
ganlzed-that makes laws, determines
policies and selects rulers.
In the proper sense of each term, states
man AID politician are Synonymous.
but III the differentiation which has I'M
fortunately been made in scholarly Cir
Giles, politician is a public man con-
splcuous as mere party manager; and
a statesman either public man above
the arts OF the politician. who is living
or successful politician who is dead
The most serious result of this de-
probation of practical politics has been
TO dlscredlt active participation in party
organization and management to such
an extent as to withdraw from such nee
essary public duties large numbers of
scholarly and business men, whose infu-
ence is always potent for good. For moth
ing is better settled than that party Or
ganlzation is necessity in a free govern
ment; and those citizens who avoid par
tlclpatlon in party councils and manage
ment deprive themselves of a large part
of their legitimate influence in public
affairs.
oL,e L 1. IL.
useful men in public life. the public
men best entitled to the designation
Statesmen" are those who have been
active in what is styled practical politics
in the best sense. They are the men who
know how to appeal to the average man,
and win his support. They are the men
who go into the arena where all citizens
stand on the same plane, and by sheer
force of ability, tenacity, will power and
leadership, organize victory. 1t is such
men as these who are able to successfully
shape and carry constructive legislation
embodying sound principles, so adjusted
as to meet existing conditions and win
popular approval.
There never was a time in the history
of this country when the influence Of
broad and practical scholarship in mold
ing public opinion and shaping our
politics, was more needed than now. We
are living in period of marked unrest
Radical, social and economic ideas,
challenging the basis OF society, industry
and government, have found Judgment
in unthinking or superficial minds to an
extent which demands a campaign of
education as we'll as a statesmanlike ap-
probation of practical remedies. The
Coxey crusade was only gross manifes-
tation of a deep-seated feeling of hostility
to capitalists as alleged robbers of the
poor. All the proposed schemes to de-
base the currency, all the plans of dis
eliminating legislation levied against
capitalists, are outgrowths of this dan
gerous class feeling.
The fundamental errors of that large
class of men VINO denounce capital, lie,
productive wealth, as if it were public
enemy, and who propose to remedy as
suned social and economic wrongs by
such schemes, are first, the assumption
that all wealth is created by labor and
secondly, the assumption that govern
ment can create wealth in the form of
money by it's fat" without taxing the
people to pay for it.
Neither of these assumptions is true.
Government cannot make something out
of nothing in the physical realm any
more than the individual 1t has no
means in the last resort of obtaining
wealth in any form except by taxation.
If it issues greenbaeks, they are only
promises to pay, and their value de-
pends,upon the confidence of the people
that the promise will be redeemed.
Again when labor works alone in pro-
ductlon, as in the case of the savage,
labor does. create or develop all the
wealth produced; but that whole is asbut
fraction of the share that labor re-
ceiyes when it enters into copartnership,
as it were, with capital. 1t is capital in
vested in machinery and labor saving
devices, that harnesses the forces of
nature, and so increases the production
of wealth as to increase the joint product
many fold-of which labor directly re-
ceives ouadruple what it would work
ing alone, and taking the whole product;
and indirectly much more in reduced |
cost of the comforts of life.
For example, in India, where wages
are 10 cents per day., and where produc-
tion is mainly by hand, the valuesof the |
product per capita is only $40; whereas
in the United States, where machinery is |
most used, the value OF the product per |
capita is $165, and the wages Of labor |
average from S.. 90 to S.. 90 per day.
In the 80 years between 1860 and 1893
wages in this country increased 60 per
cent. estimated money, and 70 per cent. |
estimated in the comforts of life; where
as given amount of capital invested in |
1860. Such facts contradict the charge
so frequently made that under our mod |
ern economic system the poor are grow
ing poorer"
The complaint of labor that it does not |
receive just share of the profit of pro-
ductive competitive industry, when it |
works jointly with capital, cannot lie |
against the large majority of capitalists
and captains of industry, who either lose
their time and capital; in or against
another large body of capitalists and
of industry whose profit is only
the ordinary interest ontcapital loaned. |
To whatever extent the complaint has |
seeming basis, it lies not against capital |
as such, but against those captains of |
industry, the five out of hundred, |
whose exceptional ability and skill re- |
suit in lower cost of production than |
that attained byssother producers.
But it should be remembered that the |
same economic law gives a skilled labor |
er higher wages than an unskilled, be- |
cause the former produces more wealth |
than the latter, gives larger returns to |
the skilled captains of industry Ethan TO |
those less skilled, because they are in |
in producing more wealth. |
What additional profit either .obtains is
not taken from anybody else, but is
wrung from nature.
The scheme of Matchmaking industries
i.e., having the State carry on competi-