St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-30

always profitable or proper-tfe Trfo-
une is laying down some fundamental
doctrine from which every Democrat
starts to measure public affairs and
legislation affecting them. In the
Sunday issue it says:
At all times and in all places. men
seek to crafty their desires by the
least effort, to attain success along the
lines of least resistance. In obedience
to this law they always try to buy at a
low price and sell at high one,
whether the thing be a commodity,
service or money. Out of this great
benefits flow; statutes cannot improve
on this law, and if they fail to recog-
nize it they can only operate to modify
or cancel its benefits. A legislator
may object that this is a selfish law,
or no law at all, or that he could make
a better law himself. But that simply
proves his own ignorance. 1t does not
alter the fact that so long as humanity
is selfish, then within the proper limits
of political economy men must crafty
their desires by the least effort, and
they have no choice in the matter.
This is but a correct application to
the actions and motives of men of
that physical law that motion runs
on the lines of least resistance" and
is equally obeyed whether it is water
seeking a level or a man using a
cant-hook to roll log. 1t is the ap-
probation of this that puts the edge
on the clliSel. lit determines the
gradient of the railway as well as
q ri m If ~
ing on the steep hillside. 1t was
back Of the telegraph, and supports
it now. 1T takes men across lots in
stead Of around the base and perpen-
dicular of the triangle. 1t is the
stimulant to THE inventor, ever in
tent on devising ways of production
alt the least expenditure of eXertion
1t is true that the Tribune applies
its generalization to the pending
question of money, where it is as
true and as forceful as everywhere
else, but lit is also equally true in
the field of political economy devot-
ed to a consideration of the efforts
OF men to gain a livelihood and a
competence. We have some doubts
whether the Tribune would not fol-
low its own logic into the field of
trade, but, if lit did not, it would be
because business or political consid-
erationS, and not faith in it's logic.
would deter it. But whether it would
or not, it is the truth that this law
lies at the base of free trade, which
is, after all, but the desire of men to
get that which they want with the
least expenditure Of effort.
An obstruction placed between
them and their object but increases
the quantity of effort needed to at
tain it. 1t is imma terial what form
this assumes, whether 1T is mere dis
lance, whether it is a mountain range
to be crossed, or whether il is a
custom house with it's hindrances
and eXactions. The cost of carriage
IN the two instances, as well as the
increase of cost in the last. necessi-
tates the use of greater effort to at
tain the end. For whatever pr1r1,ose
the customs tax is laid, whether for
revenue or protection, TT increases
resistance and diminishes the eff
fectlveness of human effort. Some
day men will come ito realize This as
a violation of natural law, attended.
as all such infringements are. with
mischief only, and then these cre,a-
lures we call statesmen will be as
QUICK TO remove the Instructions as
they now are to increase them.