The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-06
Academic Sh0rtsightedness.

| 1t has often been charged against
the so-called higher education that II
weakens the foundations of patriotism
by incplcating visionary aspirations to-
ward an universal brotherhood Of man.
The argument Is that when men get
litheir heads so far up in the sky that
their own country appears to them
| simply as one of many spots on the
map, 1t is entirely reasonable to expect
of them a diminished ardor of regard
for that country and its Institutions
and relaxed vigilance In behalf of
their welfare. We shall not discuss
| the point; but wish merely to call
attention to 1t while we quote curl
GUS paragraph from an article by s.
Parkes Cadman in the current Chau-
tauquan. The article Is for the chief
part a statistical demonstration Of the
| widespread prevalence Of the English
language; but at one point in 1t the
| author steps aside to say:
| If the segments of the great empire OF
| Anglo-Saxondom do not fall out among
| themselves, the game is theirs, and u bet
ter understanding than the present spirit
or carping criticism which occasionally
degenerates into ignorant bullying on both
sides Is Il desideratum just now between
the two chief members of this colossal
body-England and America. 1t Is not
necessary to be loud-mouthed In our pro-
| fessed hatred for the one in order that We
| may show how much We love the other.
II some irresponsible editors on either
side of the sea on whose divided shores
| brethren dwell working out the problem of
-, Inv n.s
wieders of the pen could but take the
wider vision "a great stumbling block IN
the way of amity and true unity of feel
ing would be removed. But SO long as a
leader in the profession OF American
journalism urges that the destruction of
Britain's power would be a chief boon
to civilization; 50 long as the deplorable
and h!gh-handed policy Of England in
settling disputes Is persevered In. so long
as tactful and courteous dealing upon the
part of our diplomats Is heavily discount
ed; so long as pusillanimity Is being I'M
puted by people to whom internationai
good breeding as a mystery, ana the
whole transaction viewed with relation TO
than to judicial fairness-so long VIII
Anglo -Saxondom tarry in It's progress.
For in the future federation of all these
peoples and all their lands into one law,
language and am there Is contained Goa
purpose concerning men and the world
upon which men live.
1t occurs to us to ask Mr.. s. Parkes
Cadman how he became enlightened as
to what constitutes Goods purpose"
concerning this terrestrial sphere; but
upon second thought we will leave this
bit of assumption to itself. The point to
which we will request attention Is the
curious coincidence that whenever. In
the course of our dealings with other
nations, American rights are ignored
and American citizens abused, the cry
of 'jingoism," with which a manly as
sertion of the national dignityis invari-
ably greeted, comes, not from the mod
erately schooled medal and poorer
classes, the ''plain people" as Lincoln
called them, but always from the high
browed, over-educated, ultra-cultured
post-graduates Of our universities,
who, in their school-day dreams of
political universality, lose sight of
present conditions and necessities. 1t
may be that in distant aeOns all man.
kind will dwell peaceably under one
government; but SO long as there
chance to be, on this rude earth. a con-
siderable number of often-clashing
governments. surely 1t does not de-
mean the American people to take care
Of, their own.
when Dan Lamont went to Wash
ington," says the Rochester Post-Ex-
press, "he was very poor; and Uncle
Sam was very rich. Now Uncle Sam
Is so poor that he cannot pay the Of
ficers and soldiers Of the army the
wages due to them: and Dan Lamont
the money out of his own pocket. This
brief history of Uncle Sam and Hand
some Dan teaches that reform Is
very good thing for the reformer."
Especially, we might add, when he
chances to be consecrated Demo-
crat
Our esteemed Wyoming county con-
temporary, the New Age. probably
draws too gloomy a picture when 1t
says: Nothing succeeds like success,
and the only qualification necessary to
leadership in politics Is to be able to
manipulate majorltles.
Statesmanship is only waste rubbish"
The successful politicians of the coun-
try are pretty bright men. taken as a
class. They have to be. else they could
not succeed.
We take no stock in the story that
Quay will. as state chairman,
use his influence to defeat those Re-
publican candidates for Office who were
recently aligned with the anti-Quay
faction. Whatever Mr. Quay's faults.
party treachery Is not one Of them; and
1t is unjust to him to have the impress
sion conveyed that any considerable
of persons believe that It is.
-
II It is true that Secretary Carlisle is
seeking the Democratic nomination
for president next year. he ought to
find It. We do not apprehend that this
particular pcrfunctory honor will be In
great demand.