The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-04
THE STRENGTH OF POPULAR GOV.


No political campaign since the war has
excited as much apprehension in the minds
of thoughtful people as the present one.
1t is not alone the issues that are imme-
diately involved and the possible effect of
their wrong settlement upon the national
honor and business interests of the coun-
try, but it is the temper shown by those
who are advocating one side or these is
sues, the marshaling of the elements of dis
content and the open attempts to array
one class of society against another. The
country and government could easily Sur
vive a single mistake, no matter how griev-
Gus it might be. but many persons are
wondering how long it can withstand the
| growth of the socialistic and anarchistic
spirit which seems to be now abroad in
the land. The Journal does not say that
it shares these apprehensions, but they do
exist in the minds of many persons. Nor is
it unnatural. The question whether re-
publican government can be permanently
maintained over a populous and widely ex-
tended country is still an unsoived problem.
1t cannot be regarded as having been COM
pleteIy solved by the success of the United
States government thus far. A century is
liOt AO4AS III thO AAIC VI ~ oA0 ILL., 49,
ond century of our national existence may
bring as great perils as our first one did,
or even greater. The civil war settled the
question of secession. disposed of slavery
and strengthened the national government
in some important respects. 1t settled some
questions so effectually that they can never
arise again. But new problems are arising
and will continue to arise. The perils of
the future, whether they shall prove great
er than those of the past or not, will un-
doubtedly be of a different character. They
will be of a kind incident to the growth
of great populations, and especially of
great city populations, to the development
of great corporate interests and high COM
mercial conditions, and to the accumula-
ton and unequal distribution of wealth.
In short, they will be such politico-social
evils as are inherent in free government
and universal suffrage. 1t remains to be
seen with how much patience, courage, wis
dom and patriotism these coming dangers
will be met. 1t is the opinion of some that
the very vastness of our domain will ulti-
mateIy prove an element of weakness. The
present territory of the United States is
$500, 900 square miles. Some of the States
of the Union are large enough for empires
themselves. Texas is larger than France;
Oregon is larger than Spain; California is
larger than all the British islands. The
forty-fve States of the Union have a great
diversity of interests. Our present popuIa-
ton is approximately 1000, 900 and rapidly
increasing. Our city populations are in
| creasing much more rapidly in proportion
than our country population, though this
is the case in all countries. The rapid
growth of city populations is not a healthy
sign, though it seems to be an inseparable
feature of large populations and high COM
mercial conditions. Nearly forty years ago
Macaulay, the historian, writing to q citi-
zen of the United States, said:
The day will come in the United States
when the multitude, distressed by hard
times, will be called upon to choose a legis-
lature. On one side is a statesman, preach
ing patience, respect for vested rights,
strict observance of public faith. On the
other are d~emagogues ranting about the
tyranny of capitalists and usurers. [ seri-
ously apprehend that the people OF the
United States will in some such season of
prosperity from returning; that they will
act like people who should in a year of
scarcity devour all the seed corn. and thus
make the next year a year, not of scarcity,
but of absolute famine. There will be, [
fear. Spoliation; the spoliation will increase
the distress; the distress will produce fresh
spoliation. When a society has once en-
tered on this downward progress there is
n i6ent to stop it. Ether Either einili1ation or
Napoleon will seize the reins of govern
ment with a strong hand, or your Republic
ans in the twentieth century as the Roman
empire was in the fifth; with this differ
ence, that the Huns and Vandals, who raw
aged Rome, came from without, while your
Huns and Vandals will have been engen-
dered within your own country by your
own institutions.
There are features in the present situa-
ton which give this somewhat the weight
of prophecy, but it is much too pessimistic.
We have the statesman on one side preach
ing respect for vested rights and strict OBJ
servance of the public faith, while on the
other side we have ~demagogues ranting
about the tyranny of capitalists and usur-
ers. But we have no Caesar or Napoleon,
and the American people are not Huns and
Vandals. The free coinage of silver would
be population and in a sense spoliation,
but it would be done under the form of
law, and when the people discovered what
a frightful mistake they had made they
the anxiety of all good citizens as to the
result of the coming election, but it does
not despair of the Republic. The present
| situation has some alarming and discourage
ing features, but ultimately the intelligence,
honesty and patriotism of the people will
| prevail. The strength of popular govern
ment lies in it's inherent power of purifying
itself.
CUBA RATHER THAN ARMENIA.
1t has been more than suggested in GER
tain quarters that an organized effort
should be made to bring the Armenians in
| Turkey to this country as a body. Fortu-
no+o1- n,rr iro lana rtn.I T. l.