Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-19

and think they would offer some check to
this pestiferous Insect. But environment
counts for more than we commonly allow
It, both In human ethics and action. few
resolute self-conndent leaders may. as they
often do compel the reluctant acquiescence
whole communities are driven like herds OF
cattle down the mountain side by a sort OF
unconscious impulsion. | do not believe
that in lS60-61 more than two OF the south
ern states actually voted themselves out OF
the union; certainly the states OF Virginia.
North Carolina and Tennessee did not, and
yet such is the pressure OF infection that
the immense union majority Of February and
March OF the latter year was found in July
fighting the battles of the confodcracy."
do you apprehend the serious growth of
the new sectionalism. which, with the death
OF the old sectionalsm, seems to be strug-
Cling into life in American"
"lf human experience goes for anything
and is even 10 count for much. the world
ought to be wiser for the lessons II has
had. I am afraid. however, that organized
wealth and power have not yet grown wise
enough to scent the danger before 1t Is upon
them. The eastern section of our country
is already in danger. have an impression
that II does not see this. Yet 1t might,
with profit to itself and to us all, read a
chapter out of our own history, and take
a hint in time from the experience of the
south. The institution of African slavery
its possessors. 1t produced In the south a
distinct caste. Recognized by the constitu-
ton, property In man came to take on a
kind of divine right, and at last its sup
porters went to war to defend II. Nothing
should have been clearer than that war was
the best way to destroy it. England had
got rid of slavery in her colonies. Russia
had eXtinguished serfdom. Brazil was pre-
pairing to emancinate her slaves. Every
where, except in the southern states of
the American union, the world was set
against slavery. To cling with tenacity to
so untenabe and. as has since been re-
vealed, to so profitless a system of labor, to
say nothing about morals, was singularly
short-sighted in the public men of the south,
but to take the field in its behalf, and
against such odds, seems inconceivabe from
the standpoint of rational craftsmanship.
But the south did it and dearly paid the
consequences. Let the east take to itself
the lesson OF the south In its concentra-
tion Of the wealth of the country and in
its ostentatious display OF this wealth, in
the gradual cultivation OF caste, in the ten
dency to hug its vast riches and in the
finding of means to keep its millions at
home let 1t behold danger it will do well
to consider in the light of both ancient and
modern history and IL 1t has any real
statesmen, they cannot put their genius and
resources to better uses than by the con-
struction of policies which will bring them
alliances and make them friends-policies
wise and broad justifying in some measure
the unlimited accumulations they have been
| able to pile up in such a relatively short
| compass of time. Those accre.ions not only
| serve to breed corruption among them.
| selves, but they unite against the
| simple rights of property all the
| forces Of cupidity and rapine, operating on
| agrarian and sectional lines. States have
been saved before now by timely forecast
| Only pride, and foolish pride at that, had
| led Spain to defy the laws alike of God
| and nature in Cuba Only pride the pride
| of wealth and caste. will keep the east
| from seeing the truth that it must make
| a partner OF the rest of the country, not
| only by generous and eXpounding policies
| but, above all, by just policies, harder, per.
| haps, to realize than any other policies
! We can always be generous, but it is not
always easy to be just, wisely just even
| to ourselves"
"What would you advise the democratic
| party to do, Mr.. Watterson?"
what I would advise II to do and what
| it is likely to do are different matters. Per
haps II could not do anything better by
way of starter than TO appoint the next
Sth Of january asa day OF fasting and