The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-07-24
The Political Situation.

heN. w. D. mdttesOu spoke ouHudy
morning at the Baptist church on "The
Political Situation" He said in sub
stance:
The political situation is in many re-
spects the most complex and the most
portentious of any with which the nation
has been confronted since the civil war.
The situation is not indeed, without its
alleviations. The country is to be con-
graduated upon the character of the men
thus far nominated for the highest office;
upon the introduction of really living
and present issue into political discussion
and upon the disposition shown in many
quarters to break away from partisan in
terests in obedience to sincere, even tho
it may be mistaken, convictions of right
and patriotism. Some qualification is in
deed necessary even in these congratula-
tons. The men nominated, although
personally most honorable, are neither of
them in any real sense either great men
or large minded statesmen. Each is a
man of one idea; neither in comprehen-
siye craftsmanship what the president Of
this country ought to be. 1t is much
better to have Campaign Of education
in which some great issue is discussed
and decided than mere BATTLE of the
'outs" and the "ins," as to which shall
divide the spoils. But our satisfaction is
here somewhat checked by the remem-
branceo of the possibility that very great
issue may be wrongly decided and the
people pay very dearly for an elementary
lesson in public finance. A cynic might
even remark that the patriotism of the
hour-showing itself in the pathetic
abandonment of long established party
affiliations-was somewhat tinged with
considerations of personal interest. But,
after all qualification it still remains sub
stantially true that is a matter of congrat-
ulation that the nation is to choose be-
tween clean men, discuss living and inn
portant issue, and to subordinate parti-
san prejudices to what they at least be-
But there are other elements of the sit
uation that are not, even to this qualified
extent, encouraging.
One of the most serious and dangerous
elements of the present political situation
is the widespread discomfort among the
people. The times are hard. Many a
man of stout heart and strong arm finds
it all but impossible to win for his family
the bare necessities of life. Even the ag-
ricultural population, supposed to be the
most Independent Of all, complain bitterly
of the existing conditions. Men know that
something is radically wrong; they do not
know what it is that is wrong; they are
ready to follow almost any leadership
that promises them relief.
The proverb tells us that drowning
men clutch at a straw. 1t is certainly
asking good deal of human nature to
expect that man, about to sink for the
last time, shall investigate closely the
seaworthiness of the craft that proffers
him relief. 1t is under such condition OF
general wretchedness and popular discon-
tent that, in European countries, anarchy
and socialism have had such rapid devel-
opment. Such conditions are now as
never before reproduced in America. The
danger Of the hour is that men, trying
desperately to escape from conditions
quite intolerable, may act with rash
precipitancy that shall involve their own
ruin-as men in sinking ship overcrowd
and swamp departing life-boat in their
frenzy to escape. The discomfort of the
people is an element of the political stu
alton of the most serious Importance.
A second element which it is impossi-
BILE to regard with entire equanimity, is
the complex and difficult nature of the
great issue of the present campaign. 1t
is, indeed, as has been already suggested,
a good thing as matter of education,
that the people are compelled to think
about question, involving for its proper
comprehension wide range of knowl-
edge, a careful sitting of evidence and
painstaking balancing of probabilities.
The question presented is one to the
proper solution of which brass bands,
clubs and the ordinary style of
oratory can contribute nothing
harm. Passion, prejudice, en-
thusiasm, sentimalism in its various
forms, are all worse than useless here. A
calm reasonableness, an intelligent COM
prehension will alone avail. But the ed
ucation of sixty millions of people is no
easy task and hardly to be adequately ac-
in the all too brief interval
between now and election day. A ques-
ton of the most fundamental Importance
is to be decided by people who neither
by previous training nor present qualifi-
cation are fitted to decide it. 1t is to be
feared that those things which ought to
least, passion, prejudice, per-
sonal and class interests, real or suppos-
ed, will contribute most to the decision.