The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-28
Ia HoME NND AnROAD.

AT HOME AND ABROAD.
When a man bersistently neglects ev-
erything else to look after the business
of his neighbors, it is a fair conclusion
that he has lost the ability or character
to enable him to look after his own.
The same is true of nations A ire
mendous activity in regard to foreign
affairs, and especially an exhibition Of
the spirit of aggression, is apt to be
the accompaniment of a declining pa
triotism, even when it is not an &C
knowIedged expedient for directing the
attention of a people away from abuses
which their representatives have not
the courage to rectify. From this point
of view there is more than a passing
interest in the extraordinary activity of
the great nations of the world in press
ing upon inferior powers and in as
sorting a titular control of the vast
spaces of the African continent which
are still assumed to be fair plumber for
any enterprising spirit. 1t looks not
a little as if, the fires of moral energy
having burned low, mankind were turn
ing itself restlessly to the old pastime
of seeking conquest abroad while abus-
es at home grow dense and rank
1t is surely something more than an
accident that the thirst for territorial
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT should exhibit itself
So universally just now and in such pro
nounced degree. Seldom was there a
time when the internal economy of any
people could show greater need for the
devotion of their conscience and their
energy to the work of reform and de-
velopment. Seldom have all of them
appeared more weary of the task. Like
the farmer whose crops need cultiva-
ton, and who decides to spend a week
at bunting and fishing instead, the gov
ernng classes everywhere are search
ing for new territory to annex, new
subjects to rule, careless of the prob
lens that confront them at home and
that may already have developed
alarming symptoms. We hear less now
than we did a few years ago of the
foolish talk about "decadent age"
Yet, if such a thing were possible, it
would seem to show its sign in this
denying of the true duty Of any state
for the empty triumphs that were the
chief delight of the old, bad govern
ments whose days are supposed to be
ended
A glance about the world shows the
spirit Of the nations awake to plans
of conquest. China and Japan have but
just finished a deadly struggle with
this as its motive power; but the civil
not moving on any higher plane. Eng
land, which assumes to be the leader
of them ALL is graphing at home with
problems before which her wisest
statesmen are far more appalled, than
they ever were before. The sure trans
formation of the monarchical into the
democratic system is far under way;
but that is not the central difficulty.
Democracy there under the necessary
forms and restraints imposed by GUS
rICiil liS1S IlOSIS SSGu dp1tlly lOWdIu ST.
cialism. Every great change in the
English constitution since political par
ties had an existence has come about
as the result of successive concessions
to a demand at first deemed impossible.
Parliamentary reform, the repeal of
the corn laws, the great measures that
stand as landmarks in English his
tory, were at first abhorred, but came
through necessary yielding to an orig
inally inconsiderable agitation No stu
dent of British politics has failed to be
struck with the avidity with which the
Conservative party, anxious to obtain
and retain power, has belied it's name.
1t is the great promoter Of radcalism,
by espousfng causes more radical than
the Radicals themselves could father.
Its trend today is distinctly socialistic:
and the best minds in England watch
with no little apprehension the move
ment toward socialism. Yet, with this
great problem to solve, England is
reaching out greedy hands everywhere.
She is penetrating the interior of Afri
ca. She gives acclaim to the founders
of Rhodesia. She barely escaped col
lision with the Beers on account of ac-
tual aggression. 1t is but a little time
since we rescued Venezuela from the
lions paw OF all the absorbing nations,
England is the greediest.
France is still further pressed by
problems of her own. The republic is
still an experiment. The socialistic
leaven is working there also. The ap-
parent decline of population is an omf-
nous sign for the future Yet all the
interest of France is concentrated on
possible alliances with other powers