The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-23

sion 70 point out the inadequacy ana
irnnronriety of setting up the pros
naritv test" as a determining factor IN
the political struggle. 1t has protest
ed against the subordinatlon Oh all
moral issues to material. 1t has de-
otarad that no country can be secure
and no people happy or h1ghiy clVlii@-
ed which follows the motto that you
must grasp the elusive dollar Wher-
ever YOU see it, and ignore the means
by which it is secured. The prosperity
test. if severely applied, must reduce a.
community to the condition or oarpar-
ism from which it emerged, wherein
the only question shall be who can
snatch the most from his nelghoor.
There is another side to this issue, how
ever, that bears more directly upon the
Immediate fortunes of the people, and
of which we do not believe that they
have thought sufficiently. This is the
fact that the constant presence Of the
prosperity test as an issue in any COM
nnrnity Is an absolute preventive Of
prosperity itself. If we are not much
mistaken, the disappointment every
where at the slow rekurn of better
times, the continuance of general de-
preston and the growth of discomfort
are symptoms Of disease that
will not be cured until the pros
perfty test shall have been abolished,
and the people begin to ask their lead
ers once more. not what must we do
to be rich" but what ought we to do
to be right?"
1t is a logical necessity. If you urge
upon the voters a certain line Of policy
on the ground that it will make the
country prosperous, you have at once
developed and fixed the party argu-
ment. Your leaders and privates fall
Into two opposing bodies. The one says,
vote for our man and platform ana
you will be prosperous. The other says
the same. One or the other must be
defeated. Now, whichever party is de-
feated must, until another election
comes around, insist that the country
is not prosperous, but in most wretched
shape, and growing constantly worse.
If it did not do this, if it should ad-
NIT. no matter what the facts, that
prosperity had come, it would vindt-
cate the position Of it's opponent and
destroy the possibility of it's own fu-
ture existence. We have, therefore, as
Bured as a consequence Of the pros
perity test, the permanent presence Of
considerable organizations of men bent
upon proving to the public, right or
wrong, as a matter Of se1f-preserva-
ton, that the times are desperate, and
that there can be no remedy until party
power has been transferred.
Now what is the effect of this? It
is inevitably to bring about exactly the
condition asserted to exist. We are all
of us pretty well aware by this time
of the fact that imagination plays an
immense part, a leading part, indeed,
in the lives and fortunes Of men. When
We are told, as we have been thousands
of times in the last few years, that
confidence" is all we need, it means
that, if men believe times are going to
be better, they will enter into new en-
terprises, invest their money and so
make times better; and, if they believe
that times are going to be worse, they
will draw their money out of the banks,
put it in hiding, close factories, re-
fuse to make loans, and SO bring the
fabric Of credit down about our ears in
the midst of a general collapse. It fol-
lows, consequently, that, If pretty near
~ one-half Of our people, constituting
the defeated party In any election, are
bound, as party measure, to preach
constantly the doctrine Of depression
and distress and calamity, then the re-
turn of good times becomes permanent
ly impossible. The Imagination Is affect
ed by this constant dolorous view Of life,
confidence is impaired, and that large
bulk Of humanity that takes its views
from political leaders and political
newspapers is perpetually in the dol
drums.
It is logical fact, then, that, If the
prosperity test is to remain the lead
ing issue in American politics, the alb
sence Of prosperity will be the leading
characteristic Of American business
life 1t will not make the slightest diff
ference which party wins or what poll
cy is put into effect. For the defeated
party in any case. whichever it may be-