The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-23
AND BUSINESS

It not infrequently happens that
member of congress who is much
wrought up over some foreign question,
or who Stimulates being wrought up,
makes a great display of his contempt
for business and commerce and of his
devotion to principle To such the
common affairs of life, the things that
occupy the time and attention of al
most every American citizen, are to be
spurned and put aside as unworthy Of
their consideration. A goodly portion
of the taxes of the people being appro
priated to pay them good salaries they
are not under the necessity the common
people are of ':rustling'' for their bread
and butter. In their great devotion to
principle" if they should at any time
succeed in involving the country in a
foreign war they would remain in
Washington to guide the destinies Of
the nation-and talk
1t is all very well to talk about the
commercial spirit of the nation and
say that the spirit of liberty is being
crowded out of the country, but it is
the commercial spirit of the American
United States the great nation they
are. 1t was the commercial spirit that
founded the English colonies, and 1t
was the commercial spirit of New En-
gland that made the people there rebel
against the navigation acts and the
orders in council. Had there been no
commercial spirit in the people of the
colonies, would there have been any
hostility to the stamp act or any Bos-
ton tea party? The man who, in this
country, condemns the commercial
spirit, condemns the American spirit.
If the commercial spirit and the spirit
of liberty are inconsistent will those
who so claim explain the existence of
such a man as John Hancock? In ante
bellum days the southern leaders said
the north was dominated by the COM
mercial spirit, and that the people Of
that section did not love liberty and
would not fight. Four years of war
convinced the southern leaders of their
error in this regard. Charles looked
upon Hampden as being actuated en-
tireiy by the commercial spirit when he
refused to pay the ship money.
The last week witnessed in the SEN
ate some very strong denunciation of
the commercial spirit and the denun-
citation was buncombe pure and sim
pie And those who INDUCED in this
denunciatiop are not one whit more
patriotic than the least known Smith
in the least known hamlet in the Unit
ed States. Their talk was one for
Cuba and two for themselves. The
American people sympathize with the
CubanS in their struggle for liberty,
and If the administration shall decide
to recognize their belligerency, after
a calm and thorough investigation Of
the condition of affairs in Cuba, they
will stand by the administration, be
the consequences what they may. But
it is not necessary to precede that rec
ognitiOn with a lot of boastful talk or
talk that is intended to bring into con-
tempt that commercial spirit of the
people which has made the country so
great and strong. True patriotism is
based upon common sense and con-
! servatism. 1t is not obtrusive, but in
the hour of peril it is the reserve
strength of the people upon which the
government relies. And ali the brag-
ging and hurrah and "whoop- 'er-up''
oratory in the world cannot take the
place of it. When these orators mouth
so loud about glory. they would do
well to remember that This goin' ware
glory waits We haint one agreeable
feetur."