The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-28
DIsPUTATIoN, NOT DISCUSSION.

DESTINATION, NOT DISCUSSION.
The dispute III the house Of repre-
sentatives on Tuesday relative to the
presence of prosperity in the nation IL
lustrates the perversity Of human ma
ture as we'll as the childishness of ma
ture men when fancied self-interests
are thought to clash. It seems to be
the general rule, in such conflicts,
whether between individuals or their
congregations, that whatever the ono
may assert to be the truth the other
must as strenUously deny. The Repub-
lican party, having obtained control
mainly on the charge that the depres-
sion in industry was due to Demo-
cratic control and that prosperity
could come only through their restora-
ton, were bound to insist that it had
Knocked at the door Immediately the
polls disclosed their victory, and had
walked proudly in when the formali-
ties of law put the scepter in their
hands. BY virtue OF the innate per-
versity of our natures the Democrats
felt compelled to insist that prosperity
lad not come back, and so the country
had the spectacle of mature and ordi-
narily sensible men on Tuesday ban
dying their TT has" and cit hasn't"
back and forth, much as children, re-
Guced TO the eXtremities Of dispute.
stick out their tongues at each other.
Whether or not prosperity has touch
ed industry with her invigorating hand
is matter largely for Individual judg-
ment. If a turn brings to one man in
crease of profitable business, he is sure
that there is a general Improvement:
If to another it brings misfortune, he is
quite as positive that the distress IS
general. The Northern farmer. who is
getting better prices for his products,
naturally regards conditions different
Iy from his Southern brother, whose
cotton has declined in price to the low
est point ever touched. The cotton
mill operatives in New England and
the steel workers have opposite views
as to the presence of general prosper
ity. This is not an exceptional condi-
tion for the time never was and never
will be, despite the contention of dema-
gogues more anxious to make a point
than state a fact, when either pros
perity or distress was universal. "It
is an i'll wind that blows no one GOOD
expresses the truth that there is an
equation of loss and gain in the grand
aggregate of result.
Between these unreasonable con-
testants lies the truth that conditions
have improved since the collapse in
1898 that followed inevitably the head
long pace of speculation. Human nature
would be something else than what 1t
is, If Immediately following the dis
aster there had not begun the work
of repair and rebuilding The enforced
economies Were the reaction from the
unchecked extravaganza that had
caused the collapse. Instead of spend
ing a little more than they earned
men began spending a little less: in
stead of living beyond, the nation. as
a whole, began living within its means.
There was, of course no such general
paralysis of industry as the dema-
gogues portrayed. The great current
Of production went on, farmers sowed
and rcaped, food and clothing contin-
ued to be produced and distributed:
diminished Of course, but only by q
small percentage. At no time was the
condition as bad as reckless interests
painted it. and. as the debris was slow
ly cleared away and frugality replaced
Impaired capital, demand increased
and was met readily by Increased sup
ply. The process OF convalescence from
Industrial collapse is quite as slow and
lmpcrceptible of movement as is that
from physical breakdown. 1t is onIv
by periods that observation notes i'm
provement. Each year after 1893, test
ed by ali conditions, showed improve
meLt over its predecessor. Left to
Themselves, undete'-cd by eager poll
tciens, hiding. under their pretense of
desire for the general good, the hot
hunger for their own benefit, the re-
building of tliciI industries by the
mass would have been far more rapid
and ;nc rate Of Improvement more no
ticeahle. But one party, for time
howled calamity because that seemed
TO be the only Ciy mat would win