The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-14

CuDa, out the judgment OF the English
people promptly approved it-giving
evidence of an instructive race and in
stitutional sympathy. If Anglo-Saxon
institutions and methods stand for
anything, the institutions and methods
OF Spanish rule in Cuba are
an abomination and a reproach.
And English sympathy is not
more significant as an evidence of
the necessity Of the war and as a good
omen for the future of free institutions
than the equally instructive sympathy
with Spain that has been expressed by
some of the decadent influences on the
continent; indeed, the real meaning of
American civilization and ideals will
henceforth be somewhat more clearly
understood in several quarters of the
world.
American character will be still bet
ter understood when the whole world
clearly perceiveS that the purpose of
the war is only to remove from our
very. doors this cruel and inefficient
piece of mediaevaliSm which is one Of
the two great scandals of the closing
years of the century; for it is not a
war of conquest. There is a strong and
definite sentiment against the annexa-
ton of Cuba, and against our RESPONSE
bility for its government further than
Once free, let it govern itself; and it
ought to govern itself at least as we'll
as other Spanish-American countries
have governed themselves since they
achieved their independence.
PROBLEMS THAT CONFRONT US.
The problems that seem likely to fol-
low the war are graver than those that
have led up to it; and If it be too late
TO ask Wh6f her we aOtarad info with
out sufficient elaboration, it is not too
soon to make sure of every step that
we now take. The inspiring unanimity
OF the people in following their leaders
proves to be as earnest and strong as
1t ever was under any form of govern
ment; and this popular acquiescence in
war puts new responsibility on those
leaders, and may put our institutions
and our people themselves to a new
test. A change in our national policy
may change our very character; and
we are now playing with the great
FORCES that may shape the future of
the world-almost before we know it.
Yesterday we We're going about the
prosaic tasks of peace, content with our
own problems of administration and
finance, a nation to ourselves-"com-
mercials, as our enemies call us in
derision. Today we are face to face
with the sort of problems that have
grown up in the management of world
empires, and the policies of other ma
lions are of intimate concern to u.s.
Shall we still be content with peaceful
industry, or does there yet Turk in us
the adventurous spirit of our Anglo
Saxon forefathers? And have we come
to time when, no more great enter
prises awaiting us at home, we shall
be tempted to seek them abroad?
Any ADuUNrrrrD0TrC Nor,
The race from which we are sprung
is a race that for thousand years has
done the adventurous and outdoor
tasks Of the world. The English have
been explorers, colonizers, conquerers
of continents, founders of states. We
ourselves, every generation since we
came to America, have had great prac-
teal enterprises to engage us-the
lighting with Indians, the clearing of
forests, the war for independence the
construction of a government, the ex-
tension of our territory, the pushing
backward of the frontier the develop
ment of an Ell Dorado (Which the Span
iards owned, but never found, the long
internal conflict about slavery, a great
civil war, the building of railroads, and
the compact unification of a. continent
tai domain. These have been as great
enterprises and as exciting, coming in
rapid succession, as any race of men
has ever had to engage it-as great en-
terprises for the play of the love of ad-
venture in the blood as our kinsmen
over the sea have had in the extension
and the management of their world
empire. The old outdoor spirit of the
Anglo-SaX has till lately found wild
er scope in our own history than we
are apt to remember.
THE PRESENT GENERATION.
But now a generation has come to
manhood that has had no part in any
great adventure. In politics we have
had difficult and important asks in
deed, but they have not been exciting
the reform of the civil service and of
the system of currency and the i'm
provement of municipal government
These are chiefly administrative. In a
sense, they are not new nor positive |
tasks, but the corrections of past err
rors. In some communities politics has
fallen into the hands of petty brigands, |
and in others into the hands of second |
rate men, partly because it has offered |
little constructive work to do. Its du- !
ties have been routine, regulative du- |
ties; its prizes, only a commonplace |
distinction to honest men, and the vul-
gar spoils of Office to dishonest ones. |
The decline in the character of our pub
lie life has been a. natural result of the !
lack of large constructive opportunities. |
The best equipped men of this genera
ton have abstained from it, and sought |
careers by criticism of the public ser
wants who owe their power to the prac-
teal inactivity of the very men who |
criticise them. In literature as WELL |
we have well-nigh lost the art of con- |
structive writing, for we work too |
much on indoor problems, and content |
ourselves with adventures in criticism. |
1t is noteworthy that the three books /
which have found most readers, and |
had perhaps the widest influence on |
the masses of this generation, are books |
Of Utopian social programmes (mingled /
with very different proportions of |
truth), by whose fantastic philosophy, |
thanks to the dizziness of the times,
men have tried seriously to shape our /
national conGuct-Progress and Power
ty, Looking Backward and Coins FL
nancial School. Apostolic fervor, ro-
mantle dreaming and blatant misinfor-
nation have each captivated the idle
minded masses, because their magma
tons were not duly exercised in their
routine toll. 1t has been q time of So
cial reforms, of the emancipation of
women, Of national organizations of
of societies for the prevention
Of minor vices and for the encourage
ment of minor virtues, of the study of |
genealogy, of the rise of morbid fiction
IF journals for ladies" of literature for
babes, of melodrara on the stage, De-
cause we have had melodr,<na N life
also-of criticism and reform, rather
than of thought and action.
A LACK OF OPPORTUNITY.
These things all denote a lack of adj
venturous opportunities, an indoor life
such as we have never before had a