The record-union., 1899-09-29
PRESENT DAY THOUGHTS.
BY G. Grosvenor DAVE.

A Glance Over Europe to
St. Paul, who evidently spoke from
knowledge, there is in everyone of us
a warfare between the good and the
bad. To have these two conditions ex-
1stent within ourselves is to be nor
mai, but when in the struggle the evil
gets the upper hand then there is cause
for alarm indeed Now it is interest
ing to believe and very interesting to
try to prove that nations are just like
individuals. If the ideas and the ideals
OF the majority of nation are sound
and practical and somewhat similar
then 1t is safe to foretell for such
nation, just as one would for an indi-
vidual, progress, power, repute. View
ed in this way the healthy and rather
unpampered character of the Russian,
the Scandinavian, the German and the
Briton promise strength and continu-
ance to their respective lands Yet one
knows that there are very bad ele-
ments in the extremes of society in the
first, third and fourth Of these, but
not sufficiently bad to color national
life. Scandinavia will have govern
mental troubles within the next quar-
ter of a century, but the sound sense
of the people of Norway and Sweden
will probably lead to the avoidance of
warfare and content itself with polit-
ical change. The trouble is chiefly
that they are under the rule of an i'm
ported monarch, a Bernadotte and sec
ond, that there is a jealous rivalry be-
tween the two halves of the kingdom
Notwithstanding this last feeling, how
ever, it is quite within the range of
possibility that Norway and Sweden
will develop a republican form of gov
ernment whose integrity, like that of
Switzerland will be guaranteed by the
great Powers around.
Division of purpose, though her peo-
pies are morally sound as a whole, will
probably be the undoing of Austria
Hungary, after the death of the En-
peror Francis Joseph for eighteen diff
ferent languages and almost as many
different sets of ideals hold sway with
in the bounds of the empire. The
northern part of the eastern portion
may possibly share the fate of Poland
and be absorbed by Russia. In the
southern part of the eastern end we
may expect to see more principalities
created like those at present existing
under Russian domination in the Bal
kan peninsula. The western portion
will probably retain it's identity as
Austria, but the general tendency will
be for it to become Germanized
Belgium will have before long some
very unhappy experiences. The peo-
pie will grow tired of puppet royalty
as at present played by the King of
Belgium, but instead of there being for
us any feeling of pleasure in looking
forward to the formation of a republic
upon the ruins of this royalty, there is
cause for dread. Belgium is too French
in its character. to effect such change
decently and in order. It's city dwell
ers are wretched, crowded, immoral
and form precisely the right soil for
growing another crop of horrors like
that of the Commune. When the po-
litical change comes there will be
French interference and such strong
German opposition to any appearance
of a French increase of territory, that
these two nations will set themselves
for final struggle. The inevitable re-
suit will be the defeat of France.
France is tottering to national decay
because there are more individuals in
it of low personal ideals than there
are of high. No nation of Europe
more thoroughly shows a likeness To
an individual in whom evil has tri-
umphed over the good. Because there
is constant distrust within it, there is
to be distrust of it. Because there is
such constant puprsuit of the present,
there is positive doubt of the future.
Because it suspects the nations around
it of stealing, there is within it the
spirit of thievery. Because the Nigh
Of it's army has been directed to the
crushing of one man, there is room to
suspect that the leaders Of the army
have no real care for the nation, eth
er as to the moral health within 1t or
as to its reputation among the sister
hood of nations. Religious only in a
formal way, and content to substitute
the bowings and scrapings of polite
ness for the real gold of character, it
shall become poor though it is now
rich, and it shall become weak though
it's theatric leaders dream OF its
strength.
The existence OF Turkey. in Europe
is dependent upon good behavior. Like
a skillful time server the Sultan has
played off the jealousies of European