New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-02
uArERIALTsu N AuERTcAy LIFE.

We have noticed tendency among some
Americans 10 resent the article Of Ian Maclaren
on THE Shadow on American Life" in recent
number Of The Outlook They seem TO think
1t in order to remind him that he made good
money here by lecturing and is not in position
to point out 10 us our mercenary spirit if it ex-
lists Moreover they are quite certain that it
exists here no more than anywhere else. In
witness they cite the great gifts of rich men TO
charity and education. orr vast expenditure for
pensions. our ready response TO the call Of dis
tress from any land or course, the personal
filings at Or Watson are without justification,
and resentment at what he said whether his
Judgment be well or Ill founded is untimey and
discrcdltabe to American common sense and
mature selfconfdence. II is only young per
sons and young civilizations that are so thin
skinned and so ready to answer n criticism with
first a denial and then an epthet. Whatever
money DR.. Watson obtained here he obtained
because he had something we wanted; he gave
us honest value. and our people were quite as
delighted 10 spend their money rs he could pos
sibly have been TO receive IT, The al captain
dun argument has no application. Neither has
anybody legitimate reason TO feel affrOnted by
the substance Of his article II is certainly gen
erous in praisng those features of American life
of which we ourselves are most proud our
patriotism, our intelligence cur invcntiveness
our uufailng righteous sense in National
crisis. His criticisms are given in the 5ndlieSt
spirit, and only echo what many thoughtful
Americans sec and regret in their own life.
Or. Watson thinks our character is injuriousy
affected by the prevalence Of the secular spirit
and the tendency TO give an undue place TO the
value and influence of wealth II is easy to say
that the Englishman and Frcnchman worship
gold a. fervcntly rs Americans. Indeed. we
cannot agree with Or Watson that we are 50
much worse than the average foreigner in keep
ing an eye on money and talking about il. An
American in Europe feels as if everybody in
range Of him were looking Tor n shilling or q
frame Bur We think DR. Watson. after AL IS
right in saving that nowhere IS II taken so all
"solutcly for granted that the object OF a mans
work Is 10 obtain money" In Europe the typ
teal man * poorer than here; 10 needs money
more and he seems 10 us 10 be grabbing for the
pennies more hungrilv than do our most humble
workmen But there men with a competence
less often struggle for more Money IL less
valued for itself, but is sought as a means Of
living Here remarkable number Of men find
money the object Of ambition. and when they
lave won II lind themselves unable 10 live ok
ccpt by making more That type though Of
course not entirely, Is comparatively unknown
elsewhere.
II Is perfectly true that our work IS done too
much for the pay and too little for the works
sake That IS perhaps n tendency IN all modern
life hui It is probably exaggerated here simply
because America is more radically modern than
the rest Of the world. How comparatively in
frequent here IS the old crafisman's spirit Of
pride in his work, Perhaps machinery and the
factory system and the levelling process Of union
wage scales are 10 blame. But the fact remains
that an alarming proportion Of our labor is half
hcartedly performed or dishonesty skimped In
Europe. with all lis needy and mcrcenary work
men. II Is easier to get n simple task faithfully
performed from mere pride or perhaps from
the habit Of doing work we'll. Nobody who has
10 deal with young men entering business or
profession can fail 10 notice the large proportion
Of them who are working less because they like
this business or have longing for giving the
service due their fellows from that profession
than because 1t seems to them the most conven-
lent way to get rich. And far too often they
want 10 be paid in advance or they get dis
couragod and think the world does not appre-
ciate them or else 1t would give them the re-
ward without exactnc the service our easy
prosperity, our quickly made fortunes the lack
Of discipline and consequently of patience in our
youth. make this almost inevitable There