The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-23

| after he was created, and a fourth to en-
| able the scientific mind to believe in his
| existence. Spencer could no more have
| Owed into the mass of Inconsistency
| which Tennyscn accepted and Gladstone
| proclaimed under the name of religion
| than he could have written pamphlet
| to grove th2t men, in the course OF eyo-
/ luton, would grow wings.
| A particularly interesting chapter IS
| that on the economic evolution of society
The course of human progress is traced
| from primitive tribal existence to modern
| civilization, with a clearness and com
prehensive force which prove how well
the author is fitted to deal with the work
OF such man as Spencer. The forces
| which make up modern life, and the in
evitable tendency of true civilization, are
| discussed briefly but thoroughly, and some
| of the imperialists who are preaching the
| destruction of the many for the perfection
of the few would do well to read this little
argument, in which it is made clear that
only by the reconciliation of the freedom
| of the individual with the good of the
mass can society exist at all. The human
| social organism is not machine; 1t is
| combination of thinking persons.
| The whole chapter is fascinating in its
clearness and accuracy of thought, but
this is an especially significant para
| graph:
For centuries trade and commerce were CON
Quoted under the influence of an economic the
| ory which kept alive the old features OF an
| tagonsm that belonged to the military period
| Under the influence OF protection trade and com
| merce, instead of uniting mankind, kept alive
| feelings OF disunion. War, instead OF dying
away in presence of higher type OF civilization,
! was made instrument of national aggfandize-
| meEt Nations lahored under the delusion-nat-
,lral enough when wealth and conquest were
lgt-rlp t-11n tbaf nj
| porous by beggaring their neighbors. In the
| words Of Adam Smith: Each nation has been
made to leok With inyidiaus eye upon the
| prosperity of all the nations with which IL
| trades, and to consider their trade as its own
| loss. Commerce, which ought to be among ma
| tons, among individuals, bond OF union
and friendship, has become the most fertile
! source of discord and amnesty. The inteli-
| gent adoption OF Adam Smiths doctrine as the
| cornerstone of foreign policy is only matter
of time; ard when free trade is universal, hui
manity will advance from the stage OF national
| ism to that of internationalism. When that day
arrives. wars Will cease As / have expressed
| it in my work on Adam Smith: Free trade
rests, not like mercantilism, on national indie
| pendence, but on national interdependence. I'M
| der free trade the progress OF one nation makes
| for the progress OF all. Fleets and armies are
| no longer needed TO secure 4 monopoly OF trade,
| to preserve the balance of power, because in
| obedience to economic law those countries
which are industTially equipped will share in the
| trade Of other countries in the teeth of
| protective tariff. Free trade is not synonymous
| with clash of interests, but in essence
mutually advantageous exchange of service.
Once this view is reached there flashes on the
| mind the vision of time when the whole world
| will be bound together by the golden chain
of salf-interest, a selfinterest which recognizes
that, given the conditions of liberty and justice,
| the gain OF is the gain Of all. Free trade
| thus appears in its true light as from the
economic side, the application Of Christian ethics
| TO the international sphere. Nations, instead OF
| being hated rivals, each armed TO the teeth,
INr in
| bers Of great federation, each developing its
! resources to the utmost, and exchanging its
products in harmony and with mutual profit
Mr.. Macpherson then goes on to discuss
the political evolution of society and
points out the fact that when Industrial
ism began to be of more Importance than
militarism, a new set of ideals came into
view and right began to be of more i'm
portance than might. With this change
of ideals the notions of special privil-
eyes, special duties, and special rights
began to be supplanted by the idea of the
equality of all men. 1t is shown that
wherever this change has failed TO take
place-wherever the Free Cities have been
dominated by military force, and the old
time chivalry has maintained its suprem-
acy over the new ideas of justice-nations
have withered.
The ethical evolution of society is then
u,
religion, as conceived by the Spencerian
philosophy. Tine conclusion of these dis
cussions. which occupy several chapters,
is as follows:
Prof Fraser declares for Theism as the only
breakwster TO pessimism. II there is not a Deity
for man to trust, and future existence for
10 expect, life mast be declared a despairful
tangle. Now, before Taeism gives optimist
favor to human thought, something would need
TO be known Of the nature Of the future exit
ence postulated by Prof. Fraser. There is moth
ing captivating in the thought of prolongatiOn
Of life, apart from its value and conditions. The
Greeks believed in life after death, but they
got little satisfaction out Of their creed, because
OF the dreariness of their conceptions. VINO,
again, rest satisfied with the conception of
immortality embodied in CalVinisnl Who would
not prefer the annihilation of the entire human
race to future in which few reyeied in heaven
ly bliss, while the vast majority endured forever
the p.lngs OF Tophet2 To assume. therefore, as
THESIS do, that the bare expectation of life after
death IS consoling thought, is 70 go in the
teeth Of history and human nature. In order to
find a resting point for his optimism the Theist
must declare for the necessity OF a revelation.
The sUpernaturalist score against the Tneist
by simply asking whether il is reasonable to sup
pose that the great question OF mans destiny
would be left to vague surmisings and mean,
choly musings. Light as it comes will
from deeper study Of history, keener sci
eHtifc penetration into the nature and purpose
Of life, and more exhaustive psychological
study OF Already science, when reduced
TO its last analysis, supplies rational basis for
the belief in mysterious, awe inspiring Power,
and fosters a sense OF dependence that Power.
1t remains 10 be seen whether science, as in
terpFeted by philosophy. throw some Light
upon the great and fundamental question Of pur-
pose. Already science, in the form Of the Evo-
lusion theory, has hghtened the burden of this
question, far this earthly is con-
cerned. The problem OF evil and pain is not so
formidable to as ii was to Hume We are
discovering significance in the earthly drama. :.
reverent Agnosticism does not preclude the hope
that in the future may secure for himself
a harmonious conception of the world and human
destiny, by OF which he will longer
wilderness, but the heir Of all the ages, the in
terpreter Of Nature, and coworker with the
Eternal.
In this book Mr.. Macpherson has gfv en-
what may be called an Interpretation of
work as well as it could be done. The
book should find a place in every public
library in the country and in many pri-
vate collections. 1t will do more than
anything else, perhaps, to clear up some
of the popular misconceptions of Spen-
GERS work, which prevent his being ac-
cepted at his true worth even now, and
interfere with the acceptance of his phil
osophy by a great many people who need
it's Straightforward logic and compre-
hensiye accuracy. (New York: Doubleday,
Page G. Coz
A New World Movement.
"America's Economic Supremacy" by
Brooks Adams author of THE Law of
Civilization and Decay" is a discussion
IL. 4. /.