The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-11

interest has been embodied In them. They hav
| both lent themselves. and almost equally, to tn
! predominant commercial temper, which has Ia
| undisputed SWAY since the civil war. The force
| expressed in corporations and trusts have har
| messed either party as occaSionn oiEred. to thei
heavily loaded dray. and have been content t
pay one team or another, or both, If they wer
at liberty to drive on. There has been no socia
problem which has engaged political parties
They have given themselves to the pursuit o
power, and the use of power for ends of power
Intrigue even has gained no character and lost N
character in passing from one party to the other
The means of organization, the convention, tn
caucus. the boss. have become even imp0r
tant as on the skllful use OF them depends sue
cess. To regard this process of political decay
as sclf-regulating. as a slow circuit by which w
return TO sound mind, is absurd"
In word. commercalism is debas-
ing influence. because under its sway pow
er is sought for the sake of power, and roi
as means to an end. Government is sub
verted to the ends of those who are seek
ing. not the good of the people-which is
the only reason for the existence of gov
ernment-but personal dominion and lux
ury. 1t is only the old-time feudalism I'M
der another name. Such state of war
fare. in which measures affecting the pub
lie welfare are made mere counters In the
struggle between selfish powers, is just
what Mr.. Bascom calls it-po.itical decay.
The trust draws its strength from the
body Of the people. while giving nothing
in return. 1t is not a member of that
body; it is cancer.
One of the most serious aspects of this
corruption, however. the author above
quoted does not touch upon. 1t is that the
pcwer of ccmmercialism dominates schools
and colleges, which are supposed to be
the nurseries of all that is ennobling and
high in the life Of the nation. One excuse
which has been given for the maintenance
of certain standards of instruction. result
ing in no direct practical benefit to the
student, is that by having what is called
LIBERAL culture he becomes an uplifting and
broadening influence in a commercial age.
But in order to do this he must come into
conflict with commercialism itself. and If
the college in which he is to get the cul-
ture is dominated by the very influence
which he is supposed to counterfeit where
is the liberality of his culture to come in?
Fer example. it is uncomfortable that a
book such as Mr.. Bascom's would be pleas
ing to Mr.. Rockefeller, or that he would
wish II TO be used as a text book in a
university largely supported by his money.
Professors Of political economy have al
ready lost their places in that university
for teaching ideas which conficte1 with
those Of the Standard Oil magnate. And
in any circumstances there would be a
certain improperly in taking a gift of
half million dollars, secured by the
manipulation OF Standard Oil stock, and
then using part Of it to pay the salary
of professor who taught that that COM
pany was IS gigantic aggregation of every
commercial evil which free people ought
to reject" Yet this view is held by some
Of the strongest and most conscientious
thinkers of the present day, and it GER
tainly cannot be ignored in the class room
CT any university. The problem presented
to the faculty of a college supported by
Standard Oil funds is a decidedly curious
one. And as time gees on and trust mag
mates accumulate more and more money
and endow more and more colleges, the
difficulties of that problem will increase
1t is as well that they should be reeog
nized now.