The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-11-20
A COMMERCIAL NATION.

his expression mas Deen quoted
by all the detractors of America
for almost century. Ever since
this country began its career of
greatness, ever since it began to
show other nations that science
and mechanics and even the arts
were most to be admired and most
eagerly to be sought after when
they contributed to the practical
benefit of man, the cry has gone up
that America is commercial ma
ton. While others have expert
mented to establish scientific prin-
ciples or to build elaborate mechan-
ical toys, America has sought not
so much the principle, not So much
the development of new idea, as
the utilization of new principles
and new ideas to the practical use
Of every day life. 1t may be true
that men of other nations first dis
covered the expansive power of
steam and the regal force of cleo.
tricity but there is no dispute as to
the fact that Americans first utilized
those forces and that nearly every
improvement in their use, nearly
every new application oftheir force
has been the product of the mind
American. In the American make
up there is no room for the Ger
man savant who created the brill
liant mechanical toy which has
since become one of the ruling fac
tors of the commercial world, and
who for years hid the toy in the
depths of his laboratory for fear
that the spirit of rude commercial
ism would make some practical
use of his discovery. An American
who had done this would have
quietly and tenderly been taken to
a hospital while his relatives ex-
plotted his idea for the benefit of
themselves and of the whole world.
Gradually other nations are
awakening to the fact that the COM
mercial spirit of America has be-
come the conquering spirit of the
world. American products in
every zone and in every cline,
American machines in every shop,
American engines on the great
lines of transportation in every
country have forced them to this
realization and the taunt of deris-
ism is changing to the cry ofalarm,
Money, though it be the root of
evil, is also one of the main springs
of good. 1t is the power of our
commercialism that has raised the
general level of intelligence, given
to men of all walks of life the abil-
ity to procure luxuries and refine
ments and with the ability has
come the desire. This is the rea-
son why education is so general,
why books and newspapers are
found in every home, why from
the ranks of the common people
are constantly arising not only
great mechanics, great inventors
and business men and hnanciers,
but great musicians, great artists
and great writer's.
America is rudely, almost Grass
ly commercial and it is proud of it,
for even as in the spiritual world
we are instructed first to seek the
kingdom of heaven, so in the ma
terial world the nation which seeks
first the general commercial pros
Iperity of all its people will have all
other things added unto it.
Pessimists tell us that the time
has nearly arrived when America
must come to the European basis,
that its great resources are nearly
exploited and that from now on
conditions of life are to become
harder, and that the field of oppor-
tunity for the youth of America is
being rapidly closed.
This country can comfortably
support ten times its present pop
ulation. We have not scratched
the surface of our wealth even in
the older states like New York and
Pennsylvania. The great west re-
mans practically undeveloped.
Great mines of copper, IRON, lead,
silver and gold are still to be
opened. In Wyoming the oil
fields which are as yet almost un-
touched give promise of an almost
limitless supply, while southern
California already bids fair to rival
Pennsylvania in its petroleum pro-