The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-17
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL M
AGLNATION.


AGLNATION
The American has evolved during the
last century a most distinctive character
tstic 1t is popularity denominated in
vention. More correctly 1T is inventive,
Industrial and commercial imagination.
1t is the cultivation and the perfecting
of the imagination which has distinguish
ed the celebrated peoples OF tho past.
The Egyptian imagination constructed
vast monuments, the Greek imagination
ran riot in the realm of architecture and
sculpture. the Roman followed his i'm
aglnatlon IN world-conquering expedi-
tons the imagination of the Arab en-
comprised the stars and laid the foun-
dalton of astronomy; the imagination of
the Jew dwelt on the destiny Of man and
gave to the world the Billie. For q
time the imagination Of the world was
occupied with religion, with philosophy,
with poetry and art. The genius of the
country which is it's imagination, was
absorbed with diplomacy, the fine arts
and war. These were thought to be the
the imagination. The result was that
the world stood still. There was con-
structive genius, but 1t was diverted from
practical pursuits.
For the last half century the United
States has developed no literature, little
poetry and less religion. The magma
tive forces Of the people have been de-
voted to Industrial and commercial en-
terprises. Every great accomplishment
must first exist in the Imagination The
inventor has the intangible machine in his
mind and works from that pattern. The
civil engineer sees the great spans of his
cantilever bridge, before a beam or
brace is made; he sees the course of the
railroad over the mountains before a tie
is laid. The great railroad promoter sees
his transportation system in operation
and has the figures of It's future bust
ness before him before he seeks to enlist
capital
The organizer Of a trust has the
features Of its workings before him even
to the utmost detail before the PROPOSE
ton is laid befoF2 the parties in interest
The combination of the great transporta-
ton lines, the organization of the steel
and iron trust and the securing OF great
steamship lines, with a view to con-
trolling the iron and steel markets of
the world, was a feat of the magma
ton that dwarfs those of Dante or Mil
Of
dustrial and commercial epic that Will
stand as the greatest intellectual achieve
ment of the age. And yet it is a product
of the imaginations of two men, The
imagination that produced the first At
lantic cable was infinitely greater than
that which produced "Childe Harold"
The literary lights of the past were
great i'll their day and generation so
were the warriors and statesmen, but
they were intellectual pygmies compared
with the inventive, Industrial and COM
mercial geniuses Of the twentieth CEN
fury. Science had its Newtons, it's Sir
Humphrey Davys. its Harveys, its Oar
wins, but today it has it's Edisons. its
Teslas, its Mergenthaiers and its
Pupins. The weak and degenerate
imaginations dawdle with the Worn out
theme of philosophy. theology. fiction
and poetry, but the giants grasp the
mighty themes of construction Thew
lay tribute upon nature and compel her
to give mp her secrets. They project the
present into the future and plan for
that which lies beyond tomorrow's sun,
The difference between the America
OF today and the Europe and Asia of the
yesterday is that the Imagination Of tea
one deals with facts. the imagination OF
the others dealt with intangible and
Ghimerical theories. The product of the
latter was theology, metaphysics litera-
t1re and poetry; the product Of the
former Is twentieth century civilization.