The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-29
lusr A coMMoN PROMOTER.

1t should surprise no one to find
Dowie on the list of those who are
about to drop into the abyss opened by
the change Of the commercial outlook
and the collapse of concerns built upon
an unsound foundation. A thoughtless
public has regarded principally Dow
les claims to divine mission.
to more or less supernatural powers
and to the leadership in a so-called re-
ligious movement. The real Dowie is
the man of great business grasp and
sagacity, who has utilized the condi-
tons of the times to carry out most
daring and gigantic business scheme.
The industrial idea combined with
the speculative idea was the basis of
Dowies later work. Whatever he may
have dreamed or hoped at an earlier
time of spiritual leadership, he has
of late years been as distinctly mate
rial in his aims and methods as a
manager of any other big trust. His
hold on men lay in promised rewards
for the next world instead of this. In
stead of offering them millions of cash
in profits to accrue from his opera
tons, he offered them future of bliss
transferred to his own pocket.
This has been the obvious fact in
all the later advertising of Dowie's
projects. He established a marvellous
control over the minds of his deluded
followers, and he used it to make
himself exceedingly solid in things of
this world. The Dowieites were
obliged to conform not only to his
ideas in moral and spiritual affairs,
but to turn over their property and
come down with the cash. With the
funds thus secured Dowie has engaged
in all kinds of speculative ventures.
He has established industries, bought
lands, built cities, put up business
buildings and his wealth has been
counted by many millions The.,pros-
pect now is that it will vanish into
thin air.
A man like Dowie has not the tenn
permanent necessary to the successful
operator. His imagination is too
great. The elements in him that ena-
BILE him to appeal to and captivate
others lead him always astray. Dowie
began to believe in himself for a while.
If not as prophet, then certainly as
a financial operator who could not fail.
When that time came he was lost He
has ventured too far in prosperous
times upon the seas of speculation,
and the memorable era of liquidation is
upon him.
Bankruptcy will be the cempletest
and only effective exposure of Dowie's
pretenses. The people who would con-
tinue firmly to believe that he is
Elijah II. Or Ill, or some other num-
Der, as long as he prospered exceed
ingly and made much money, will be
convinced as soon as he fails in a
business way that he is fraud. For
little time he can extract from his
people money enough to keep him 60
ing, but the chances are that the end
will come very soon. The sword of
the spirit has been powerless against
him, but he is vulnerable at every
point to spear tipped with gold. All
the signs indicate that he himself is
aware Of his approaching disappear
ance from the scene and is making
the most of his last moments Of no.
toriety. No financial misfortune that
can overtake him or his subjects will
be too great price to pay for their
liberation from the extraordinary and
degrading mental and spiritual thrall-
dom to which he has reduced them.