The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-27
RAMPANT CoMMERCIALIsM
A Correspondent Thinks This Age VIII.
ing TO Sacrifice All
s3s fo 7;
To the Editor Of The Journsl.

=
ing TO Sacrifice All
To the Editor of The Journal
Dear Sir:-Your editorial in the issue Of
Aug. Is, deploring the homicidal tendencies
In the United States, giving figures which are
startling to the uniformed and disquieting
the student is timely. When the Unyieldlng
figures. point to the fact that it is vastly
more dangerous Qeaving the number of per-
sens involved out of account) to live under
the stars and stripes in times of peace than
for the British army to face the Dutch crack
shots and brave the climate in South Africa.
it is time for thoughtful citizens to give the
conditions serious consideration. The mad
rush of commercialism is at the bottom of it.
The love of money is the root of all evil"
. Take case in point: Last summer Presi-
dent Northrop and some of the other leading
men OF the city who havo its best interests at
heart, asked Mr.. Snyder, man of educa-
o integrity and ab1ty who has been
trusts as have been placed In his hands, to
allow his name to be used nominee for
mayor in order that the abuses of the Ames
administration might be rectified. Mr.. Snyder
signified his willingness to devote his time
to the public good and that there was need
OF an honest and patriotic man in the mayors
chair there could be no doubt. Mr.. Snyder
announced that if elected he should uphold
the honor and dignity Of the law. He gave
no hint or indication that he would favor
any revolutionary reform other than to keep
his oath of office and maintain his honor.
The public prints of the city and the good
men of public spirit pronounced Mr.. Snyder
unavailable as candidate going to the
length of indicating that he was political
imtecile. Was this because the editors Of our
papers and the honorable, influential men
wished tho, privilege of loaing around saloons
on Sunday, visiting the tenderloin district,
and attending the variety theaters with their
accessories, and patronizing Sunday per-
formances contrary to, TIE law in such cas- case
mad! II and PROVIDED? Most certainly not. Was
uyarn vi hot m a "
morning police courts should have Its usual
young men might not be restrained by law
from making Sunday a day of dissipation and
vice? Not at all. Some other reason must
to my mind is the fear ttst bibulous men
travelling thru this vicinity would go to st.
surplus grind Of DRINKS and disorderlies, and
Paul to spend Sunday, and the hotels and
saloonkeepers would lose money; that houses
now occupied for immoral purposes would be
vacated and landlords would lose rent. In
larry. refers only to the matter of gathering
dollars, would suffer. And when dollar Is
ct stake, life Is not sacred in tie eyes of
commercalism. The Outlook is right as we'll
CT else we hold money dear; TIE terms are,
in the end, reciprocally Co-relative. We
know that Sunday saloon means the ruin
Of many lives and the actual loss of some
in this city every year; but there is money
in it, and no man can have the reins of the
government in this city who will enforce the
law we KNOW at least something OIL the
ruin to life and everything precious to life
or in life, occasioned by the other forms
of vice that: the law prohibits: but there is
ncney in It, and 70 matter how CAPABLE, hon
est, or fitted man may be for the chief
executive of this city, he must foreswear his
honor and give practical evidences in advance
that he will not honor his oath, or he will
receive the treatment accorded to Mr.. Snyder
The difficulty is not wholly that men de-
cline to devote their time to public service
1t IS that, in the main, the public demands
| that before a public trust be placed in the
hands of a citizen, he go fiat on his face
and kiss the toe of the most revolving vices
and prostitute his honor to that form Of
lawlessness Which insists that any vice thai
| the public deems to be a business-getter OF
| money maker, be placed in class by isel
and be given unrestricted license 20 poacf
! upon the preserves protected by law.
! To be considered worthy of a public trus
one must prove himself Enthusiastically. Be-
| fore man can achieve an executive office
| the public must be convinced that he will no
execute. TheSIoad to public honor leads thru
| private dtshonor. Perjury is the doorway
thru which an executive gains the confidence
Of the, business public.
aParadoxes! but they are the creed Of com
| ing of the law to which you refer. 1t hal
| brought about the corruption III high AM
low places, and almost total lack of that fin,
| cid quality of unselfish devotion to the re
public and its ideals" 1t has found its wa.
to the legislative hall and council chamber
and we license the most profitable forms o
vice. It is commereialism gone mad.
| w G. Calderwood.
| Minneapolis, Mimi, Aug. 49, 1908.