The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-14
lCence of tho Inrrnal

Correspondence of the Journal
Christtania, Norway, June 15.--It Is a good
long while since l have had talk with the
Journ a readers about Norwegian affairs.
One reason is that have really felt disin-
clined to write about Norwegian affairs OF
late man does not like to appear before
speaking i'll Of his native land But there
has really been very little good to tell about
Norwegian =, matters Of late. For one thing
outlook if possible is gloomier than ever.
Large failures have occurred, business houses
are paralyzed, crops and fisheries have yielded
much below the average, the large capital
invested in freight carrying vessels has paid
ployment thruout the winter, and in parts Of
the country there has been great distress
which has in part been relieved by American
mun1fcence. OF course to some extent this
state of affairs is due to general economic
conditions, prevailing thruout the commercial
world tp;, but there are also special causes
sible for it's acute character. The boom in
Chrlstiania real estate a few years ago car
ried with it a speculative craze which infected
all classes of society, made swindlerS out OF
great many hitherto honest people, notably
among the lawyers who engineered a large
t6a q the and
parties, the municipality and the state in
wreck and ruin: great calamity may have
serve to bring out the best qualities in man.
We have seen a striking Illustration of this
In the way in which Denmark has built up
| her industries and commerce and has
strengthened her finances since the disas-
some of the best parts of her domain.
voices have been heard OF late denouncing
the shortsightedness the extravagance and
the national arrogance which have largely
been instrumental in bringing about the
economic collapse and stimulating the nation
-, to. frugality, hard work and sober thought,
but as to actual work or practical endeavor
| in any direction, very little is as yet appar-
! ent.
The Norwegian Character.
The Norwegian national character is a
rather peculiar one The race undoubtedly
its points but the
| of them. AS far back as history tells OF the
race, we find series of ups and downs. Of
collapse and national apathy for generations
and centuries. And the same. generally
speaking, holds good Of the Individuals; a
and extravaganza Transplanting the race
and putting it under American root-hog-o or
die-conditions improves it amazingly. But on
ing for numerous individual exceptions, I
think it generally holds good that the Nor
wegian wants to enjoy life to live comfort.
When man begins to succeed in business
he straightway takes a fine house and fits
1T up in lovely style, hires servants to 40
gets the best that money can buy until
some fine morning his capital is gone and
his creditors can whistlet for their money.
| Living above ones means is a national fall
ling And we are dreamers of dreams, always
planning to do great things both as nation
and as put ite
creation, is the type of the Norwegian char
acter forevermore. Everything that is ex-
travagant and heroic appeals to us, but prosy
plodding money-getting work we have no pa
thence for. We have gifted men enough and
to spare, our little country has produced
writer's artists and composers Of worldwide
fame, but little good has come Of it. Theil
fame has turned our heads until we think
} that all the world have their eyes turned
upon JUS in admiration, holding their breath
leone from little Norway And every young
man who discovers in himself SONG little gift
another an Ibsen, Bjornson, ThanloW OF Cries
! and instead of turning their hands to use
full work sp aI they Deg
in expensive restaurants where the talent mus
U be we'll moistened to grow and the, resul
is few good pictures and few good , books s9s,
e and miles of good canvas spoiled and nun
;. dreds of Indifferent or trashy books, while
h taxes increase, incomes decrease, industry Ii
: paralyzed and thousands Of laboring men g
to America every year to gain their bread
5 | 1 sometimes think that our great men nav
;. not been an unmixed blessing to US, thel
s fame has raised false ideals, false standards
8 | has called forth host of weak mitators VIII
had far better turned their hands to hum
n bier but more productive work. Art an
q literature after all IS luxury, while bread |
= | a necessity.
= How the Radicals Got Power.
i The history of Norway as an Independent
nation only covers a period of eighty min
>. years. For about two-thrds of that tim
raed he De TO Of h nson
t guided by men who perhaps were not par
}. ticularly brilliant men, but who were gener
: derstood that the only lasting foundation {
national we'll being and Of national glory
the material one Of sound finances and har
work. Progress was slow and sure alon
conservative lines Of communication. Econ
omy was the watchword, the expenses fo
army and navy were kept within mario
money of the state was used with scrupu
ous care for needed improvements. Taxatio
was reasonable, the credit of the countr
u was excellent and the people had every req
1t But this slow and sure progress did not sal
j. isfy all. There were numbers of brainy,, no
- headed men, who were seeing all sorts
l.. great things in store for Norway if the pros
~ plodding men of business could be supplante
Is at the rudder of the state by men filled wit
D passed by they gained the upper han
w s geube No
~ ~ way and politically the leader was the .bri
70 liant speaker and agitator Johan Sverdru
Step by step the old fogies were beaten bac
their warnings against extravaganza, pr
cipitate reforms and costly experiments we
5o not deemed worth listening to by the glal
=, young nation now at last awakening into ne
rs rs life. ....
at The Swedish Bugbear. a
~ Politically the never ending nagging stru
VI gle against Swedish supremacy in the unit
s. furnished the means of firing the nation
enthusiasm, The conservatives were driv,
out Of one position after the other until
the drastic application of the high court
impeachment the conservative ministry W
!. forcibly elected and the king compelled
g take his advisers from the ranks of the Ii
{. eral faction.
Is Enthusiasm ran high-at last the victo
~ was won-to use the phrase of Sverdru
~ Le "all power was centered in the hall Of t
, ee legislature"--the era Of true democracy b.
~ come at last in Norway. confess to ha
az as ing been enthusiastic myself. I was in Nc
ae way at the time and I was in the big pr
o. cession that went up to the palace to gre
y. the king and to voice the joy of the peoI
nS at his accession to their wishes, and
IT shouted myself hoarse hurrahing for
~ new era Of democracy.
Many Costly reforms"
That was In 1884, nineteen years ago a
where are we now? There has been no la
de Of activity during these years. The legis
I'm tive mill has been running year out and ye
lth in grinding out laws till we are well nj
ng drowned In laws. All sorts Of reform
ow have been inaugurated, all modern" ide
ch 4 have had chance of being carried out u
al der the fostering care of a liberal legislatu
1t. Some OF them nave Deen gooa no oouDt,
ISIS most OF them have been exceedingly cos
de and the actual expense involved has usau
nd 1 exceeded the estimates by so to 100 per ce
During the last five years the public
penseS have gone up from less than six
three millions Of crowns to about one hundl
i