The Irish standard., 1905-04-01
THIRTY YEARS PROGRESS.

THIRTY YEARS PROGRESS.
The last number of the Outlook has
most interesting and instructive
article contributed by the Honorable
James Bryce, M. P. Mr.. Bryce will be
remembered by Americans chiefly
from the fact that he is the author
of the American Commonwealth !"
the most concise and analytical treat
Use of the American form of govern
ment that has ever been written. AL
though a foreigner he has most accu-
rate ideas upon those questions affect
ing the United States to which he has
turned his attention. He first visited
the United States "a years ago, and
his last visit before the present
one was 81 years ago. The
article contributed to the Outlook is
entitled America Revisited" and in
it Mr.. Bryce gives the impression
made upon his mind by the changes
that he noted. He is himself a Lib
eral and his sympathies are strongly
democratic. He belongs to that school
of Scotch thought that might be char
acterized as Radical Liberal. He is
partisan of the plain people and has
absolute faith in democracy, but Mr..
Bryce is, above all things, a critic.
While his sympathies are with democ-
racy yet he clearly sees the faults to
which democracy is heir. Having
been away from this country Fl years
he is the better able to note the
changes that have taken place, just
as member of family who has been
away from home for years is better
able also to see the changes that have
taken place in his own home and fam
lily circle than he would be If he had
been at home all the time. The article
is worthy of the careful reading of
every American for it contains food for
much thought. 1t is not cynical; on the
other hand it is most encouraging. 1t
is not, however, made up of blatant
praise of everything American. On
the other hand it is not pessimistic.
Mr.. Bryce sees most things in Ameri-
ca changing for the good. He does
not join with the average foreign
critic in branding American statesmen
as all corrupt. His first observation
is upon the wonderful commercial
development in this country. He says
that while the development along this
line was very rapid 80 years ago it is
more rapid now than ever, and that
it is correspondingly developing more
rapidly than in any other country in
the world. And, as result of this
commercial development, he says the
businessman in American is enthroned
as a king. The manufacturer and the
tradesman are relatively more import
ant personages in this country than
they were 80 years ago, says Mr..
Bryce. His Importance has increased
faster than that OF the farmer or the
professional man and as illustrating
this change he points out that lawyers
are no longer strictly professional men
but are more business men and are a
part of the great Industrial system of
which he speaks. He refers to the
fact that 10 years ago the lawyers
were called the aristocracy OF the
I1nifn1 Sfofnc INV hot hot
they led public opinion but that public
opinion is now led in this country by
the businessman. He observes that
the lawyers in the United States to-
day are those engaged in the organiza-
ton Of gigantic business enterprises
and intimates that if Story, Webster,
Everett and O'Conor were now living
that they would be engaged in launch
ing business enterprises rather than
in the discussion OF constitutional
questions. He points out clearly how
this great business development has
changed the character OF the SOCIAL
organization. Capital, in order to
carry out vast enterprises, has organ
izei into combina lions called trusts
while the laboring man, in order to
compete in feeble way, with these
organizations of capital, has formed
vast societies of the trade unions, and
between these two organizations
stands the consumer, helpless but nom
complaining. because he too is pros
porous. AS result OF these combi-
nations individualism is being de-
Stroyed. The United States has here
tofore been the great exponent OF in
dividualism. Our constitution and our
laws were based upon the idea that
the individual constituted the unit of
society. Commercial development has
made the corporation and the labor
union greater factors than the indi-
Vidual. This development, he points
out, has led to change in the distri-
button of population. Cities have be-
come relatively more important than
the rural districts. Thirty years ago
the United States was land of agri-
cultnralists, and while it is so largely
yet, nevertheless the cities have in
creased much more rapidly, and this
is due to the wonderful business de-
velopment.
Notwithstanding the race for wealth
and the consequent turning of the