The Bowbells tribune., 1905-03-03
AMERICA IN REVOLT
(Wall Street Journal.) }


We referred last week to series ofrecent occur
rences in this country, as indicating unusual
condition OF public thought, in that, in time Of
great material prosperity considerable discomfort
is manifested with the existing order Of things. 1t
u.s. in truth, very curious fact that note OF re-
volt is the keynote at this time, especially in this
country The curious thing about it that the
swelling chorus OF discomfort is concident with
the great commercial prosperity III all directions.
In times past, periods OF commercial ana finan-
cal crisis followed by periods OF Industrial depres
sion have usually given birth to periods OF reig-
ious revival and political and social reform This
is natural because in adversity, men usually ex-
perience general stiffening OF moral fibre which
reflects itself IN these ways. We have. however,
no commercial or financial crisis, and are SO
free from depression that, in point OF act the tide
of industry generally must be said to be at the
flood, yet there are to be noted, not merely signs
Of general demand for political and social re-
forms OF more Or less material character, but al
signs Of very definite revival of religious feel
ing, manifesting itself in the usual way by out
croppings here and there more or less sensational
in character. What explanation is there OF the
occurrence Of these things at the hour Of flood
tide, so far material prosperity is concerned?
The history OF philosophical thought records
series OF oscillations between what we may call the
pole OF pure materialism and the pole OF pure
morality. There has been no evolution about it,
The oscillations reflect the play OF forces which
were III operation upon mans mind from the first
and which will remain at work upon it to the end
of time. When the pendulum has swung about so
far toward the pole Of materialsm, it Invariably
stops and moves back In the matter ofreligious
thought, for instance, it swung vigorously in that
direction some thirty years ago under the in
huence OF Darwinisn, using the work n the popu-
lar sense In the last ten years, the pendulum has
obviously been losing It's velocity, as biologists OF
the latter day have destroyed most OF what re-
manned Of Darwinism, and a result we have seen
clear evidences of Il swing back toward religious
mysticism, and a clearer view Of morality. In the
business world, we have seen the accumulation OF
wealth in the past ten years a a rate more rapid
in a manner more SENSATIONAL and to an extent
far greater than at any time in the history OF this
Or any other country. We have seen the power Of
wealth demonstrat ted in a fashion moredrect han
ever before and we have public opinion OF all
shades, swift to recognize the danger and swift to
organize against it. Anyone who supposes that
the sentiment against trusts and their abuses is
confined to people with little or no money, makes
great mistake Wall street itself is reekiny with
the spirit OF revolt. 1t is not the passion OF envy
that is the handspring. 1t is jealousy OF individ-
ual liberty that is the dominant emotion.
The result that is liz progress my possibly lead
to some excesseS in the matter OF political action
but this can very readily be corrected later on
The great thing that we have to be thankful for is
that the people at large have made it clear that
they value some things more than material pros
perity, and that they consider liberty too high a
price to pay for industrial efficiency.