The sun., 1908-01-12


and the Government war and Order"
and The Assurance OF American De-
mOcracy' In the first OF the three chap
ters named the editor Of this series points
out that individualism got a long start in
the Colonies. and that the business man
arrived before the missionary and the
schOolmaster Columbus was after gold.
the London Company after profits; and
even the Plymouth Pilgrims had the aim
Of paying their debts. DIR. Hart recalls
that the typical Colonial business man was
engaged in many kinds Of traffic; for eK-
ample, the house OF John Hancock bought
wood. fir and ash, and sent IL over seas;
imported hardware. dress goods. Ma
deira wine or coal. and sold them for cash,
or bartered them for other commodities or
for ships, sold the ships oe sent them TO sea;
made charcoal iron; and was In itself a
board Of trade and a clearing house. All
business was speculative because OF the
uncertainty Of prices and the losses by
shipwreck and piracy. Several lines OF
trade long since closed to upright business
men were still followed in Colonial times;
merchants paid pew rent out Of slave trad
ing, built churches with the proceeds Of
lotteries. and even bought OF pirates surplus
stock on the sly. Nevertheless only few
men previously TO the Revolution made for
tune In commerce. During the NapOleonio
wars. on the other hand American ships
enjoyed such advantages in foreign trade
that large fortunes were acquired outside
OF the normal import and export traffic.
New avenues Of commerce were opened
up. first with China and then with India;
the Pacific whaling industry grew in i'm
portance; and before 1890 the Americans
came to have a commercial marine sur
passed in tonnage only by Great Britain.
and in skill and success by no Power.
American shipping also received variety
Of Government aids; between 1889 and l79S
a discriminating tonnage tax and the mon
opoly OF the coasting trade; during the
Napoleonic wars. the diplomatic protection
Of its neutral rights; after those wars. a
cOuntervailing policy which helped TO break
down the remnants Of the English acts Of
trade in the West Indies; in the sos. money
subsidies to steamer lines. The manu-
facturer got four successive protective
tariffs between 1915 and 1882, and though
for nearly thirty years thereafter the scale
OF duties was lower. he continued TO find
prosperity. Inventions were stimulated and
supported by an elaborate patent system
The year 1850 marks the highest point Il
indlvfdualism in business. The civil war
broke up business conditions by the mag
nitude Of the Governments dealings by
the waste and extravaganza OF the period.
by the terrible destruction Of capital In
the South and by the exaGgeration Of
national powers az against those Of the
States. The conditions Of business, more
over. were changed through the growth
OF railroads and telegraphs, through the
rapid increase Of population and wealth,
and through the stimulus Of high tariffs.
From the exploitation on a vast scale Of the
country's national resources. and from the
application and adjustment OF the mighty
powers Of steam and electricity arose a
new race OF business men who formed
commercial corporations Of dimensions
previously unheard Of outside OF railroads.
The agglOmeration Of capital was con-
fronted by a combination OF labor Tho
capitalist and the laborer in turn were
opposed by a third interest. that OF tho
agriculturist. who. through so-called
oranges and political parties, tried to
make head against them both. Such
powerful organizations naturally tried to
control the local State and national Govern
ments. and the Governments. sometimes
on behalf Of one Of the rival combinations.
sometimes out OF compassion for the un-
organized and scattered general public.
tried to control them. Under the circum-
stances individualism was doomed to
suffer. Il also came to be widely recog-
nized that the time honOred doctrine Of
Laisses- fdirs broke down when Il became
evident that transportation was the great
nerve OF the business community, and
1arl-r srfa
cities became a matter Of almost life and
death to the people. At the same time
DIR. Hart admits that little trace can be
found in the United States Of an ideal OF
paternalism, as such-that is, the depend
ence Of the individual everywhere on State
protection. the organization Of the multi
farious fields Of industry by code Of laws
and the assuming Of the larger industries
Of the country by Government. The efforts
for public ownership may be STAYED OF
by the acceptance Of the principle that
transportation, public lighting and water
supply are in their nature not wholly
private businesses any more than the
ownership Of the streets.
In a chapter on war and order Dr. Hart
directs attention to the fact that though
Americans praise peace and find it greatly
10 Jnen interest, Lney are IN cnrOnlc state
Of expectancy Of war. As Artemus Ward
put it: I'm in favor Of this war, and also
OF the next war. I've been in favor Of the
next war for over sixteen years" The
author does not overlook the fact that how
ever warlike and patriotic they may be the
Americans are still unwilling to take those
steps which the experience OF mankind has
shown to be necessary for bellicose people.
De Tocqueville seventy years ago devoted
q chapter to causes which render demo-
cratic armies weaker than other armies AZ
the outset OF the campaign, and more for
midable in protraCted warfare DIR. Hart
says that the difficulty is that Americans
like armies much better than they like SOL
diers. Our people dislike distinctions be-
tween gold lace and black broadcloth. and
with reluctance admit even the necessitv
OF entrusting their armies and navies TO
expert persons technically educated. The
fact is recalled that after the four exrerl-
ences Of tho Revolutionary War. the War Of
1912. the Mexican War and the civil war
their lessor were ignored in the So anish war
Of 1924. Again militia regiments were called
few Of which were properly equipped or
drilled. With immense difficulty a people
Of 10000, 900 dssr atched a force OF rs 900
troops to Cuba, and after few weeks cam
paigninR withdrew them to save their lives
from fever. The army was we'll officered.
hIit the characterization and antrnlw l...-t