Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-10-22
PROSPERITY AND PEANUT POLL.
TICIANS.

1ICIANS.
The most scathing criticism of the
standard of intelligence of agglom
crate mass of the people of this couR
try in general and of this state ir
particular is the cheerful optimism
with which the peanut politician who
has, or hopes to get, a job girds ur
his loins and goes forth to tell the
public that unless the republicans are
turned out of office and the demo
Gratis put in their places, the republic
will 60 to smash, the state institutions
will totter to their fall and the peo
pie will be driven to hay for pro-
render.
He-the peanut politician-has faith
In the power of the jawbone to obfus.
cate the intellects of his hearers He
fig a profund believer in the medioc-
rity OF public intelligence and he is
himself assured of the fact that the
average individual had much rather
De invited to chew on a theory than
70 behold a condition. He can, and
~tlI prove by the power Of language
that, theoretically, this country Is all
wrong. He will hurdle the outstand-
Ing facts that constitute the present
prosperity of the country, and he will
quote high-brows to prove that this
prosperity is all visionary-that it
cannot be real because it does not
meet the requirements Of a pessimis-
TIC philosophy. And the CHEEKY in
souciance with which the people who
listen to him will swallow theories
that would paralyze the digestive ap-
paratus Of the ostrich would be cause
for alarm, but that experience teaches
Ahat his theories will be rejected be-
fore they do much harm to the healthy
system toned to normal appetite by
the certainty that there is a full lard
err somewhere about the house.
The situation is exasperating rath-
er than alarming. The man who is
well-fed and generally contented with
himself and his lot is possessed Of
fool disposition to trife with the daily
rontine of the goose that lays the
golden eggs; he wants to go poking
around investigating other breeds OF
eeese-not that he would have any
Of the other birds on his place, but
Just because he is naturally inquisitive
and not disposed to accept the goods
the gods provide without question.
The very fairness of his living disa-
grees with him and begets an unrest;
and that takes him to listen to the
raven croak of the blatherskite.
Mentally, morally and physically this
country is broader, cleaner and bigger
than it ever was. Its physical we'll
being is such a marvel that the high
proved persons who, few years ago,
were drawing on the wisdom of the
ages to prove that we were going to
everlasting smash have Withdrawn
themselves from the rostrum of the
agitator; their places have been taken
b. parrots who garble the magnilo-
auent phrases of their predecessors
to meet the mediocrity of the intelli-
gence they appeal to. The calamity
that was clearly indicated by the
theorists of a decade or more ago
was deferred by the march of events,
and by the imminence of prosperity
that may have been fortuitous, but
which came upon us and was rem
dered permanent under the domin,
ance of the republican party, whose
continued domination Of the country
was pointed to as the one thing neces'
sary to precipitate the talamitous
conditions painted in gloomy meta
phors by the spellbinders of yester-
day. And this material prosperity has
brought along with it better, cleaner
md more wholesome conception OF
: the details of government. These new
standards of public duty have been set
M BY republicans, not BY democrats,
e other impracticable persons OF the
q kbuasshsi0le.. Has anybody heard
Il. the democrats of this country max
- effective real reforms In govern