Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1910-09-23
COUNTRY ALL RIGHT
A sTRlKINeLY STRONG ARTICLE
ny COL. HARVEY.
THE WRITER SEES NO CLOUD
"A Plea for the Conservation Of
Common Sense" That Is Meeting
With Cordial Approval.

A strikingiy strong article by Colo
mel George Harvey In the North
American Review, for September, Il
1 written in q view of such hopeful
ness for the American future that Il
! has attracted wide attention. The
article is entitled. "a Plea for the
| Conservation Of Common Sense" and
| Ii is meeting with the cordial ap-
| prevail OF business men of all shades
of political opinion throughout the en-
tire country. In part Colonel Harvey
says:
'Unguestionabiy a spirit of unrest
dominates the land. But. IL II be
true that fundamentally the condition
of the country is sound, must we,
necessarily succumb TO dependency.
abandon effort looking to retrievai
and criDge like crayens before clouds
that only threaten? RatheE~ ought,
we not to analyze conditions, search
for causes, find the root OF the dis
tress, which even now exists only in,
mems minds, and then, after the,
American fashion. apply such rem
edies as seems most likely to produce,
benefcent results?
Capital and Labor Not Antsaonistie..
The Link that connects labor with
capital is not broken but we may not
deny that 1t is less cohesive than It
should be or than conditions war,
rant Financially, the country Is,
stronger than ever before in its his
tory. Recovery from a panic So
severe as that of three years ago was
never before SO prompt and compare
lively complete The masses are
practically free from debt. Money Is
held by the banks in abundance and
rates are low.
why, then. does capital pause
upon the threshold Of investment!
The answer, we believe, to be plain
It awaits adjustment of the relations
of government TO business. The
sole problem consists OF determining
how government can maintain an
even balance between sggregations
of interests, on the one hand. and the
whole people, on the other, protect
ing the latter against e1toction and
saving the former from mad assaults,
The solution is not easy to find
for the simple reason that the stu,
alton is without precedent. But ID
not progress being made along sane,
and cautious lines? -
Conserve Common Sense.
is not the present, as we have
seen, exceptionally secure? What,
then, OF preparations for the future!,
Patriotism is the basis OF our insu.
tutions. And patriotism in the minds
OF our youth is no longer linked solely
with fireworks and deeds OF daring. 1t
is taught In our schools. A new
course has been added course in
loyalty. Methodicaily, our children
learn how to vote, how to conduct
primaries, conventions and elections.
how to discriminate between Qualifica-
lions of candidates and, finally, how
to govern as well as serve They are
taught to despise bribery and all
forms of corruption and fraud as
treason. Their creed, which they are
made to know by heart, Is not COM
pick. 1t Is simple, but comprehen.
siYe. no less beautiful in diction than
lofty in aspiration. These are the
pledges which are craven upon their
memories:
CAS- it Is cowardly for a soldier to
run away from battle, SO it is coward.
" for any citizen not TO contribute
his share to the well-being OF his
country. America Is my own dear
land; she nourishes me, and Will
love her and do my duty to her,
whose child, servant and civil soldier
/ am. @
"As the health and happiness OF
my body depend upon each muscle
and nerve and drop of blood doing
it's work in its place. SO the health
and happiness of my country depend
upon each citizen doing his work In
his place.
These young citizens are our
hostages to fortune. Can we not
safely assume that the principles AMI
mating their lives augur we'll for the
permanency of the Republic? When
before have the foundation stones
of continuance been laid with such
care and promise OF durability?
..The future, then, is bright. And
the present? But one thing is need
full. No present movement IL more
laudable than that which looks 70
conservation of natural resources.
But let us never forget that the great
est inherent resource Of the Amer
lean people is Common Sense. Let
that be conserved and applied with
ont cessation, and soon it will be
found that all the Ills of which we
complain but know not Of are only
such as attend upon the growing
rains OF great and blessed country