The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-09-21
Editorial Comment
The Prosperity Issue
(Crand Forks HeraldD

Persons who for one reason or another, hope for
an early political overturn in the United States.
frequently refer with cyncism and sarcasm to the
tendency which they observe in the present admin
straton and these who stand close to it to con-
centrate on what has been dubbed the prosperity
issue. The party in power, are told. having no
definite program of reconstruction and reform.
hopes to lull the voters to sleep by singing to them
songs of prosperity. and holding forth the prospect
that if the ms are given another lease Of power,
prosperity will be continued.
Well, there may be issues than prosperity.
We might, under some circumstances be obliged
to make issues of unemployment low wages, starva-
ton. general bankruptcy and business stagnation.
Most people would prefer that the issue should be
prosperity and how to keep it rather than these
other things and how to get mid Of them.
There idealists who complain that our cviliza-
ton has become too materiastic and that the great
need Of this nation, and possibly of other nations,
is not so much material prosperity the develop
ment Of moral and spiritual qualities. the rebrth of
spirit of freedom the raising of life to higher levels
Of feeling and thinking.
There is a great deal in that. Most of US would
benefit by the sharpening of ntellccts and the
enlargement Of souls. But it has not yet been
pointed out how this uplft is to be achieved by
legislation which can be enacted by congress by
the operation of the national executive departments
Our government is very largely business insti-
tuition. 1t must deal chiefly with such prosaic
things as dollars and cents. Congress enacts few
laws which do not include such words "For
the purposes of this act there is hereby appropri
ated the sum of blank dollars" Without something
of that sort most of legislation would be inef-
fectve very large part of the business Of con-
gress is to authorize the spending Of money, and
| if the government is to spend money it must
raise the money to spend 1t must levy taxes. If
1t is wise it will apportion the taxes to pro-
duce the required revenues in ways which will in
convenience the public little possible. 1t must
place few distractions as possible in the way Of
the normal activities Of the people, to the end that
the individual may enjoy the widest possible liberty
in the pursuit of his lawful calling.
! Materially this nation is prosperous more pros
porous than any other in the world. Not all of it's
people are wealthy and happy, but the millions who
constitute the great mass Of our people enjoy a
higher average of comfort thaIe any Others. No
where else is there such low percentage of unem-
plcyment. Nowhere else are the rewards of the
days labor, on the farm in the factory in the mine
or in the counting house large, not merely in dol
lars but in the things which dollars will buy and
which contribute to the maintenance Of life in COM
fort. culture and happiness.
Accompanying this material prosperity, and GER
tainly due quite largely to it, increased oppor-
suI'ties ICF the enrcnnent OF mind and spirit Ma
tionally we are making great deal of money.
Much Of it is spent foolishly. Some Of it is spent
mischevcusly. But an enormous amount is ex-
ceedingly we'll spent. In most Of our communities
the expenditure on public schools is greater
than all ether public expenditures combined. In
our state universities, teachers colleges agricul-
tural colleges and other institutions our state and
national governments giving college training to
an army OF youth. which has grown to undreamed-
/! OF proportions We have privately maintained in
stitutions OF learning by the hundred ranging from
the great universities which take rank with the best
IN the world to the little local schools which fairly
GOT the landscape. most Of them magnficently en-
lowed The voluntary contributions Of our people
ars able 70 maintain immense number Of churches
q home and TO carry on vast religious and hu-
manitarian work abroad Millions upon millions are
devoted annually to research ii sciencs, IN the de-
vslopment Of art and in the search for methods Of
aileyiating human suffering.
To pessibiljty d al this Il dspsndsnt to very
lasge daeree g. continuance 81 ~ prosperity to
nhtch sueh mferiaE References q o(ten made Ian't
10 stlle ~ psst - $3.50 - u