Commercialism to Dominate.
It is a sad thing to see a professedly Christian man or firm dominated by commercialism. It is a canker which eats out all elements of manhood and character. "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." Thus speaks the apostle; and the axiomatic statement is as true of nations as of men. Religion enthroned in the statute laws of a nation and dominating its policies invariably leads to evil. Commercialism has the same effect in a different way. It is one of the mighty elements which will be likely to open the flood-gates of war upon the world. It has stayed war when the interest of the money power of the world demanded it; it will not hesitate to compel war when the same interests call for it. Witness the words of Governor Gillett, spoken at Coronado, and reported in the Examiner of April 16: "In fact, it is a great commercial question, and not merely a question of armament. We have our share of Atlantic trade now, but a new nation has arisen in the Far East, a great dominating power, and just as surely as we had to fight in the Atlantic for trade equality, just so we will have to fight in the Pacific for the same thing." "The fleet that stays in the Pacific must be as large, if not larger, than that which guards the Atlantic. For here, as I have said to you, is to be fought out the great battle of commercial supremacy in waters heretofore neglected. . . ." "We must not be the third naval power. We must be the first, and not because of any false pride in the matter, but because our possessions and our vast sea-coast demand it. . . . The sun must never go down on any ocean where the American flag is not flying from the top of cruiser or battle-ship squadron." And this will stir up the same spirit among others seeking greater possessions or commerce. The result will be, what God has foretold, Armageddon.