The Normal Record. October 1899

              THE NORMAL RECORD.
pies and countries they are to deal with.
One who looks toward China for his future
can learn much from the Chinese already on
this coast—he can master their language,
study their business methods, and acquire a
large amount of knowledge that will be useful to him in entering upon his work. Our
contiguity to Alaska places us in closer touch
with the possibilities there; the growing
trade of the Pacific islands will find its way
largely through the ports of Puget Sound
and San Francisco. With the rapid development of the Central and South American republics we shall also find there a welcome to
our capita1, skill and trade. We are in the
foreground of the era of business expansion
that is at hand, and we will not neglect to
profit by it.
The prospects that are thus presented are
mostly of a commercial character, and involve the making of businessmen. The professions will naturally derive a share of the
benefits that increase of wealth will give,
but the men of trade aud commerce will gain
the greatest results; and the young man of
to-day is well satisfied to be a practical business man. The professions are overcrowded,
and the competition in them extremely severe, and in the intense struggle the standard of manhood is being lowered and unfair
means resorted to in order to overcome one
another. The young man with high aspirations no longer deems it essential to be a
lawyer or other professional man to carry
out his ambitions. He can see as good a
prospect in entering the commercial world,
and recognizes that the sagacity developed
in the business man is of high value in statesmanship. The idea long prevailed that the
lawyer was best fitted to deal with the affairs of government; but the commercial
man is coming to the fore as competent to
solve questions of moment to a nation's well-
fare, as able and successful in doing so as is
the man who can quote code sections and
common-law doctrines. Many instances in
point could be cited: John Wanamaker is
one of the country's wealthiest merchants;
James G. Blaine was engaged in business and
amassed a fortune before he achieved fame
in politics; in our own state, Senator
Perkins, Senator Stanford and Senator
Hearst    succeeded   in  business   and     then
attained   high places of honor and trust.
While it is true that some of our "commercial" statesmen have sacrificed grammar and
needed a little polish to conform to the dignity to the positions they held, their practical ideas and sound judgment of a practical
people. But the business man is rapidly becoming a man of education, which is evident
from the attention that is being devoted to
eources of commercial training in the universities. Such a department has been established at our State University, and President
Wheeler has strongly urged its thorough
equipment. The modern business man must
be liberally educated; perhaps in some lines,
an education is not necessary to the art of
money-getting, but it always gives an advantage. It is not necessary that a policeman
be an intellectual giant, but he will perform
his duty better if he has an intelligent conception of the laws he is to enforce.
And it is on the Pacific Coast that business
men will achieve greatness in the twentieth
century. Those who are here can lead in advance across the ocean; they can be first on
the ground where we expect such great commercial development.
The mining men with capital and science
can yet do much here in the West; there are
untold possibilities for them in Alaska; the
the mineral resources of the Philippines,
China and other parts of the Orient will furnish a great field when exploited by men of
skill. Mining will open up the other resources of our northern territory; government reports show that it is capable of agricultural development to a large extent; its
fisheries and furs have already reimbursed
us for the purchase price we paid to  Russia.
China looks to us as her friend, even to
the disparagement of other nations. She believes we will be fair with her and not make
grabs of her territory for purposes of "commercial influence." Her wise men are welcoming commercial relations with us; they
want us to assist in opening her mines, developing her resources, in teaching her people and building up her strength. She wants
many of our products to feed her people; her
population is once more near the subsistence
limit of her soil. China has much to give us
in return, and our possibilities of trade are
enormous.