Disquisition by Scripps, E.W., By-products, April, 1915

              Ohio University Libraries, E.W. Scripps Papers, MSS 117, Series 4, http://bit.ly/scripps_mss117
**************************** ***************** ;::EI-PRODUCTB;:;
~I.IIIZIZ::IIIII*
*************
When, shortly after the great European war broke out, several of my
friends requested me to enact the role pf prophet, I rashly attempted to
do so. In several letters and disquisitions I indulged in a series .o f
guesses. However, I was modest enough at least to make and to Qontinu&
to reiterate the statement that my guess was, if no better, no worse than
that of many other men. But on more than one occasion I emphasized the
statement that whatever else resulted from the war its by-products would
be infinitely more important than any of the accomplihsments that were pur­posefully
and intentionally striven for.
I could foresee, and any man could foresee, the inevitability of innu­merable
changes in the political aims and the economic processes and the
purely abstract philosophical conclusion that would result from the gre~t
war. But, in common with all other ~people" my great interest lay in the
oommon-plaoes of the struggle.
Partisanship on the part of everyone is absolutely essential. Each
of us wants to see our side win battles fought with arms and mmmunition.
We want to see our side win the war without regard to the consequences,
good or evil, viotory or defeat, unconquered or vanquished.
Today, so strong i~ my instinotive feeling of. partisanship for England
that I would prefer that she should win this war and die"of exhaustion
thereafter than that she should be defeated and, by defeat, be recreated
to be a great and powerful nation. This is only to· admit that, like all
others of my species, I am more of a brute than a man - that my animal
instincts are more powerful m in their influence on my thoughts and acti­vities
than is my reason.
Often enough to make the idea seem to be almost un iversa.l, political
economy is reputed to be "1 Dismal Scienaeu • Even.to me, to whom this
science iathe most attraotive of all sciences, its pursuit has been· at ten­dedby
.yerymuoh disagreeable labor and vary little real' enjoyment.. But 43
. j