Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-02-28
DAILY P0STInTeLLleENcER
wALLs-xaTtexlL Axp rsprsID-

Doen ta1enfnG Al the iHnocrbcr ~ asp7c
ancient peoples sho protected then
selves against the attacks Of dangerous
nsiehbors By building arsund tier tsr-
ritories bsge walls, which ~oul1-bs III
vasers could neither seale nor batter
down. 1hose who vieu tie ruins Of
these old barriers are ~out % pbl.os'-
phize In a lofty way apon the crude no
tons Of political eeonoGy. and tie
oruder MOTORS Of international comfy
which OR ancestors posss-sed. Fool
lab old feIlovs,r ve have said how
little they knew Of the true sources OF a
nations wealth and Of psopis's sAppi
ness. How aossrs 10 was IN tbsm to
cut of Communication between people
and people. Did they not knov that
ths different peoples Of the earth should
mineIe together. that they shouid buy
of one another and sell 70 one another.
that they should endeayor 70 coitivsis
9 feeling Of universal brotherhood =
OF coarse, sur particular ancestors we're
partially excassble for bnilinR wall,
becanse the ancestors OF some other
fellows were Ia the habit Of invading
their country oocasionally-b1rninR
their homes and Strengthening snsh OF
them AZ they could catch. But our rid
icole has applied, not 10 our own ances
tors in particular, bat 10 ancestors In
general-foolish old fellows, who seem
cd to think Of nothing bot building
walls which somebody else could not
pass, or passing walls which somebody
slss had built.
Still, with all our laughter at the Pc
saliar nstions Of the old fellows, we
have always continued 10 pay an IN
conscious tribute TO their wisdom. While
ve have long since ceased to bald walls
sround oar cities, states and countries,
even nov each individual builds wall
around himself. The infant. vailinR In
his cradle. begins to build his wall on
the day that his mind becomes an &C
tive fsroe. The first idea that springs
from an infants brain is that Of his
own identity. Here | am" he thinks,
land all around me Is something eise.
This h myself. but all these other
thines-this blanket. this cradle, that
wall, that sun-afe somsthinR else.
Saeh h the infants first idea, and Il IS
also the first brick in the wall which he
builds around himself. His next idea
In the idea OF possession; this hand 10
mine, and % evidently Is this big crea-
turs whom after while l will learn to
call papa bat that moon is not mins.
I want ii, and guess had better cry for
IT," 30 the idea Of possession is firmly
Axed, and 10 10 the second brick in the
wall which the young mason IL begin
ring TO build. Then be realizes that
very few things are lis and that great
many other things belong to other PEG
pie. and he further makes up his mind
that be has come into the world for the
purpose Of increasing bis possessions "a
much as possible, even IL IN doing so
be mast decrease the possessions of
other people. That is another brick.
30, all his life he Is adding bricks to
his wall he picks 10 the trowel and
lays the first brick as he lies in his
cradle, his eyes not yet able to bear the
light Of the world; and when old and
feeble he stumbles into the darkness, he
10 lost TO the world striving still to lay
one more brick before he goes. He has
bis wealth, bis happiness, his home. his
ideas, his desires. his passions, his
iosgiRas-all these things are bis alone
He builds his wall around them aud
himself. Some OF them he allows other
people to share. Others, no one osn
share. He IL agRrieved II one of them
is taken away. He will hght before sur
rendering any OF them. Indeed, be
builds a wall around himself and shuts
out all other men far more completely
than or ancestors Of Britain shut out
the Plots and Scots, or the millions of
anciens China shut out the Tartar
hcrdes.
II this wall building. then, Is part OF
our naturs-if IL IL essential to the In
dividual. may not our ancestors have
been more wise than We think 10 build
ing walls around their countries2 Ma
tare herself forces the individual TO
build his wall. What IL nation bat
collection Of individuals who cling to.
gether for mutual protection aud mu-
tual advantsge5 In what does the
philosophy Of the government OF ma
tion differ from that OF ths government.
Of the individual Were our ancestors,
then, 10 foolish when they tried national
~ veil as individual wall baildine1 IL
there NOT something OF tsath In the
theory that each nation. no matter how
mach intercourse ID may have with
other nations. mast stand or fall BY
issslf-muss depend upon its own
strength iust as the Individual. no mat
ter hov much be NAV ainals with
others. aus, depend for life upon his
own strength and must die when his
strength Is exhausted?
IL may be that the days Of national
wall building are not We. over. Invaders
no longer enter the country OF their
neiehbars 10 burn and destroy, and the
cid walls have iour since fallen and
ernmbled. Bat there are new invasions
--invasions of the ninsteeath century
against which walls must be reared.
The new invasions are not hostile, bat
industrial; the invaders come With
pseks and shsvsls, not with swords and
spears. America IL sui jeo,ed to cease
less Invasion. All the world turns II.
paapers into cor country. Those Who
cannot support themselves Ia ether
lands are aided by their governments
TO America, where they are lsf, to earn
their bread as hes, they can. Their
competitioa desrsdss and demoralises
the lAsor market. such an iuyss,on IL