The Labor enquirer., 1886-08-28
SOLVING PROBLEMS.
Concluded from first page

l.
lens and considers them from another
standpoint. He formulates philosophy
Of life, and LAYS down rules of conduct
for its various duties. He descants upoI
the obligations and responsibilities due
to and from society by the individual
He INDUCES in metaphysical disquisi
tions and theories upon the moral law
he speculates on the. philosophy o.
mind, and discusses the questson of the
influence that education, the church,
+, the drama, literature and the fine arts
exert upon the conduct of the people.
Notwithstanding the wide scope of his
inquiries and the talent and profound
research brought to bear upon them, the
world seems no nearer in realizing the
solution of life's problems than before.
The utmost variety of opinion prevails
in the world, and nothing promises a
satisfactory solution from the standpoint
of philosophy.
In solving the more immediate prob
lens of subsistence, upon which rest the
higher and more remote problems Of
life, class of political economists have
expended vast amount of research
The questions of finance, land tenures,
commerce, capital and its relations to
labor. involving all the interests of In
dustry and trade, have been presented
in great variety of forms, and with
much ingenuity.
The statesmen in turn have manipu-
lated these economic theories in such a
manner as to secure great advantages to
certain favored classes.
Aside from these, a vast number of
isolated and Independent searchers into
the mysteries of life, in relation to gov
eminent, society and the individual,
has sprung up in all civilized countries
and added their contributions to the
general stock of knowledge. So the
world is full of theories and specula-
'tions, more or less discordant, offered in
solution Of the problems Of life without
seeming to reach satisfactory result.
The absolute and unlimited right to
= land and the products of labor IN the
individual, has the full and unqualified
assent of the theologian, the statesman,
the philosopher, the political economist
and the specialist. They all accept this
proposition as an essential factor in the
solution of life'a problems.
1t requires no proof to make clear the
fact that fictitious and false factor en-
ployed in solving problems is fatal to the
true solution. 1t is equally clear that
the omission OF an essential factor is
likewise fatal Therefore it is of the ut
most importance that the factors must
be true factors, and all must be included
Let US examine this proposition.
If the accumulation of wealth were
the aim and ultimatum of life, the a5so-
lutte and unlimited right to land and the
capital necessary to the production of
wealth would be in the individual. He
would then bend every energy to its &C.
emulation he would be justified in
getting all he could, and In keeping all
he got; because this would be accom-
plishing the purpose for which he was
created.
Others would have like rights and
would be equally justified 10 like ca
reer and the degree of success in life
would be measured by the amount of
wealth accumulated.
Since land is limited in quantity and
the products of labor are limited in their
production, and the rights of property
being absolute and unlimited, they must
necessarily conflict. The rights claimed
are unlimited; the wealth to be accumu-
lated is limited, the rights are greater
than the means by which they can be
exercised. This is a reductio ad ab-
surdum, because it involves a conflict
. of interests, and conflict of interests
is fatal to the higher and true purposes
of life.
This antagonism of interests would de-
Velop in man that class of faculties en-
ploVed in the acquisition and boarding
of wealth that gratifes greed and av-
arice,-and these faculties are essen
TALLY selfish.
Competition now becomes unavailable;
and the same class of faculties are nee
essarily called into action in all, because
all are unayoidablY engaged in the
struggle that these conflicts give rise to ;
for, since all must live, they are forced
into the exercise of this class of faculties,
which, by constant exercise, become
dominant in accordance with the law
that exercise develops power. The
character of a people is determined by
the dominating class of faculties of that
people. In accordance with this law
the civilized world would be essentially
selfish because the selfish faculties pre-
dominate therein.
This selishness would develop dis
honesty, because the getting is more i'm,
portant than the manner of getting
Dishonesty would grow into fraud. theft
and robbery. Competition would create
antagonism ofinterests; these would en-
gender strife and enmity and contention
and. like Ishmael, every mans hand
would be against his fellow man. 1t
would grow into greed. cupidlty and ava.