The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1892-09-09


'lliiu haula Do she sole test
SAID Mr. iar tir ~ speaking af
public Office. And whore freedom Is
70 exist, fitness muai 6e the lest ii
everything. ana iiie uae oE government
musi be only 10 allow the test to be
made.
"a rovernment plainly commits ,
gross wrong When Il intefieras agalnst
Atnass and ii bahzlf OF uaiisnasa.
Unlsas This Ii srns and nnlass truth y
nslf neidsns, nothing can be estab-
liahed u arua n poliiical economy
AMI il The science Of politieal govern
mont.
ID the affairs Of free people the
oueation OF fitness u raised and
determined necessarily. Every trans
action nf business, every exchange Of
any kind, whather Of labor OF its pro.
duct, involves II, And before amy
snch exchange i possible il must ba
determined d some way either BY free
bargain OF By e0mpnlsion used against
one Of Tie parties 10 the bargain.
isHoN mach Of my kind Of work
ought ] 10 give you for certain amonni
Of your kind Of work." rs the bottom
question With free people, and it i
only the question Of fitness. Stated
III another question, "What have you
done heretofore 70 ct yourself 10 make
my uae Of goir time 40 valuable to ms
that l sh0nld give yon this quantity
81 the products Of my time r.
In trade the answer Is: t'Here i
what have pIodnced or earned.
offer II 10 exchange for 90 much q
what you produced Of earnad." 10 60
operation ID production the queatiof
Il, aWhat are you fit to do In return
for sneh share Of onr joint product
Or fol so much money day 10 Wagel
its eqniYaleni9'
Wherever there is free bargain--
and nniess bargain Is free there Is nc
frsedom-eserything raises and turns
on The question Of fitness. Jnstius
demands that tine highest fitness
shonld receive the highest return, ant
this i only possible under freedom.
Let Us imagine a system nndsi
winch q confession of nniitness wonlc
be snfficient 10 secure for the confessed
" unfit privileges and advantages
anpsrior TO the rest and At the ezpsns,
of ihe reat Could We imagine /
government more unjust In theory o.
more opposed in practice 10 ell tho
lava of nature and civilizatDn3
10 snch q government the unfi
would apply 10 the law makers, saying
awe are not 81 to secure the adyan
tagea ne wish unless you compe
othsrs 10 hslp Us. Bat with snct
c0mpnlsion 10 our favor and against
those who arc more ft than we f0i
Independence We s0lemnly promise thai
we will help fhose who ere even lssl
fit than we arr"
Snch government must nse III
force 10 decrease the freedom and &C
lessen the Independence of the ct fol
the benefit Of the eonfessedly nHit
And snch a government we have nov
In America. Every claim made fol
help under the compnlsiOn of law
Forcing others to give il, is based on
confessed nnfilpess, and it is a pies
that superior fitness should be BY
force Of law snbieeted 10 this confessed
nnfisness. siWe are unfit 10 survive
on an independent basis," says com
bination Of capitalists. "We caRuo
get along at ell unless those American
who are more fit for Independents
thDn W. are BY law compelled 10 ast
ns. 4f We do mot have the ptivileg'
of this compnlsion over others through
laws passed for our benefit we vii
have 70 close mp and quit"
This Is the argument, and The an
aver is: eClOss up and quit if yol
are not iit 10 keep open and going
The quicker the better. And If yoI
are 90 unfit that the rest muat snppor
you, go TO the poorbouse, which i
the only privilege just goyernmen
can coneede to nniitness at the ex
pense Of iitness."
The bottom principal of the Demo
cratic party has always been this, tina
'slitness Is the sole test as far q
government is concerned in any auG
aliiis relations with the individual
The government owes no help to th
uniil, becsnse government is compul
sion, and 10 restrict the liberties o
those who are iit for freedom AMI
Independence TO give privileges Il
those who are notfit Isio create anaT
chy; TO destroy the only foundation o.
which government can securely rest
The Foundation fitness---ihe msinte
nance Of the test Of fitness 10 all th
relations between man and man.
The unfit should be helped BY lh
free action of the ct. .Todeprvether
of free aciion, TO make the contFibr
tor for unftness compulsory, destro
freedom and 10 make justice imposs
bic. No government can long entnF
on such q basis.