Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-05-27

their own actions, and compel others to
give up more OF the fruits of their
labor than is necessary to defend them
In their right to earn, it strikes at the
roots Of progress By destroying respon-
sbility.
A slave Is a person whose right to
earn and to keep his earnings is not
safeguarded. Hence, when by use Of
the force Of government one man is
compelled 10 divide his earnings with
another who has given him nothing in
exchange, the person who is deprived
Of his earnings is reduced to serVtude,
while the other who receives unearned
benefits is reduced TO minorage as q
ward aud beneficiary OF government:
In slavery and in miuorage, response
bility is at its minimum, aud 10 must al
ways remain so under any political sys-
! TEN.
When each Individual Is secured In
the possession OF all his rights, justice
is established. Therefore, the sole end
OF government is to establish justice.
If it attempts more or achieves less, it
Is on either hand tyrannical and GRIM
inal.
Mr.. Spencer's definition of justice is
'that each Individual shall receive the
benefits and toe evils OF his own nature
consequent conduct"
1t is not to oe supposed that t his
would imply in just government great
activity in in1ictinE punishment, for
the severest puaishments are inflicted by
natural law, and the best govern
ment interieres least with those
natural laws through which, In the
long run, the benefits and evils Of his
own nature and conduct are assured to
each individual.
Mr.. Spencer holds that all law-en-
forced charity is Inconsistent with JUS
tice, because, through the compulsion
of law, through violence or the threat
Of violence, some are deprived OF the
benefits of their own good conduct that
others may be protected from the full
effects Of their bad conduct Of mac
tiyIty.
Ii is hard to see how anyone who
faces this logic can overcome 1t. II Mr..
Spencer had stopped with this, it would
have been most fortunate, but as an
evoutionist, believer in the survival
of the fittest," he felt bound to 90 on
and deny that of their own will those
who are eft to survive" ought
TO help the unfit" Having demon
strated that it is unjust AID criminal for
force TO be used in compelling the MT TO
divide their earnings with the unfit, or
with the less fit. he argues further that
it is for the benefit of the race to leave
each individual, as far as possible, to
the results of his own action.
1t need not be inquired here whether
or not this is necessary conclusion
from the theory OF evolution, Of which
Mr.. Spencer is the greatest living
exponent It 10 certainly aohor-
rent To all the better instincts Of
humanity. As Mr.. Spences has him
self said, "the deed OF one mau to an
other tends TO produce a like effect on
both. be the deed good or bad"
Perhaps he has said nothing else so
wise as that. When freely and without
coercion the man who is fit for survival
helps the less fit. he helps himself in
doing so, developing in himself higher
powers and capacities for constructive
achievement which would never be
developed otherwise. Men are subject
TO the laws of matter, but they can APP
peal to higher laws than those Of mat
ger. and in doing so develop higher
and more potent nature than the mater
ial, or animal. 1t is not Intended here
to say that Mr.. Spencer is materialist,
but he had reasoned like one in denying
that it is for the welfare Of all for
those who can help the weak and the
helpless to do so. freely and under no
other compulsion than that OF their own
desire to be helpful.
Every individual who in any act,
small or great, INDUCES himself in the
desire TO be helpful increases in so