Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-08-02
EGoIsM-ALTRU-
ISM

editor.
He apparently bases his criticism on
the fact that President Angels 6acea-
laureate address was almost UNIVERSAL
! Nv praised. This fact might be an eN-
tennanno circumstance, but it Is far
from logical basis. II i, the univer-
sal custom of the press and public TO
see no fanlts in the dead, but To magni-
fv their virtues. II is almost as gen
eral TO magnify the abilities OF men
who have arisen 10 fame, unless they
happen to be politicians OF opposing po-
litical parties. The shadow OF a great
name hides multitude OF sins; So Ike
wise, does the influence OF great nam'
restrain Justly deserved criticism Inc
REPuBLICAN LEADER aims, first OF ALL
TO he lust. without fear OF favor, IN It's
criticism: and. secondly, To advocate
with equal fearlessness, the principles
in which in which it firmly believes.
Mr.. Coleman, in his criticism OF our
+ character. betayS an ignorance OF the
subjects on which he attempts to speak
In the first place, when he charges
us with being individuaIistic' he coA-
fuses individuality with individualism
For his benefit, and that of others who
NAV fall into a like error. we Will dis
tinguish. Individualism, as phIlo-
sophical term, is use to designate those
who believe that self is the controlling
motive and spring Of action that no
man shall be placed under restraint
but shall act in accordance with his
own will-be a law unto himself. II Is
selfshness gone TO seed. 1t is egolsm'
pure and simple. And here. by the
way, Mr. Coleman has made another
amusing. though. perhaps, eXcusaole
blunder in confusing egoism with egot'
ism. While the words have the same
origin, they are to be quite widely dis
tinguished.
But while individuali>m is incompat-
ible with socialism and any genuine
altruism-antagonistic to them-indi-
vidualty, on the contrary Is in perfect
harmony with them. Indeed, the high
err the development of the race and the
nearer the approach to an ideal social
ism, the more specialized will the mlnd
be. the higher and more perfect the
freedom. aud the higher the develop
ment of individuality. The one state
is individualism, anarchism, chaos
discordant. clashing and unco-ordinated
forces-.while the other is altruism, so
4 cialism, order-harmonious. reheXivc
and co-ordinated forces.
Egolsm consults self, ignoring al
outside of self: altruism considers al
effects on others and on self only as
single unit Of a complex whole.
In view of Mr.. Coleman's vague anC
confused notions of social philosophy
it would be utterly useless to reply t.
his letter. in detail, but one common
we will notice. He says: NO, Mr.
Chase. you are not socialist IN tn
sense you would have people believe
If YOU were. you would wait for tn
republican party to shape your none
tarv doctrines. This would be altru
ism, but YOU show intense individual
ism. and of kind difficult to find today
when YOU define and defend clearl
your views on the silver question.
By this sentence, Mr.. Coleman, yo
show that you entirely misunderstan
the terms, individualism, socialism
altrusm. Chaos and individualism al
undoubtedly primitive states out
which order arises. Clashing and di
cordant forces-ideas-- their rcboun
become co-ordinated, are reduced
narallelIsm and are made harmoniou
But all effort should be in the line
harmonizing and co-ordinatng fore
around some great fundamental ide
--axioms of ethics, or morals. The I
publican party cannot formulate pc
icy until the individual elements hu
forth their ideas, it may be, in co
hicting, clashing chaos. But, in tim
after sufficient number of reboun
a the conflicting forces will become c
ordinated and order will be evoly
from chaos. If the warning elemer
are sufficient to disrupt the party, d
integrate it, the forces still exist a
will become co-ordinated and harmc
lied in new parties. And it alwa
becomes the individual to yield to
will of the majority a cheerful ODE
ence. still maintaining that individu
ity which is the determining factor
,,o,,, n, nj biober order of deyelODmc