The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-04-21
NECESSITY

| II MONG the ancient Greeks th,
| IL idea Of necessity, or rs they call
ed 1t anaaks assumed a certain religiouI
character 1t might bring evil anj
lpain, but, in so far as IL was an integra
Ipart Of the order Of things, 1t claimed
a pious submission. We sometimes
think that there is room for q similar
conception in modern times II Is not
uncommon to find people railing at the
world as evil, because this or that ig
J not arranged according to ideas Of what
Is right because necessity sets limits 10
human action and happiness. What
the Greeks felt was that anqakC could
not be got rid Of. and that the best
thing we could do was 10 agree with II,
and in n manner reverence 10 The
Greek was right get rid Of necessity in
one form, and It Immediately reappoara
in another In some form men must
face II and submit 10 it,
Socialist writer's do not appear to be
al all o. this way Of thinking They
have a noble zeal for romedying evils,
but they do not seem to allow for the
conditions which nature itself imposes
Thus Prof. Albion Small Of Chicago,
finds much TO object 10 in the fact that
sta weaver Or switchman loses his job
no law compels another employer 20
hire him. BE adds that few men
outside the wage earning class have
fairly taken in the meaning Of thig
familiar situation. What we should
like Prof Small or some one else TO do
Is TO figure ont a situation IN which a
weaver or a switchman having lost bis
job, somebody else would be obliged to
hire him. II would really be interest
ing to have this worked out our
impression Is that Prof. Small, or who.
ever undertakes the task would find
himself humping up against old ananke
in an altered phase Everybody IN that
case would want to be the man who
could get a situation Of course mtis.
factory for the asking; nobody
certainly would care to bo the provider
Of situations to his fellow citizens We
are far from saying that there Is not o
vast amount Of hardship IN the world,
and much Of a kind which IN no way
benefits those who have to endure it, as
Of course some hardship undoubtedly
does. But we want to see way out
that does not cut the nerves Of industry
and make selfreliance forgotten yir.
tue. We want to see way out that
win not Lessen the sense Of individual
responsibility or make a man less man.
Show rs a way, and we shall gladly
lend every effort IN our power toward
It's realization.
Prof Small seems to think that the
occupation Of the land under private
tenure Is largely responsible for the
helpless condition Of a portion Of So
cietyi but has be OF has anyone else ever
worked ont in all It's details q different
fchsmeg Would poverty always be
alleviated by q gift Of land especially
IL The land so bestowed could be sold?
II # was agricultural land 1t would
have TO be either improved Or unim
proved 10 either case capital not 70
mention industry, would be required
to work it, and in the second case
to give away the Improvements would
be to give away the labor o: other men.
Make land absolutely unstable, and
the economic operations Of the world
would be impeded in the most serious
The more for our own part
we look into these questions the more
we are driven back 10 the conviction
that the way ont which Is 50 much de
sired lies IN the improvement Of indi
yidual character with consequent IN
crease of Individual power and better
adaptation to surrounding conditions
Asitis, we find that the well developed
can take care Of them
ELVES pretty well they have tbe power
Il adapting themselves to their snr
.oundings and taking 20 useful part
D the worlds work that, even under
he much abused capitalistic system
hey thrive very well. The problem !,
o make more sound individuals. and
bat problem does not seem to be in ~
.ature insoluble therein differing from
ONE that are get By social refofmers
Then, ia this your way some one may
81 for getting lid q anmkc2 BY nc
leans it e our way for making tht
est Of it. In every well balanced
mind the thought of nece nv B habitu