The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-06-29
JOHN j. INGALLS,
TALKS ABOUT THE BROTHERHOOD
OF MAN.
Believes 1t a Mere Catch-penny Phrase
-indlvlduaIism the Basis of Our
Present System He Deciares-Some
Aphorisms Quoted in Support of His
PositIon-Does Not Believe That al,
Men are Created Equal.

Is there anything in the doctrine of
the brotherhood Of man? John J.
ingalls,, in an article in the New
York journal, SAYS that the brother
hood OF man is mere catch-penny
phrase and that individualism is the
basis of our present social and politi-
cal system. Mr.. Ingalls, quotes the
following aphorisms to support his
position:
The tools to him who can use
them, said Napoleon.
Them as has, gits,' says the
Arkansas man.
Every one for himself and the
devil take the hindermost," saws the
nineteenth century.
ROOT. hog, or die" saws nature.
TO him that hath shall be given,
and from him that hath not shall be
taken away even that which he seem
eth to have" says God
Mr.. Ingall further says:
'All men are created equal" saws
the Declaration of independence.
But they are not, any more than
horses are. The hip shotten, sway
backed, lop-eared street car steed was
not created equal to Ormond, the
king Of the turf, who cannot be
bought tor quarter Of u million.
Nor Richard Croker to Daniel Web
ster; nor Alfred Austin to William
Shakespeare.
Since Adam left Eden, if he did.
this has been a tough world for the
most of it's inhabitants. Not one
came into it of his own accord and
few would have come ut all hal they
been consulted. Fewer still would
remain were they sure OF anything
| better somewhere else. All being
| endowed with aspirations for happi-
| ness. multitudes find wretchedness,
poverty and disease their only in
heritance. Our credentials bear the
same sign and seal, but some are
born to honor and some to dishonor
| Some lie in lilies and roses and walk
on velvet, while others equally de-
serving shiver in rags and sleep in
doorways, and stain flinty paths
with bloody feet. All desire to sue
ceed, but few reach the goal.
There is too much whining and
squealing in these degenerate days.
out either, and endure adversity
with fortitude. 1t would be sardonic
to suppose that there is to be no
| reparation for the elaborate insults
of fate, sometime and somewhere.
| Otherwise, life would be an unintel-
ligible, practical joke, played by a
being capable only of malignant
laughter at his victims.
| Whatever our errand or mission on
this planet, it has.long been evident
to the impartial critic that we are
not here for recreation, and that the
brotherhood of man up to this time,
as applied to human affairs, is like a
phrase drawn out of hat. Carnage
and pillage continue popular, and
while in theory our government has
for its avowed object the greatest
good of the greatest number, with
most of us the greatest number con-
tinues to be number one.
Equality of condition, Of endow-
ment, Of possession, has never ex-
listed, and the divergences now are
wider than ever before. That the
inequalities are to increase rather
than diminish seems likely, and we
must face the consequences.
1t is apparent also that whatever
progress has been made hitherto is
due wholly to the effort of individ-
uals. States makes no inventions.
Society is rich or strong or pure only
as the individuals of which it is COM
posed are wealthy and powerful and
virtuOus. Battles are won or lost as
the individual soldiers are intrepid
or timid. The Decalogue, that stat
ute enacted in the parliament Of the
skies and promulgated amid the
thunders of Sinai, has no effect upon
the race except as its precepts are
obeyed by the individuals to whom
they are addressed.