The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-13
They Are Not Created Equa
Says the Senator.
Cites POmpey and MiIIet as Two
Examples.
LIFE A FREE-FOR-ALL.
The Petted Canary and the Jay
Have Equal Rights.
Patti Receives $1,5OO-Seam-
stress SweatshOp Wages.

a y
The interest of the people in the
social crisis is evinced by numerous
letters from thoughtful and Intelligent
CORRESPONDENTS, who offer solutions OF
industrial problems and remedies lot
the misery and poverty which are the
heritage of so large portion OF tne
human race.
The single tax, the abolition OF Letie9
the reduction of profits, the pronlplIlOAA
of interest, free trade, free slINef'
sumptuary laws, socialism, comm I'LL III
ism and anarchy all have their adVo-
Gates whose sincerity entities their
theories to respectful consideration.
Like a respondent patient long Ill
who has lost confidence in the FACULTY
and their prescriptions, the Wretched
and unfortunate are patrOnizing politi-
cal apOthecaries with their patent
medicines and consulting 1etIch docIoTS
and voodoos with their cabal1stlc d1Vln-
atiOns,
Much of the prevalent discomfort no
doubt springs from perverted con-
stitution of the nature OF human nDer-
ty and the meaning of human equality
The glittering generaHtieS OF IhOTlaS
Jefferson, that all men are created
equal, and that the rights to life, Hpef-
ty and the pursuit of happiness are IN
alienable, have been the texts for many
injurious Instructions They are rhe-
torical fiOurisheS, meaningless to the
gentleman on the scamold and in sing
Sing who pursued the heeting phantom
of happiness with the jimmy of the
burglar and the dagger of the assassin.
Men are not created equal physically,
morally or Intellectually, nor in apti-
tude, opportunity nor condition.
It is perhaps accurate to say that
of the fifteen hundred million inhab-
1tantS of the earth no two are created
equal. Nature is incapable of uni
formfty and detests equality as much
as she abhOrS a vacuum. One is made
to honor, another to dishOnor, as one
star difereth from another star in
glory.
History IS a series of repetitions.
Those who have failed in life blame
everybody but themselves. The COM
plant against fate is as old as Adam.
1t will end only with the epitaph of
humanity The distinctions between
men We're established by act of God
and they can not be abolished by act
of congress.
Were all these panaceas enacted into
statutes, all barriers thrown down, all
obstacles removed. ali burdens lifted
and the whole constituency lined up for
a fresh start the result would be the
same.
Were all the wealth of the country
equally distributed there would be
about $1,000 per capita. Could the as
sets of the nation be divided pro rata,
snare and share alike, the first day of
January, 1900, by the close of the cen
tury the soul of the philanthrOpist
would be shocked by the same spec
tacle Of inequality existing now. Some
would be in the cab, some on the foot
board, some in private cars and others
walking the ties in search of a dry cuI-
vert for the night, and in six months
more the refOrmer of the wrongs of So
clety would demand in the name of
justice another division
II seems trite and super1uous to af-
4fLl IuaC the equality of man can mean
nothing more than the equality of
rights before just laws and equality of
opportunity in the race of life Every
man has the absolute right to the use
OF mis- faculties and opportunities to the
utmost to better his condition and in
crease his fortune so long as he does
not interfere with the free exercise of
the same rights by everybody else.
It should be apparent also upon the
most superficial reflection that political
noerty by maintaining equality of
rights must inevitably result in great fer.
inequality of condition than anv other
system All fetters are cast off. Every
thing goes Life is a grand free-for-aIl. |
Ihere is no pedigree, nor caste nor
pfefogat1Ve. The sway-back mule has
the same rights on the track as Or
monde and IrOQuois, the monarchs of
tie turf. The petted canary and the
screaming jay have equal rights in the
atmosphere with the condor soaring
above the inaccessible peak of CHM
Do1azo or the frigate bird that sleeps
at midnight with pinions 6utspread
upon the tempest a thousand leagues
from shore.
In the exercise of his powers and the
enjoyment of freedom can laws assign
any frontier beyond which a man NAV
not pass2 In the kingdom of knowledge
can any bound be set to learning and
wisdom? Can society say to Edison or
Tesla: You shall explore the mysteries
OF nature no further lest you infringe
the equality of man?
Can we say what reward they shall
receive for the inestimable benafts
they have conferred upon the world?
can legislators. or conventions or fri
bunals assess the wages that ATelba
ShaI receive for her songs. or KinIinsr
Tor his stories, or Choate for his areJ-
1nent' or Bryan for his eIoquence, or
irving for his impersonations?
1he world is eager for excellence. IT
pays for what it wants There has
been no time when the man or vvOroa n
VINO can do anything better than any
body else was so sure of instant recog-
milton and ample emoIument as now. II
Is the essential corOllary to liberty that
courage energy, sagacity and dexterity
snould succeed and that brains should
VIII Ihe victories and secure the prizes
or me Reason rebels at the thought of
the establishment of arbitrary restrio-
tlons upon the activity of our powers
and the full enjoyment of their acn11f
sftions.
The time will never come when +ba
race VIII not be to the swift and tha
battle to the strong IndoIenoa v,{II
never have the same wage as thrift nov
ignorance the same reward as vvis7oT7,
Ambition will never lose its incentive
nor genius its supremacy. Poverty ana
debt viii never be abolished bv edict
nor will those who have failed in life
having had equal opportunity taxa
charge of the affairs of those who have
succeeded. The dreams of Jack Cada
and his kindred reformers will never
be realized.
The popuIar notion now seems 70 ha