The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-20
sEATTLE.s SUNDAY, MAY 70.
A Law OF Growth.

The tendency Of advancing civiliza-
ton Is evidently toward softening the
asperities and guarding the insecurities
Of individual fortune. There is a dumb
sense of justice to which suffering. re-
gardless of merit or demerit. makes Its
powerful appeal The altruistic i'm
pulse, spreading steadily against the OPP
position of commerciallsm, widens the
The state, which would deem itself dis
graced II 1t made no provision for its
defective and dependent classes. is edg-
ing more and more closely to an inclu-
sion with these of the helpless aged.
Large Industrial enterprises are provid-
Ing pensions for retired employees. In
many cities Of the country similar
provision for teachers IL under discus
sion. To the same end are the old age
insurance schemes Of Europe and the
straight old age pension legislation OF
New Zealand. The human heart Is more
sensitive than 1t ever was In all the
ages to suffering and misfortune. The
drift Of sentiment is Enthusiastically to-
ward the intcrpositon OF a strong arm
between the helpless and that specter
which walks beside so many of earths
creatures through the hours of labor
and haunts their broken slumbers, an
old age of poverty and want.
\ question which this raises is
Stunned by altruists and speculative
economists. but 1t must be met and an
swered. Is this tendency In accord with
man character: and what would be the
effect OF II, II carried into action. upon
the generations OF the future? 1t is one
which the tenderest must consider: one
that he has no more right to avoid than
the surgeon has to throw down the
knife because the use of IL. though for
lifes salvation, will give pain. Henry
George found the ideal In a society from
which poverty had been banished Ed
ward Bellamy founded an imaginary
state upon the proposition that every
life born Into 1t had an indefeasible
right 10 maintenance; that the duty of
labor implies the privilege OF support:
and that just as the individual owes to
society the utmost exercise of his
powers for the common good during his
fruitful years so society owes TO him
protection and education In immaturity
and comfortable income in the decline
OF hfc These are theories which. re-
jected in their entirety, have neyerthe-
less modified profoundly the worlds
view 81 the relation of the state 60 the
individual They arc swervlng II daily
farther from the cid position Of laissez
faire % that ~ him who feels that hc
IS his brothers keeper What are the
probable consequences?
One consideration alone. la Discus
sion So wide that II stretches from the
zenith ot advanced philanthropy 90 thu
nadir Of a cold political economy. Is 50
what as humanity ia now constituted.
IS likely 10 be the effect upon Il ot re-
versal of the law 81 It's past erovth7
For no one can deny the fact u the
struggle fnr existence II has been. Z
IS the dominant force In human develop
ment Whatever man Is he has becoms
under the broodnk shadow q clouI
q uncertainties ana pottents ~ dlsas.
ter Inexorable nature has cut down
the weak ani said that th- strong only
should survive She has So filled lifa
with traps aad pitfalls that only the
present moment is SECURE The primal
curse that man should eat forever the
bread Of labor has been transmitted into
blessing; but never has he been freed
from care for the future. The grisly
beast was always there, ready 70 spriuS
upon him Life could not be hedged
about with defences, and 1t has grown