The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1901-09-19
ABOUT SELF HELP.
SCHEMES THAT ARE GENER-
ALLY WELL-MEANT.
In a Way Everybody Wishes to Help
the Struggling Man-Too Much Over
Fostering. However, May P~aralyze His
Self-Eolping Qualities.

The w~ell-known trade paper, the
Iron Age, deprecates the use Of the ex-
preston working class" or wage
earning class in this country, declar-
ing that we have no such distinct
classes; that men pass readily from
n position to another, according TO
their abilities or good fortune, But
the age has something further than a
mere spellbinder's or demagogue's pur-
pose in dealing with this subject. It
holds that the use of the expression is
unfortunate if it encourage the idea
of patronage of one class by another.
1t declares, and rightly, that in this
country the w~age-earner does not rep
resent a class, but a condition that
may be temporary; that there are very
few employers that have not at some
stage of their career been wage-earn-
ers, and that our so-called classes
merge in a way that would be. impos-
sible If there were any real class dis
tlnctions. The Age therefore depre-
Gates anything that tends toward the
ASSnAA VI 0A0I1ltCI1OuS, OWdIu
the patronage by n class of another,
as well as toward the acceptance Of
patronage. In this connection it de-
velops a thought that may not be so
popular as this, but that commends it
self to reflection, namely, hat an en-
couraged investor like an encouraged
immigrant or an encouraged anything,
is not worth much. The practical ap-
plication of it is that it is unWise for
industrial and transportation corpora
tons, for example, to offer, as they
frequently do, special facilities to their
employees for becoming stockholders.
Such schemes are generally, if not al
ways, well meant. The stock idea we
all know, namely, that employees that
have an interest in the business will
be stimulated to greater care for that
business, will be steadied by their
ems of responsibility-which sounds
well, but which the Age holds to be
rather specious than solid, because the
practice leads to al artificial situation,
Every investor, it declares, should in
vest for the same reason that any in
weston invests, exercising the same
caution, be prepared to accept the same
responsibilities, and be entitled to the
same fruits. The specially helped en-
ploye as a stakeholder is likely to be
troublesome. The thought is a deep
one and worthy Of consideration. In
a way, everybody, particularly in this
country, is hopeful and helpful as to
the struggling mar of small means.
The sight of the small wage-earner be-
coming a large w~age-earner, then a
salaried man, and then a capitalist, is
ever a welcome sight. 1t is typical Of
the optimistic and sympathetic charac-
ter Of American life. But however
beautiful these qualities are, they can
not in the long run ignore fundamen-
tai traits, and unquestionably it seems
to us the Iron Age has laid bare one
OF o traits in it's suggestion that
too much over-fostering or too much
help may result not only in a paraly-
sis of self-help, but in the creation of
the spirit that is fatal to the only con-
dlt1on on which permanent prosperity
can be based, namely, the exercise on
the part Of each for himself oil the
qualities of good judgment, OF thrift,
and wise management. For with all
these there is more or less of an ele-
ment Of luck or the operation Of
things that no one can control that
bring at times disaster. and when dis
aster ONE the only defense against it
is the education which the exercise of
these qualities alone can give. The ar
titiciallv stimulated man at such times
lacking these qualities shows weakness
instead of Observation-Disclosures
News.