The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-04-17
Che Unit and tbe Sum Cotal.
Paper Read Before the ch1,aouqua Circle.
u Strenuous Httempt to Square the Circle.

Paper Read Before the ChIutauqua Circle.
"HE value of the unit depends
upon the position which it
holds in the problem of which
it is factor. The value of
the individual depends upon the posi-
ton which he occupies in the problem
called Society. Sometimes we hear in
dividuals spoken of as ciphers, which
expression generally conveys the i'm
preston that they are of no account
This idea is erroneous, as there never
was a cipher that did not, have its in
fluence upon the sum total, just as
there never was an individual who did
not have an influence in the sum total
called society; and il there were no in
dividual ciphers society would be a
loser instead of gamer by the fact.
For example: Suppose mathema-
tician should undertake to solve an in-
tricate problem by using only the high
est unit, the figure 9, would it be possi-
BILE for him to arrive at true solution 7
/ think not; and this illustration is a
fair example of what society would be
if we were all figure 9's instead of
ranging in Importance from a cipher
up. Society would be a mighty stupid,
humdrum affair if all of its members
could be represented by figure 9's, and
yet there are persons who are contin-
ually preaching to us that we ought to
be figure 9's, instead of being contented
with being lesser units in the problem.
Take the bad man, for instance:
Gould society get along better without
him? have my doubts about it; he
is one of the cogS in the gear wheel of
humanity; knock him out and at every
turn of the wheel there would be slip
and jar which would shake the whole
machine, and when running at high
speed the absence of this cog would he
more than likely to cause complete
breakdown. For instance, you and l
are considered by society as detri-
mental to its smooth running. What
would happen if we and all like us
were to be. knocked out of society's
wheel? Why, simply this, the whole
machine would have to be rebuilt and
upon an entirely new plan. There
would be thousands upon thousands of
parts of the machinery as it now stands
that would become utterly useless, and
would have to be thrown on the scrap
pile. If there were no bad men there
would be no use for ministers, judges,
sheriffs, detectives. policemen, prison
officials, stewards, doctors, guards,
chaplains and host of others too mn
merous to mention. Reformers as they
now stand would be drug in the mar
ket, and could be bought like radishes,
tied up in punches at three punches
for cent, and would be considered
dear at that price.
[ make this statement to illustrate a
fact which wish you TO think about,
namely, The true value of any individ-
ual does not depend entirely upon
what he may be personally, but derives
by far the larger portion of his value
from his relation to other individual
units which enter into the sum total
called society, or in plain words the
value of a reformer in society is fixed
by the number of social units which
need reforming. If there are no units
which need reforming, then the re-
former loses all value, not by any fault
in himself as figure 9, but because
there is no use for figure 9 in work
ing out the problem. In other words,
if we do away with the bad units in
society some of the good ones imme-
diately lose part or all of their value
as factors in the sum total.
once heard an eminent divine de-
clare that .lf everyone's prayers were
answered just as they wished them to
be most Of us would be sorry that we