The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-08-29
ALL MEN NOT CREATED EQUAL.

of Kansas, took exception to the
views of Thomas Jefferson as embod.
led in the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. In the following statement,
he declared all men are not created
equal:
"The interest of the people in the
social crisis is evinced by numerous
correspondents, who offer solutions of
industrial problems and remedies for
the misery and poverty which are the
heritage of so large a portion of the
human race. Much of the prevalent
discomfort no doubt springs from a
perverted constitution of the nature
of human liberty and the meaning of
human equality.
The glittering generalities of
Thomas Jefferson, that all men are
created equal, and that the rights to
life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness are inalienable, have been the
texts for many injurious instructions.
They are rhetorical fourishes, mean
ingless to the gentleman on the scat
fold and in Sing Sing, who pursued
the feeting phantom of happiness
with the jimmy of the burglar and
the dagger of the assassin.
Men are not created equal physi-
cally, morally or Intellectually, nor
in aptitude, opportunity nor condi-
ton.
It is perhaps accurate to say that
of the 1900, 900, 900 inhabitants Of
the earth no two are created equally.
Nature is incapable of uniformity and
detests equality as much as she ab-
hors vacuum. One is made to hon
or, another to dishonor, as one star
differeth from another star in glory.
History is 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
men were established by act of God
and they cannot be abolished by the
act of Congress.
"Were all these panaceas enacted
into statues, all barriers thrown down,
all obstacles removed, all burdens
lifted and the whole constituency lined
up for a fresh start, the result would
be the same.
eff all the wealth or the country
was equally distributed, there would
he about 1900, per capita. Could
the assets of the nation be divided pro
rata, share and share alike, the first
day of January, 1904, by the close of
the century the soul of the philan-
thropist would be shocked by the
same spectacle 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 culvert for the night,
and in six months more the reformer
of the wrongs of society would de-
mand in the name of justice another
division.
cit seems trite and superfuous to
affirm 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 his
faculties and opportunities to increase
his fortunes so long as he does not in
terfere with the free exercise of the
same rights by everybody else.
cit should be apparent also upon
the most superficial reflection that
political liberties by maintaining
equality of rights must inevitably re-
suit in greater inequality of condition
than other system. Life is grand
free-for-all. There is no pedigree,
nor caste, nor prerogative.
"In the exercise of his powers and
the enjoyment of freedom, can laws
assign any frontier beyond which a
man may not pass in the kingdom OF
knowledge? Can any bound be SET
to learning and wisdom? Can socie-
ty say to Edison or Tesla, You shall
explore the mysteries of nature nc
further lest you infringe the equality
of man?' Can legislators, or conven'
tions, or tribunals assess the wages
that Melba shall receive for her songs
or Kipling for his stories, or Choate
for his arguments, or Bryan for his
eloquence, or Irving for his imperson
ations?
"The world is eager for excellence
1t pays for what it wants. There
has been no time when the man Of
woman who can do anything better
than anybody else was so sure of in
slant recognition and ample emolu
ments than now.
"The time will never come wher
the race will not be to the swift anC
the battle to the strong. Indolenc'
will never have the same wage a
thrift nor ignorance the same rewarc
as wisdom.
Ambition will never lose its in
centive nor genius its supremacy
Poverty and debt will never be abol
ished by edict, nor will those VIII,
have failed in life, having had equa
opportunity, take charge of the affair
of those who have succeeded.
"The medicine for the ills of socie
ty must be found, therefore, in indi
vidual cultivation and development
and the ultimate appeal must be t
conscience and intelligence to protec
liberty from the folly Of its friend
and the fury of its foes, and at tn
end of time all will be justified t
their rights and deeds.