The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-03-05

TIVE MIRROR of Feb. 12contained
an article by Mr.. w. E. G. writ
ten, it would seem, for the
purpose of proving that
schemes altruistic in their tenden-
cies can never be successful. Mr.. c.
would have us believe that the under
lying principle of such schemes, ere
moves ambition, mans chief incentive
to labor" He also states: "a commu-
nifty cannot exist without rulers, and
where will we find the ruler who will
live on equal terms with the ruled !?
The only condition of society where
men are equal is where barbarism
exists" Mr.. c. punches together CO.
operative schemes, labor agitators, al
truistic writers, socialists and anarch-
lists, and facetiously suggests that all
these malcontents be banished to q little
Utopia of their own, that the man who
works may have chance to work un-
interrupted by strikes, into which, &C.
-cording to Mr.. c., he is forced by un
lawful intimidation. /
Mr.. G. may be serious. He has q
right to his own opinions, even as those
who cannot swallow his bare assertions
have right to contrary opinions. Mr..
CPS averment that cooperative schemes
and colonies are impractical is convinc-
ing proof that he has not thought it
worth his while to investigate before
drawing conclusions. There are in
Europe thousands of cooperative es-
Establishments, some of which have
weathered the financial storms and eco-
nOmic-vicissitudes Of more than fifty
: years, to the general satisfaction and
material well-being of the co-operators.
Quite number of cooperative con-
Germs are doing business in the United
States, and according to late reports,
over 80 per cent of them are prosperous.
According to the Arena, "the aggregate
cooperative business of America and
Europe amounts to $2,OOO,O0O,OOO a
year," and, as the number of co-opera-
tive establishments is steadily increas-
ing, and, as at the lowest calculation
Is per cent of the new establishments
are financially successful, it seems the
very height of absurdity to aver that CO.
operative schemes are, and necessarily
must be, impracticable, impossible. In
New Zealand, where government own
ership and cooperative schemes are
carried out to greater extent than
in any other country, "the wealth per
family was, ten years ago, SIS, 700; today
it is $7,4OO; while the population has
increased 10 per cent, the exports 40
per cent, and bank deposits 60 per cent.
In New, Zealand there are no small
groups Of millionaires, becoming men,
ace to the government, and a burden to
the people through special privileges,
nor are there the extremes of poverty
found elsewhere. The motto, From
each man according to his ability; to
each man according to his need, seems
to be the actuating spirit of this gov
ernment; and as result the land is
prosperous, and the people becoming
independent and happy"
Mr.. C.'s supposition that ideas altru-
istic in their tendencies can never be
realized because they are opposed to
mans chief incentive to labor-am-
bition-is fallacious, because it presup-
poses that mans ambition must neces-
sarily run in one groove-that of
acquiring wealth. Nothing could be
further from the truth. The paths of
ambition are manifold leading
to the barren hills of Self -exaltation,
and some to the fruitful valleys of Self
negation. There is as much room for
ambition in striving to increase the
well-being of our fellow men as there
is in efforts tending solely to self-ag-
grandizement. The only IaudabIe am
bition is that which has for its aim the
Improvement of present conditions, the
promotion of happiness mot as these
are related to our individual selves
only, but rather as they effect the gen.
eral welfare of mankind.
Mr.. C.'s statement, "that commu-