Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1904-12-02
Friday Dec. 2, 1904.
OPPORTUNITY.

able extent upon our opportunities,
we shall doubtless come in contact
with the ideas of certain class of
people who profess to believe that it
lies within the reach of every in
dividual to carve out his own career,
and that it depends entirely upon his
diligence and application as to what
measure of success he shall have in
life. This is a doctrine that is a
great favorite with what are known
"a "self made" men. That is, men
Who have risen by what they claim
tn have been Individual effort, from
conditions of poverty and dependence
ia circumstances of afiluence and
power. This class of people are
prone to feel and say that the measure
of success they have attained is at
tributable to their industry and per-
severance. 1t is pleasant thought,
no doubt, and is calculated to put
them in most excellent humor with
themselves; and where they succeed
in converting other people TO their
way of thinking, is productive of re-
suits that are flattering to their feel
ings of self Importance.
1t is astonishing to see how easily
satisfied some of the people who adj
vocate this theory are, in view of
their claim that it all depends upon
them as to how high they shall soar.
Under such conditions there are
people who would never be satisfied
With anything less than place at the
very top. But some of these people
seem satisfied to take comparative
~ humble place rather than exert
their irresistible powers to obtain a
higher ono. And again, in some
cases 1t takes % much longer time to
s""r ven elevation than it does
an Others, oven among self made
people, which ia either to be account
ed for on the grounds of lack of de-
sire or of ability. If we say it is
lack of desire, we must agree that the
person has not done his best, and
consequently is censurable-
thing that your self made man would
not like to have thought of him-al-
though he would perhaps rather have
that idea prevail than that he could
not do more il he would.
To the person that does not believe
in their claims, or rather in this doc
trine, it is evident that lack of ahili-
ty is the real cause of the situation.
N all were equally able there would
10 but little inequality, as most
people would want to be equally
successful. This would mean that all
would be at the top, if such thing
we're possible, which of course it is
not. If we admit an inequality in
ability, this of itself will show that
strive as we like 1t is impossible that
all can be equally successful in the
race of life, and ON these grounds
alone the contention that the measure
of success depends upon the dill
gence and application of the individ-
ual falls TO the ground. But the
inequality of the race, great though
it is, is not all that is to b reckoned
With in accounting for the difference
in the circumstances in which we
And mankind placed. 1t may he log
ical to urge the survival Of the flttest,
but in this problem of life in the
solution of which we are engaged, it
Is a fact that it is not always the
iittest that survive, in proof of which
We find that wrong frequently over
comes right, vice virtue and knavery
honesty, the fool the philosopher
aud the weak the strong. In account
ing, then, for the conditions as they
are, there is something else more
potent than any of the causes that we
have discussed that is accountable
in great degree for the situation.
To this something we have, for lack
Of a better name, given the title of
opportunity.
We often hear it said when speak
ing of the beauties of our republican
form Of government, that every native
born citizen of our commonwealth
has it within his power to become
president of the United States. That
owing to the constitutional provision
that prohibits the comforting of any
title Of nobility, the highest offices