Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-12-13
DR.. Ely TELLS Of
THE EQUAL CHANCE
EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
OLD ORDER TORN DOWN
New Independent Regime Brought
New View OF Needs and Rights of
the eeeple---Laws First Destroyed
and New Ones Built up-~Litersry
Club Meeting,
Madison, bee. II

Madison, Dec. IL,
Equality ana Equality of 0pportun-
Iity in American History, was the sub
ject Of what proved 60 be most in
teresting paper b" DR. Richard 4,
Ely professor of social science, reaa
by him before the monthly mceting
meeting OF the Madison Literary club
at the residence of AIR, ana Mrs
Lucian ). Hanks, gl6 Langdou street,
last night,
by industrial democracy said In
ely Il understand the varied efforts
TO carry over our ideas OF democracy
from the political sphere e. the realm
OF business. These efforts constitute
| the greatest movement in American
history and ind expression IN an
infinite variety of forms aud fin mum.
horess expressions. the square
/ deal ot which we hear $50 much
nov. means that every ono must have
a fair chance and This is The funda.
mental idea in industrial democracy.
! The continuous effort to approximate
| equality of opportunity which runs
through our history ana Which cN-
plains ii as nothing else does Is in
/ dustrial democracy In action rhr,,
| are many different methods of pre-
sonttng the subject omas DETER
son has contributed more taan any
other one man to the movement.
/ This ! think can safely 90 said, mos
/ pecially 10y one who votes he M.
| Publican ticket AZ very early
time in our history Jefferson formu.
lated the philosophy of industrial dc.
mocmcy and preached II with such
vgor persistence aud ability duUnk
a long life that his inuonce must be
telt for all time as mighty force
/ In the development OF American do.
mocracy, The declaration of indt
| ptndence ana the constitution OF the
United States are the two great doc
nments in the history OF Industrial
democracy In this country. At ~
close of the eighteenth century the
industrial revolution was well under
| way Th machine stage OF produc-
tlon had begun to displace the handi.
/ craft stage Industry on small
scale was being crushed by ndustr,
on large scale. The modern can.
ltalist and the modern wage Garner
/ HnnruItI tho A
was replacing the old order. Men
began vigorously tearing down the
old economic structure OF society.
The cry 'back to nature naturally
/ arose II was supposed that nature
had framed Il natural code of law,
Tor the government of human soci.
! ETY. and that If man.made laws could
not be cleared away, nature would
orer all thinge benehcientiy. A part
OF this new philosophy showed itseu
IN new attitude toward agriculture.
Agriculture had been somewhat neg.
| lected. Now a gospel Of agriculture
was preached.
The declaration of independence
tells us that all men are created
equal that they are endowed by their
creator with certain unallenable
rights. that among these arc life. Hp.
erty and the pursuit % happiness,
Just Created Equal.
Notice this. Men are ceratea
equal IL Is not said that tney are
equal. Inequalities were due TO Gu
yironment In those days little or no
weight was placed on horedity. lei.
fersonB aim was to give all equality
! Of opportunity. animated by this
/ philosophy he naturauy begau to
clear away those obstacles which
were the cause, IN bis opinion, OF I'm.
equality In his efforts he was sup
ported by his great con ,emporaries.
/ Political inequalities were first IA
tackled. Titles and legal privileges
were abolished. MOnopolles were de
bounced IN the bills OF rights which
formed part Of the state constltu.
lions OF this period Monopoly means
the exact opposite Of equality of op
portuplty. and therefore monopoly
vas most solemuly declared to be IL
self contrary TO spirit Of free
people and this declaration was
placed In the fundamental law OF oul
state The monopoly that our fore
fathers had IN mind was the mon1p
oily particularly Of the old glIds ana
trading companies But with them
il was not the form but the thing T.
self that vas hateful Inequality 81
Inheritance established by law, as in
| Virginia vas abolished and an Chi
dren were placed upon the same foot
| ing. But Jencrson's program wa.
| not wholly negative lie early cav
that the faculties Of men must BE-
| tra'red to use toe opportunities Of
fered BY nature Therefore ne ia
vored broad scheme Of public edu
cation pcacEfuar gYr Frgft. ghg eg.s,. ....,