The Penn's Grove record., 1906-09-28

Is wise enough TO preuIct With certain"
ty the result Of any system before it
has been thoroughly tried? lndividu-
alism has been tested by centuries Of
experience. Under 1t there have been
progress and development. That it
has not been free from evil Is not a
sufficient condemnation. The same
rain that furnishes the necessary mois-
ture for the growing crop sometimes
foods the land and destroys the har-
vest; the same sun that cOaxes the
tiny shoot from Mother Earth some
times scorches the blade and blasts
the maturing stalk. The good things
given US by our heavenly Father often.
IL not always, have an admixture of
evil, to the lessening Of which the in
telligence of man must be constantly
directed. Just now there are signs of
an ethical awakening which is likely
to result in reforming some of the evils
which have sprung from individualism,
but which can be corrected without
any impairment Of the principle.
AlIrulSm Necessary.
The individualist, while contending
that the largest and broadcast develop
ment of the individual, and hence of
the entire population, is best secured
by full and free competition, made fair
by law, believes in a spiritual force
which acts beyond the sphere Of the
state. After the government has sc.
cured to the individual, through com
petition, a reward proportionate to his
effort, religion admonishes him of his
stewardship and of his obligation to
use his greater strength, his larger
ability and his richer reward in the
spirit of brotherhood. Under individ-
ualism we have seer a constant in
crease in altruism. The fact that the
individual can select the objects of his
benevolence and devote his means to
the cause that appeal to him has Civ.
en- an added stimulus to his endeavors
Would this stimulus be as great under
socialism?
Probably the nearest approach that
we have to the socialiStic state today
is to be found in the civil service. II
the civil service develops more useful
ness and more altruistic devotion to
the general welfare than private EN-.
ployment does, the fact Is yet to be
discovered. This is not offered as 9
criticism of civil service in SO far as
civil service may require examinations
to ascertain fitness for Office, but it is
simply a reference to a well known
fact-viz, that a life position in the
government service, which separates
n from the lot of the average produ'
Ger of wealth, has given no extraordi.
nary stimulus to higher development.
1t is not necessary to excuse or tc
defend a competition carried to a point
where it creates a submerged fifth, O.
ever a submerged tenth, to recognize
the beneficial effect of struggle and
discipline upon the men and women
who have earned the highest places ii
industry, society and government.
A Friendly Rivalry.
There should be no unfriendliness be
tween the honest individualist and the
honest socialist; both seek that which
they believe to sbe best for society. The
socialist, by pointing out the abuses Of
individualism, will assist in their cor
rection. At present private monopoly
is putting upon indiyidualism an I'm
deserved odium, and it behooves the
individualist to address himself ener
getically to this problem in order tina
the advantages Of competition may bt
restored to industry. And the duty o.
immediate action Is made more imper
alive by the fact that the socialist il
inclined to support the monopoly, IL
the belief that it will be easier to in
duce the government to take over al
industry after 1t has passed into thu
hands Of a few men. The trust mag
mates and the socialists unite in de
claring monopoly to be an economi,
development, the former hoping to re
tain the fruits of monopoly in private
hands, the latter expecting the ulti
mate appropriation Of the benefits o
monopoly by the government. The in
dividualist, on the contrary, contends
that the consolidation of industries
leases to be an economic advantage
when competition is eliminated, ant
he believes further that no economi,
advantage which could come from tn
monopoliZation of all the industries IL
the hands of the government coult
compensate for the sitting Of individ
ual initiative and independence. Ant
the in~dividualists who thus believ,
stand for a morality and for a system
Of ethics which they are willing t.
measure against the ethics and moral
ity Of socialism.