Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-10-18
lndividualism Run Mad.
CLIO, ARK, Sept. II, 1906

mer's Magazine, from the pen OF
Earnest Weltmer, an article that
looks to me like individualism run
mad. But let me quote:
"We often look with envy upon
the man or the woman who has
achieved fame and wealth, and we
think that these are natures
favored ones. 1t seems to us that
these have not had to pay for all
the pleasures they enjoy. We
seem to work as hard to try as
conscientiously as they, but where
they succeed and live in luxury
we fail and endure all the priva-
tions and unsatisfied longings of
poverty. The balance of things
seems to be all out of joint and
justice seems prejudiced in favor
OF certain ones. We forget that
life has many sides and that her
laws are not based upon human
judgments. We overlook the terms
of the contract under which each
of us work; the heritage we bring
into our environment and the en-
vironment itself. We think that
effort should count just so much
despite the value of the thing that
pays for it. We should like to do
away with the measure of the in
dividual and make all men the
same in powers and possessions,
as we believe all men are equal in
the sight of the Creator. And 80
far as man can control he may
succeed in making such COM
munity arrangements obtain, but
outside of that narrow boundary
he will find that nature, in her
wisdom, will 60 on with the old
scheme of the survival of the fittest
and the stardard of the individual
achievement. So do not envy
others, thinking they have some-
thing for which they have not paid,
but be sure that they have only the
things to which they are entitled,
and that you also have all to which
nature recognizes your right. If
you are willing and have it in
your power to pay the same price
they have paid, then you can have
the same things they have"
Mr.. Weltmer seems to have over
looked the fact that we are all
greatly indebted to those who have
struggled up through the past and
who have builded the great ma
chine that we call civilization.
Was Benjamin Franklin, Prof.
Morse and our own Luther Bur-
bank rewarded according to their
achievements? Has Rockefeller
given more to society than all
these?
/ saw a statement once that any
man working absolutely alone and
independent of his fellows, could
produce only about twenty five
cents worth of wealth in a day,
while if he were associated with,
say million other men, he might
produce five dollars worth of
wealth. That may not be exactly
true; there may not be SO great a
difference, but a moments reflec-
ton will satisfy any thinking man
that there is very great differ
ence, whether it be four dollars
and seventy-five cents more or less.
Now Socialists hold that without
association this great wealth could
not be produced, and therefore
society has right to a voice in
it's distribution.
Great machines are useless with
out laborers, and yet when a man
enters a great factory and becomes
a part of the machine he loses his
identity, almost his individuality,
and places himself and family at
the mercy of capital. For what?
For the good of society, that pro-
duction may be increased; that
we may have five dollars per day
to each worker instead of twenty
five cents, under individual pro-
duction. After these things have
gone on for several generations we
have lost sight of the sacrifices
labor has made for society, and
have failed to give it the protec-
zion it has deserved and that So
ciety owes it. What Socialists
propose is to pay this debt of So
,iety to labor.
Mr.. Weltmer winds up his article
rs follows: cit is the system
which nature uses, and you may
be sure that all you possess you
nave paid for, and that you pos
'ess all that you have paid for.
You may be sure, also, that the
same is true of every one else."
The revelations of Thos. w. Law
ION, if there were no other evi-
lence at hand, would knock the
.easoning of Mr.. Weltmer into
'inocuous desuetude" and leave
him without peg to hang an
on.
The idea! Why everybody
Knows that we are suffering from
he greatest inequalities Of wealth
distribution the world has ever
Known. And SO many great and
rood people are engaged in the
york that new words had to be in
,ented for the old, time-worn word
heft. And now a thief is a s'graft-
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