Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-07-19
THE SQUARE DEAL.

Isn't it about time to let that much
overworked phrase, "a square deal''
have period of rest? Since the idea
it conveys is an utter impossibility,
persons who carry and make use of a
thinking apparatus are weary of hear
ing it. Like Jefferson's "au men are
created equal this phrase is defiant
of reason and contemptuous of motor
ious facts. Absolute inequality is the
! most conspicuous fact of humanity.
Men are created unequal mentally,
morally and physically. No two per-
sons on earth are alike. One stands
condemned by circumstances antedat
ing his brit by generations to life
of crime. Another is born OR created
with every indication that he will
lead a good life. His antecedents COM
init him to virtue and honor One is
created an idiot, another endowed
| with a vigorous intellect. One has in
finite capacity for acquiring wealth,
while another, it may be of the same
| family, is foreordained to poverty
Washington Post
In the enforcement of the square
deal" it is not contemplated that men
shall be equal in regard to Unborn
tendencies nor that they shall be
provided with equal amounts of
wealth or pleasures. The square deal
stands for equality of opportunity to
the extent that each man is himself
capable of taking advantage and max
ing use of that opportunity.
The public school movement is an.
expression OF the idea of square
deal each child is given an oppor-
tunity to learn and to study that he
may the betted use his mental facul-
ties; but the public schools do not pro-
vide the child with health nor brains
nor natural aptitude. The schools
give equal opportunities to all chill
dren and it depends upon the child
whether one gets more benefit from
the school than another.
The square deal means equality be-
fore the laws that protect life and
liberty and property. But if a man
have an inherited bent toward crime
he will not be excused if he commits
crime; he is locked up because society
as a whole must be protected. SO far
as man-made laws are concerned the
| man of inherited criminal instincts
has the same opportunity to stay out
side of prison as has the man whose
ancestors were the most model citi-
zens.
In manufacturing, the square deal
means that one manufacturer shall
have the same opportunity that any
other manufacturer may have so far
as his relations as a shipper with
transportation companies is con-
cerned. but it does not mean that
sales shall be distributed equally
among all manufacturers regardless
of the energy with which they solicit
business or the quality of their prod
ucts.
And the square deal further in
wolves the idea that no seller shall be
allowed to enjoy a monopoly, because
the buyer. in that case, would have
no option but to make his purchases
at whatever price the seller might fix.
But the square deal does not include
the idea that the man who does not
know the quality of the goods he de-
sires to purchase or their value shall
be given assistance, except in the
case of those things concerning which,
thr the exercise of average intelligence,
he would not be capable of Judging.
Thus meat inspection, drug labelling
and pure food feasures have been es-
tablished by law for the benefit, not