The morning journal-courier., 1908-10-19
sBLF-INTEREsT AND CITIZENSHIP.

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 sELF-INTEREsT AND CITIZENSHIP.
 In his lecture last Friday night in Lampson lyceum, on the subject Self interest as q Hindrance to Good Git zenship." Ambassador James Bryce pointed out that the "laissez faire" doctrine is adverse to the general in terests of the community and has largely been abandoned in practice and denied as a theory by an increas- ing school of writers. This Is quite true and known by students of ad- vanced economic and social phenom- ena. Nevertheless, the majority of students and writers are hardly aware of this fact, There are great many who still suppose that this older teach ing Is having its wonted influence and that self-interest in the economic sense must be preserved at all costs.
 It is gradually dawning on the minds of men that they may act from other motives than self-interest sole ly even in the pursuits of wealth, There has been too largely the dispos- ition to make self-interest sort of demi- god. Selfshness becomes vir- tue. Even now text books in political economy are used in colleges and geo. ondary schools which exalt self-inter- est as the grand motive. In the books of Francis Walker, as type, once president of the Massachusetts Insti- ute of Technology, there are striking definitions of self-interest and compe- tition, which in substance declare that ethics, religion. honor, loss of friends, practically have no place in with standing mans pursuit of wealth To eliminate motives, which are among the most powerful in shaping civili- zation from wealth getting, seems to those who have gained the social 1 point of view regarding the affairs of 1 life, to he in effect suicidal. But for generations this divorce of the finer l forces of life from the economic has 1 been taught and hammered in, until 1 to-day the fruits of It all are being have been gained in strict accordance with this orthodox economic instruc- ton The later consciousness that something has gone wrong and that ethics has something to say about the accumulation of wealth is bringing a change in the spirit and methods oi business A reconstruction of econo mic theory and teaching Is taking place.
 There is wide difference in econo mic theory between Ire English school which regarded wealth as the grea object of economic science, and tho German or historico- ethical schoo which regards men as the great object "The starting point" said Prof, Will helm Roscher "as well as object, point of our science Is man" It |, coming to be recognized, slowly f may be, that man, even in wealth getting may modify self-interest by 6 little of altruism, especially as tho collective consciousness become, greater, and the conception of society as unity and sn organism become, more prominent
 This newer body of economic ant social ideas is undoubtedly modifyins greatly legislation in Europe ant America. The individual citizen Is be- lllE lIdllleu Dy llle lIehu hllu lOElC O events to subordinate his interests tt those of the whole. It may cause flc ton for q time. but eventually self governing people especially will fnt the facilities governmentally for doins collectively many more things thar hitherto. Just at present the points of contact between private enterpris, and insistence on self-interest on thu one hand and governmental admins tration in the field of private enter prise on the other hand are quit, numerous and sharp The result f. what Is to be expected, frequent clash es and a general struggle for suprem acy, but out of 1t all will come civ iliaation on higher plane, It is fol the good citizen to keep his mint open to the influences of the incom ] ing and oncoming life,