The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-05-29
UNION LABOR
DEPARTMENT
Address all Communications to
w. M. PIGGOTT, Editor.
375 Twenty-fourth Street.

tldUS lOutu CduoC vi tduhN
: of the serious social wrongs that nus
be righted before humanity can liv
q rational human life?
Prof. Eucken is intensely earnest II
his desire to solve the problems o
. the day; but he, too, is looking beyon'
the matter-of fact in life to certain
or rather, uncertain, "inner connec
, tions" for the satisfaction of his anx
iety In this he Is but In line will
the trend of psychological though
J that marks much OF the literature o.
our time.
Thinker and worker alike seem daz
ed by the mad rush for wealth on the
one hand and the persistent poverty
on the other. That minds prone tc
abstract thinking should seek RELIEF
for these social evils in theories more
or less abstract, based more or less
upon reason, is not to be wondered at
Much OF tte philosophic thought oil
the past has been simply an exhibit
tson of intellectual deXterity in hand
ling distractions that have been OF
little or no value to human progress
But the problems which now press for
recognition ana solution arise out OF
the actual everyday experience oi
mankind. Our Impressions of them do
not come from abstract mental pro-
= ccsses. however ingenious they might
possibly be, but from experiences that
admit of no denial,
In the impressive language of the
author of Progress and Poverty
This association of poverty with
progress is the great enigma OF our
time. II is the central fact from
which spring industrial, social and
political difficulties that perplex the
i world, and with Which craftsmanship
= and philanthropy and education crap.
! pie in vain. From it come the clouds
that overhang the future of the most
| progressive and self-reliant nations
1t Is the riddle which the Sphinx of
Fate puts to our civilization and which
not to answer is to be destroyed So
! long as all the increased wealth which
modern progress brings goes but to
build up great fortunes. to increase
luxury and make sharper the contrast
between the House of Have and the
House OF Want, progress Is not real
and cannot be permanent. The tower
leans from its foundations and every
} new story but hastens the final catas-
trophe, To educate men who must be
condemned to poverty, is but to make
them restive: TO base on q state Of
most glaring inequality political In
stitutions under which men are the.
oretically equal, is to stand a pyra-
mid on its apex.
In these wretched conditions. earn
est thinkers grow sick of all mater
ial things and look for help beyond
Some are even coming TO doubt the
power OF reason to understand and
solve our social difficulties. One writ.
er OF considerable note goes so far as
to sneer at logic as something that
could be safely dispensed with in our
inquiries after truth This Is but the
reaction from the disappointment that
has come to us from material pro.
gress-with its common experiences
OF social confusion and disorder. From
this fact-life men have turned YEARLY
TO the vague mysterious and un-
known. But If ever poverty Is to be
, abolished 1t must be by matter Of fact
means.
Why should we look up to the clouds
Of speculation and theory for that
which lies beneath our feet? Is not
the earth the source OF all material
wealth. Where else. then. shoulJ the
poor go for satisfaction of their needs
III tney cannot get there that which
VIII relieve their poverty, It is not be-
cause the wealth is not there. Nature
Is ever waiting at the call of labor to
bless mankind with more than enough
TO satisfy all their wants.
Why then are many out of work and
why do SOME starve? Here is the vital
question of philosophers, philanthro.
pists and reformerS. What hinders
millions of needy men and women
from satisfying their needs 1t is q
plain, straightforward question, and
IT would seem as though its true an
swer should suggest an obvious rem
edy
Those millions are not willingly idle.
The lazy are the exception and not
the rule. IT, then. the earth is the
source OF all wealth. and men are will
ing To avail themselves of her bounty
py honest labor, why should poverty
Keep pace with our growing civIliza-
tlony There can be but one answer:
ltney are prevented from using natur-
al opportunities.
Who or what prevents them? There
Is but one answer to that question,
monopoly prevents them by arbitrar
ny appropriating those opportunities
and operating them exclusively for the
oohei, oil the monopolist or not oper-
atlng them adequately or at all.
IL Is plain then that in the land and
ID the land only lies the primary So
iutlon OF all social problems. Deep.
~ Undecided in this is the living root
Oh the great Upas tree of monopoly
'nht ofershadows and poisons our So
clal llte, and If we would destroy this
dreadful thing We must cease clipping
OH ITS outer branches and strike AT
the root.
WIN lew exceptions, philosophers
ana phllanthropists have not even at
tempted TO strike at this root. They
nave been looking up instead OF down
lor the solution that they crush he.
meath their feet daily, They have
ever been and still are, deaf to tho
Gull OF the land-the call to those who
are weary and heavy laden, the call
10 rest, rest for the weary little chill |
uren In our factories. rest for the hap.
gard and hopeless victims of the sweat
shop' rest for the thousands who tramp
the streets In the vain search for an
opportunity TO earn bit OF bread for
Wi1e and children, rest for millions of
industrial slaves who toll hopelessly
on, early and late, from years end 10
years end, for bare living. while
the monopolist whose privileges bring
mem To this misery lives in luxury
and ease.
IL our popular philanthropists and
neneiactors could but open their ears
10 this call of the land. we should hear
no more OF Soup Kitchens nor oLot.,