The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-09-18
BETTER AND hOBLER
!. METHOD Of LIVING
Possibility Of Grander Attain,
11aents Under the Rule Of :
y Associative Effort.
Modern Methods Of Competition
. Are Relics of the Bar
r. barrie Are. 1sr5., ,.*.. .> =.
BY MORRIS KAPL I,

Very frequently the statement is
made that under socialism "conpett-
ton would be eliminated and that all
men would be reduced to a common
level, and that, as, q, consequence Of
this, ambition" and Incentive would
cease among men, the assumption be-
ing that AS all men would get the
same pay for all classes of work" notal
ling would be left to spur men on t.1
invent new things, and bring into tins
world new ideas. Human nature, we
are told, cannot stand Y uniformity.
Sometimes even science is called to
bear witness that ''the tendency is Oh
ways from the simple to the complex
and from the homogeneous to the
Heterogeneous" and that as man adj
vances in the arts of civilization he
becomes more and more different than
his Fellows a. *:&. 81 ..@:. ~.
Il s.s, Thinking "a Priori!' .s..sz
81 That men SO feel, so think 80 act, il;
not at all q surprise to those who have.
given any thought to political econ
omy, tor to the man who is q student
OF economic history it Is not at all
strange to- find men thinking "a
priori." Heredity plays an important
part in the development Of the race.
Customs and coI1ventionalities cannot
be overcome without heroic effort,
Grooved within an environment, whero
the mind of man is taught to look out
Tor mo. j." all his wits necessarily
are strained to get ahead OF the other
fellow. Economic competition IL mere
another name for war, and the only
difference being that instead OF using
guns and other missiles that belch
forth fire and send bullets direct into,
other mems hearts. the man-n1ade fac
tory machine and utensil drains our.
heart blood more slowly, but none the
less more surely The fact that we
are living 3 heller SHELTER life today
doing everything in a 81 hurry-ea..
drink, sleep, die, all In q hurry. ana
that we age much more rapidly than
our forefathers, afflicted with ali sorts
Of physical ailments which takes most
OF us out Of the world at time when
we should commence to apprecia.e
real life, is an evidence. to my rn1nd
at least, that man Is not living
normal. natural life. IF ,S$55 ss n 4 .#s
5s..s Law of Survival. ,...2s .5.=.
Furthermore It has yet to be shown
that socialism advocates and endeavor
TO checkma:e the laws Of nature. y,
existence, life, anticipates struggle.
81 lie can only survive through the
Destruction Of other lie. z That Is
natural law competition functionir1e
In the laws OF nature. Socialism re-
cognizes this law and works in har-
n1ony with II. Life beginning with the
simple cell, it Is evident that IN IN
fancy there would be an involuntary
struggle, atom with atom. between the
cellular forms Of life, each seeking
to survive at the expense 81 the other.
this Is competition playing IN the
world Of nature among the cFuder
forms Of life. I. Is symptomattc Of all 1
forms OF life, <as they develop, to COM
sbtnefor mutual aid and for mutual
protection The tendency therefore IL 1
ever from the simple to the complies.
from the compel itive to the CO operat-
I've. Man Is no exception to this law,
He STARTED out competing with
everything and everybody. Many cen
turtles perhaps hundreds Of thousands
Of years OF experience along this line.
have demonstrated to him the dan
gers to which he Is always subject
ana to which he A az any time liable
to tail prey. He has worked his way
out Of the comp titive sphere into
the operative sphere, doing this
.lnYoluntarily ana uncons ciously ana
although as yet limited only to his
slmmediate family, the light ii break 4
Ing ana he u now fast opening Ills
eyes to the grandeur and possibilities
which the 3 human race can attain
through associati
Compst itionS considsrsd.
Competition belongs to the age when
Tho tooth ma the claw were tina
sFeapons defense. Although CO.
Alisnn recog nizes HE Scause 81
pstition lturS, Il J ma kess no %
tempt IS circurnvent Or proscribe this
law. except II 40 Tar as II acts upon
mar, hfs reIat ION with his fellows
cop0n,ic conf Hon ~ iitsett