Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-04-23

aDhOr the so called practlcai' men
whose practically assumes the shape
Of that peculiar baseness which finds
its expression in disbelief I'm morality
and deceDcy. IN disregard Of high
standards of living and conduct. Such
creature is the worst enemy Of the
body polite. But only less desirable
as q citizen is his nominal opponent
and real ally, the man Of fantastic
vision who makes the impossible bet
ter forever the enemy of the possible
good.
The Slave Of Names.
Much of the discussion about social
ism and indlvidualism Is entirely point
less because of failure to agree on
Technology. 1t is not good to be the
slave of names. ! am strong indi-
vlduaIist by personal habit. inherit
ance and conviction. but 1t is a mere
matter of common sense to recognize
that the state. the community, the
citizens acting together, can do a num-
Der of things better than If they were
left to Individual action.
The indiyidualism which finds It's
expression in the abuse of physical
force Is checked very early in the
growth of civilization, and we of today
should in our turn strive to shackle or
destroy that individualism which tri-
umphs by greed and cunning, which
exploits the weak by craft instead of
ruling them by brutality.
We ought to go with any man In
the effort to bring about justice and
the equality of opportunity to turn the
tool user more and more into the tool
owner. to shift burdens so that they
can be more equltably borne.
The deadening effect on any race Of
the adoption of a logical and extreme
socialistic system could not be over
stated. 1t would spell sheer destruc-
tion. 1t would produce grosser wrong
and outrage, fouler immortality, than
any existing system. But this does not
mean that we may not with great ad-
vintage adopt certain of the principles
professed by some given set of men
who happen to call themselves Social
lists.
listen to those men who would make
us deslst from the effort to do away
with the inequality which means in
justice, the inequality of right, of op-
portunity, of privilege. We are bound
in honor to strive to bring ever nearer
the day when as far as is humanity
possible we shall be able to realize the
h.H
equal opportunity to show the stuff
that is in him by the way in which he
renders service.
There are plenty of men calling
themselves Socialists with whom up
to certain point it is quite possible
TO work. If the next step is one which
both we and they wish to take, why,
of course, take 1t without any regard
to the fact that our views as to the
tenth step may differ. But. on the 9th
err hand, keep clearly in mind that,
though it has been worth while to
take one Step, this does not in the
least mean that it may not be highly
disadvantaSeOus to take the next.
1t is justtas foolish to refuse all
progress because people demanding 1t
desire at some points to go to absurd
extremes as It would be TO go to these
absurd extremes simply because some
Of the measures advocated by the ex-
uemists were wise.
Persecution is bad because 1t is per
secution and without reference to
which side happens at the moment to
be the prosecutor and which the perse-
cuted.
Danger of Glass Hatred.
Glass hatred is bad In just the same
way and without any regard to the
individual who at given time sub
stitutes loyalty to class for loyalty
to the nation or substitutes hatred Of
men because they happen to come In
certain social category, for Judgment
awarded them according to their con-
duct.
In republic TO be successful we
must learn to combine intensity of con-
viction with a broad tolerance of diff
ference of conviction. Wide differ
ences OF opinion in matters of religious.
political and social belief must exist If
conscience ahd intellect alike are not
to be stunted. II there is TO be room
for healthy growth.
Bitter lnternecine hatreds. based on
such differences, are signs not OF ear
nestness Of belief. but OF that fanati-
cism which. whether religious or anti
religious. democratic or antl-democrat-
Ic, Is itself but a manifestation OF the
gloomy blgotry which has been the
chief factor In the downfall Of so
many, many nations
Good Patriot First.
| believe that a man must bo a good
patriot before he can be, and as the
only possible way of being. good cit
lzen OF the world Experience teaches
us that the average man who protests
that his International feeling swamps
his national feeling. that he does not
care for his country because he cares
so much for mankind. In actual prae-
tiee proves himself the foe of man
kind: that the man whOasays that he
does not care 70 be a citizen OF any
one country because he Is citizen OF
the world Is in very fact usually an
exceedingly undesirable citizen ot