The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-10
"oPPORTUNISM."

lt would be difficult TO find term
by which people. who boast OF its
application TO themselves. cnstlgate
themselves more severely than by
tlat of "Opportunism
To see same folHs wrap themselves
In the mantle of "Opportunism one
would imagine that the thing is some.
thing rare; something diliicult To cul-
tWatc; thing to be educated In
only with great pain. II is nothing
CT the sort
"Opportunism" is as much instinct
i've with man as the act OF throwing
up ones right hand to ward oil a
blow, or the act OF putting forth both
orms to break the force OF fall.
There Is no man outside OF the luna
tic asylum who Is not an "oppoTtun-
ist," and most of those inside have
Wit enough LETT them to practice the
rick. Only the stark mad know moth
ing about "opportunlsm"
The man looking out OF a sixth
story window, and who makes up his
mind to go out on the street, the first
thing he does IS to tmn his back
To that very street that is his goal
and, following the windings OF stair
cases, land WHITTIER he started. The
woman who, living up on Park ave
me. wishes 10 do some shopping on
West Twenty-third street and has no
time to waste. will walk eastward to
beard a Third avenue L" train.
And so forth In each and all
these instances opportunism "a eNer-
c,sed. It is exercised lustinctlyely.
aOppormnism is the conduct that
combines goal with the material
facilities. or means 10 attain 1t.
"Opportunism" is so commonsensc
practice that it Is applied IN large
things as n small 1t is applied In
daily life. and 1t is applied in great
historic movements.
1t should seem from this that wheth-
er a person boasts of his "Opportun-
Ism" or not. "OpportunIsm' Is so
good thing that even the boasting
over 1t can not throw the thing Itself
into a bad light Not so.
II happens with "Opportun,sm'
happens to many another thing. When
pl opor II IS not boastcI about; when
boasted about, the boast Is meant 10
cover mpropricty- An extreme com
parison will Illustrate the point
The man. woman. or child, who. be-
ing hungry, and deprived OF all op-
pGrtunity 10 satisfy the want. steals
a loaf, is very different being from
the one who raises theft To principle
of action. The former regrets the
act, the latter glorllies It: the former
win avoid falling into the practice OF
thlevcry. the latter VIII seek for the
oDportunity In short, the former
may remain pure OF mind. the latter
will sink Into slummery So with
"Opportunism."
AS a sane. ,nstinctiyely human and
legitimate act, "Opporturlsm' is the
individuals surrender to necessity,
ron viii boast Of that. Everyone
w!ll prefer descending to the street
without first winding around corridors
he will never think Of boasting OF the
act When however, the winding
about to reach a goal is boastej about
u en- the boast parlakes in all essen
tials of the glorilication OF theft
The fact is seen in the Socialist or
labor movement The bona iide "Op-
porLunismt' never boasts OF his "Op-
rortunlsm." He recognizes facts, sur
renders to the dictates Of these and
rmrsues his goal. The mala iide ''Op-
Eortunlst, he with whom "Opportun-
ism" means to take L easy In dey-
icus ways. struts with the feather of
"Opportunlsm in HIS cap.
Boastful "Opportunism answers In
sociology the biologic purpose OF the
rattle attachment To the rattlesnake,
il at once attracts its kind, and warns
man,
Follow principle, sad jefferson. and
the knot unties itself.
Weekly People.