New-York tribune., 1910-04-24

! fort Tt' Is -ouite impossible. and equally
undesirable. 10 draw in theory hard and
I fast line which shall always divide the
two sets OF cases. This every one who IS
not cursed with the pride OF the closet
philosopher will see, IL he will only take
the trouble TO think about some of our
commonest phenomena. For instance. When
people live on isolated farms or IN little
hamlets, each house can be left 10 attend
TO it's own drainage and water supply; but
the mere multiplication OF famliies IN
given area produces new problems which.
because they differ In size. are found 70
offer not only in degree but in kind from
the old: and the questions OF drainage and
water supply have to be considered from
the common standpoint. IL is not n matter
for abstract dogmatizing 10 decide when
this point Is reached; 1t Is matter to be
tested by practical experiment. Much OF
the discussion about socialism and indi-
vidualism is entirely pointiess. because Of
failure TO agree on terminoogy. IL is not
good to be the slave OF names. ] am a
strong individualist by personal habit in
heritance and convictions; but IT is mere
matter of common sense to recognize that
the state the community. the citizens act
ing together. can do "A number of things
better than il they were left to individual
action. The individualism which finds its
expression I'm the abuse of physical force
is checked very early in the growth Of
civilization and we of to-day should In
our turn strive 20 shackle or destroy that
i1.dividualism ii. which triumphs 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 10
bring about justice and the equality of op-
portunity, to turn the tool user more and
more into the tool owner, to shift burdens
so that they can be more equitably borne.
The deadening effect on any race of the
adoption OF a logical and extreme sOcialistic
system could not be overstated; IL would
spell sheer destruction; it would produce
grosser wrong and outrage, fouler immor-
aIity, than any existing system But this
does not mean that we may not with great
advantage adopt certain Of the principles
professed by some given set of men who
happen to call themselves socialists; 10 be
afraid TO do so would be to make mark
of weakness on our part.
Plea for Measurable Equality.
But We should not take part In acting
lie any more than I'm telling lie. We
should not say that men are equal where
they are not equal. nor proceed upon the
assumption that there is an equality where
II does not exist; but we should strive to
bring about a measurable equality, at least
TO the extent of preventing the inequality
which is due 10 force or fraud. Abraham
Lincoln a man of the plain people, blood Of
their blood and bone of their bone, who
all his life toiled and wrought and suffered
for them, and al the end died for them,
who always strove 10 represent them. who
would never tell an untruth to or for
them. spoke Of the doctrine of equality
with his usual mixture of idealism and
sound common sense. He said ~ omit
what was of merely local Significance Il
think the authors Of the Declaration of In
depence Intended 10 include all men. but
that they did not mean to declare all
men equal in all respects. They did not
mean to say all men were equal in color,
size intellect. moral development or social
capacity. They defined with tolerable dis
tiuctness I'm what they did consider all
men created equal-equal in certain inalien-
able rights. among which are life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. This they
said and this they meant. They did not
mean TO assert the Obvious untruth that
all we're then actually enjoying that equal
itv. or vet that they were about to confer
it Immediately upon them. They meant TO
set ND q standard maxim for free So
ciety which should be familiar to all-con-
stantly looked TO, constantly labored for.
and. even though never perfectly attained.
constantly approximated and thereby con-
stantIv spreading and deepening it's infu-
ence. and augnenting the happiness and
value of life to all people, everywhere