The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-23

there should and must be inequality of
reward. We may be sorry for the gener-
aIthe painter, the artist, the worker IN
any profession of any kind, whose mis-
fortune rather than whose 1auit II u
that he does his work Ill. But the
reward must go to the man VINO Goes
his work well; for any other course Is
to create a new kind of privilege,
the privilege of folly ana weakness.
and special privilege is injustice, what
ever form it takes.
Avoid LeVeIing Down.
To saw that the thriftless, the lazy,
the vicious, The incapable ousnI ~
have the reward given to those WIZ
are far-sighted, capable, ana uPrlgIl.s
be true Let us try to level up, Dut let
us beware of the evil of leve1ng down.
If a man stumbles, 1t is g gooo tnlns
to help him t. his feet; every one IT, u
But If a mar lies down, 1t Is q waste
of time to try to carry him; ana II is
very bad thing for every one II we
make men feel that the same reward ware
work and to those who do 1t.
Let US, then take into account the
actual facts OF life, and not De mlsIeo
into following any proposal for acnleV-
ing the millennium, for recreating the
golden age, until we have subjected II
to hard-headed examination. On the
other hand, 1t is foolish to reject
proposal merely because it is advanced
by Missionaries. If a given scheme is
proposed, look at it on its merits, and,
in considering it, disregard formulas.
1t does not matter in the least who
proposes it, or why. IF it seems good,
try it, If it proves good, accept it;
otherwise, reject it. There are plenty
of men calling themselves Socialists
with whom, up to certain point II
is quite possible to work. If the next
step is one which both we and they
wish to take why of course take it,
without any regard to the fact that
our Views as to the tenth step may
differ. But, on the other hand, keep
clearly in mind that though 1t has
been worth while to take one step, this
does not in the least mean that it may
not be highly disadvantageou to take
the next. 1t is just as foolish to re-
fuse all progress because people de-
manding it desire at some points to go
to absurd extremes. as 1t would be to
go to these absurd extremes simply be-
cause some of the measures advocated
by the extremists were wise.
The good citizen will demand liberty
for himself, and as a matter of pride
he will see to It that others receive the
liberty which he thus claims as his
own. Probably the best test of true
love of liberty in any country is the
way in which minorities are treated
| be complete liberty in matters of reli-
| gion and opinion, but complete liberty
for each man to lead his life as he de-
sires, provided only that in so doing he
| does not wrong his neighbor. Persecu-
| ton is bad because 1t Is persecution,
and without reference to which side
happens at the moment to be the per-
secutor and which the prosecuted.
Glass hatred is bad in just the same
wav and without any regard to the in
dividual who, at a given time, sub5tl-
| tutes loyalty to a class for loyalty to
the nation, or substitutes hatred of
| men because they happen to come in a
certain social category, for judgment
awarded them according to their con-
duct. Remember always that the same
measure of condemnation should be
extended to the arrogance which would
| look down upon or crush any man be-
| cause he is Door, and to the envy and
hatred which would destroy man be-
| cause he is wealthy.
Brutality of Wealth.
The overDearing brutality of the man of
| wealth or power, and the envious and
| hateful malice directed against wealth or
power. are really at root merely different
manifestations of the same shield. The
man who, If born to wealth and power
exploits and ruins his less fortunate
brethren, is at heart the same as the
greedy and violent demagogue who excites
those who have not property to plumber
his country is inflicted by that man,
whatever his station, who seeks to make
line that separates class from class. oc-
cupatfon from occupation, men OF more
of remembering that the only safe stan
dard is that which judges each man on
his worth as man, whether he be rich
OF to his station in life. Such is the only
true democratic test. the only test that
public. There have been many republics
In the past, both in what we call antiqui-
They fell, and the prime factor in their
fall was the fact that the parties tended
to divide along the line that separates
ence which side was successful; It made
oasr f5s rule w of he df f fse
rule of a mob. In either case, when once
loyalty to class had AL, been substituted for for
republic was at hand. There is no greater
need today than the need to keep ever in
right and wrong, between good citizenship
and bad citizenship, runs at right angles
cleavage between class and class, between
occupation and occupation Ruin looks US
position instead of Judging him by his
conduct in that position.
learn to combine intensity. of conviction
with a broad tolerance of difference of
conviction. Wide differences of opinion
Social sn beiief must exist If conscience and
intellect alike are not to be studied, If
Bitter internecine. hatreds, based on such
differences, are signs, not of earnestness
whether religious or anti-religious. demo-
cratic or anti-democratic, Is itself but
Whicb has Been the Chief FACTOR IN ths
downfall of so many, many nations.
Something for Nothing.
OF one man in especial, beyond any one
else the citizens of a republic should be-
ware, and that is of the man who appeals
to them to support him on the ground
that he is hostile to other citizens of the
republic that he will secure for those who
elect him, in one shape or another, profit
at the expense of other citizens of the
republic 1t makes no difference whether
he appeals to class hatred or class interest,
to religious or antf-relig1ous prejudice;
he who makes such appeal
should always be presumed to make it for
the sake of furthering his own interest.
int