Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-18

Text: Whatever thy hand findsth u %
DO II with thy might The preacher.
glNen and he shall have abundance. but
from his that hath not Il shall be taken
away even that which he hath" Jesus
The parable Of the talents constitutes one
~ THE profoundest teachings attributed 20
Christ. On the surface g seems strange
and arbitrary, contrary to every ethical
standard. yet as a matter Of fact It Is cor
federated By the entire history OF human
experience
In the first place the parable recognizes
the past Of human limitations We are
finite beings. limited in our powers 70 tasks
IN out efforts and actions. IN our ideals and
visions. We cannot DO al that we should
wish TO do. cannot understand all that we
should wish TO understand. The facts o.
cur human limitations are ever present
facts. Some grow pathetic over them and
eloquent; others kick at them and complain
The wise man accepts them and makes the
best OF them.
In the second place the parable recognizes
an even more Important fact. That these
universal limitations Il mankind a. a
whole are broken up into separate frar-
ments and distributed to human individuals
in unequal proportions. In other words.
despite much unwise TAX 70 the contrary.
equal opportunities do net exist A great
many things IN our lie come to US over
which we have little or no control For
one thing. we cannot chose our parents:
whether we be born in q hut or a mansion
whether our early life be surrounded BY
noble and pure influences. or by ignobie
and impure. are matters beyond our control.
Thus at the very start. in which so much
depends. our future L. 70 q great extent
mapped out There was a large kernel Of
truth in the crude old doctrine OF predesti-
nation
Equality. Ny friends II does not exist
This world. whether we want II or no
whether we rebel or submit. Is built on in
equality Some people are fat. others are
lean: some have blue eyes. others have
brown; some have straight noses. others
have pugnoses. and maybe pugnacious;
some are wise. some are foolish: some are
witty. some are dull-because nature made
them 50. because God. who seems to love
variety. must have wanted them so.
Is this discouraging teaching? II So
truth itself must be discoursging and some
times It is-to the foolish that they may
learn wisdom. II is a mere statement OF
fact meant for our edification and guild
ance. Knowing the facts Of cur existence
we shall the better be able to handle them
Knowing the point Of departure. we shah
the better know the point OF our destina-
ton.
Inequality Il IL any real cause for com
plant. None whatever. On the contrary.
once we have caught its true significance.
tits Gods supremest gift to mankind
Without il the world would be unlivable
Suppose a world where perfect equality ex-
listed, where everyone looked alike. and
talked alike. and thought alike and acted
alike. ard aspIred alike. and had alike
twould be a world OF everlasting flstness
inhabited by moon calves.
No, inequality is nothing TO complain Of
but something 10 be grateful for. And II
Is only the man with the one talent the one
who has the least to do. but doesn't do
that. that complains and finds fault with
his lot-the others attend to their business
Does this. then. Justify the social in
equalities that exist. the eruelties the
abuses. the tryannies that have been heaped
upon the poor and down-trodden since the
beginning OF civilization? Not in the least
But that is another phase OF the subject
with which ! am not now concerned. in
passing. ] may remark. however. that our
social inequalities rest fundamentally upon
mental inequalities. and II Is only IN pro-
portion as these be removed OF modified by
education in the fullest sense Of that term
that we may look for larger social justice
and equality, This, too. Is abundantiy
verified by human history and nowhere
more strilTingly so than in the history OF
the modern labor movement
Meanwhile. Il should be noted. and noted
with care. that while We have not equal