Evening journal., 1911-09-09
LINE OF REASONING
THAT HAS NO SOUL
BY John S. Hamilton.


The writer during the past week re-
ceived with request for comment in
pamphlet form the copy Of an address
delivered before a commercial Con-
gress by one Of the leaders Of big busi-
ness in this country and man who is
known by reputation at least to all
those who lay any claim to be we'll
informed. The address was in the
line Of what has been called Socialistic
Cooperation, and while on its face 1t
appears to be an argument in favor of
all people getting together for mutual
benefit IN its depths the writer thinks
It betrays the purpose Of the author
to be the advocacy Of a free hand
without restraint for big business.
The writer would be pleased if he
could lay before his readers all that
is contained in this remarkable ad-
dress, but as this is impossible he will
only endeavor as far as space will
permit in this article to exploit an
idea or two with which he was inn
pressed during his careful reading
In developing his subject the author
Of the address very properly takes for
his premise man, and he endows his
subject with mind and body, entirely
overlooking or purposely ignoring the
soul. In ignoring or overlooking the
fact that man is possessed of what the
orthodox call a soul, the writer thinks
the author OF the address fatally miss
es the only part of a man which, in a
| crisis like now confronts us, is really
worthy of serious consideration. Body
and mind are constantly changing
form and passing away, but the soul
is a principle which persists from
generation to generation and from age
to age; we discover it ourselves in the
virtues and in the strong places and
the weaknesses that were bequeathed
to us by our forefathers, and let it be
noticed here is an Immortality of the
soul that is unquestionable and yet is
not contemplated by theologists or en-
braced by creeds.
The business of this country, like
the author of the pamphlets line of
reasoning, while it may it is true, have
emancipated the mind from the body
as he says, has also apparently, like
him, entirely forgotten the soul and
in doing so has completely ignored the
only thing that will guarantee the per-
manence of any system or any institu-
tion, for the soul Of man is Of more
Importance than any or all of the great
things and accomplishments which the
author so graphically speaks about
yes, greater than big business, than
ntercommunication, than the elimina-
tion of time and distance. than inven-
ton, than electricity, than steam. than
even the commercializing of honesty
and integrity which has been adopted
as a method Of business forsooth after
It had been learned that honesty and
integrity pay better than their oppos'
ties after all.
The authors reasoning therefore Is
only what was to be expected fror
one who had taken an important pari
in the fairy like transformations o
the past forty years and it is foolish
ness In the writer's opinion therefore
for him or his type to expect to b'
permitted as they Will not be per
mitted to participate in the solving O
difficulties Of their own making
The author complains of the pass
ing or laws Wnlcn ne says are dllhe'
at large enterprises and are calcu
later to interfere with what he justl'
claims is merely the logic Of thing
and Is no more or less than evolu
tionary tendency The writer doe
not believe that the passage Of thes'
laws was due TO any mere desire e
interfere with the tendencies whicl
the author speaks of. The movemen
with which We are now concerned ha
a for its motive power more than IN
telligence, more than human selfish
ness for It is a soul rising, II Is tn
incarnation of human wisdom and re
sistance asserting and manifesting it
powers Of self defence. To resist It 1
to invite the wrath Of the infinite an
to throw ones self in the way OF Ger
tain destruction.