The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-12
says UNCLE CAV

raise Cain and make the man who is
crowdjng you move over, but while
you're trying in your earnest and
somewhat exciting way to improve
your lot, don't get so much wrapped
up in the effort as to forget that you
have a lot to be thankful for. It's
all right to see the dark side of things
as long as you have a good, hard,
cheerful fight in you, but don't look
SO long and with so much concentra-
ton upon the dark side that you be-
come discouraged. It's well enough
to be discontinued, but don't get des-
perate.
Your dissatisfaction with unfavor-
able conditions is the hope of your
latter years and of the generation
that is to come after you. But your
appreciation of the progress won by
your fathers makes largely for your
present happiness.
This age differs radically from all
the ages that have gone before it. 1t
is the poor mans age-the age OF
approximate equal rights, of the cur
tailment of special privilege. of the
common enjoyment of the good
things of life. 1t is not only the era
of the poor man who becomes well to
do or rich but it is the era of the
poor man who stays poor.
We hear a great deal about the high
cost of living, Of the depredations of
this trust and that combination in
restraint of trade, of political corrup-
ton and the usurpation of rights,
powers and privileges, and it is we'll
that we do. All this fuss and furore
is merely an indication of social and
political health. We are reaching
stage of civilization in which our
boosted equality is beginning to de-
mand practical as well as theoretical
recognition, and we are getting along
toward the goal of the fathers of the
republic a good deal faster than some
of us believe. Yesterday we cared
little about these matters, as indicated
by our spasmodic interest in them.
Today they raise our dander and we
grid oureloins to go after the fellows
whom we believe still have something
that belongs to us.
When this tumult and shouting is
sifted down to fact, we are a good
deal better off, in the mass, than we
were a little while ago. There are
a few facts that stand out as plainly
as the Lady with the Torch. What
ever else may be said of this age, 1t is
its almost unanimous effort to give
every man an equal chance with ev-
cry other. No other age has seriously
attempted to do this. If you live in
AFFECT poverty, we insist that you shall
have proper food, proper housing and
a proper education. Given these we
further insist that you go to work and
make a man of yourself. In spite of
all that we say of the trusts, and
much of what we say is true, they are
clamoring for strong men to do great
work, and you have only to qualify for
the job in order to make good. The
very economic evils of which we COM
plain are creating new opportunities
for the fit. Yesterday. the fit had
hard scratching to find the opportUn-
ity. Day before yesterday they
might have lived in serfdom, regard
less of their qualifications for the tasks
of free manhood. The civilization of
today seeks to make men and then to
give them mems work to do.
The age of trusts is infinitely SUI
perior to the age Of scattered effort, |
and lncomparably above the feudal
era.
Yesterday they made slaves of
whomsoever was conquerable. Today |
we refuse to let poverty breed a race
of slaves and the whole world trend
of modern legislation is to protect the |
weak that they may become strong.
If you have the grit to stick, sense |
enough to keep your eyes open, cour- |
age to be true to yourself, though you
be born in a howell, society will not
only keep it's foot off your neck. but |
it will offer hand. If you don't be-
lieve it, ask a few questions about the |
career of the next ten cOnSp1CuOuSly |
successful men that you meet. At
least eight of them will have come |
from poverty and two of these eight |
are likely to have risen from the
dregs.
If you can't rise, you are still more |
fcF tunate than the man in the same |
position yesterday. Not since the |
first sun shone has there been so near |
" equal distribution of the comforts, |
rights and privileges of existence as to-
day. The gap between the rich and |
the poor is no longer a great gulf.
Only a small percentage of the pow
erty ridden are without something that /
what we call modern /
comforts The man of modern means
or the man who lives from hand to
mouth, has. after all, only a little less
of the things that he can actually use, /
than the rich. Sometimes his measure i
of freedom is really greater.
If things are not going to suit you,
by all means raise Cain. That's your
privilege, one of the privi-
leges of this golden age. Give your
own little corner of the world a shak-
ing-you may do it good. If you feel
like fighting the existing order, sail in.
Break heads and demolish systems and
put the kibosh on the fellow vino gets
in YOUR way. But while you're doing
it, do 1t cheerfully and with good in
tent This isn't a perfect age, but it |
is a golden one and you have no quar-
rel with society at large.
OF A BACHELOR.
[From the New York Press.1
The better new things are the more age
1fGor lf