The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1913-08-12
EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF

TN the development OF d new CouiitTy
the commercial instinct is individ-
ual gain. What one does on his
own little patch of ground for himself
is the essential thing. By each per-
son thus attending to his own for him
self the whole is soon perfected.
We of this new country, with I'M
limited resources, saw the necessity
for this spirit, saw at least the excuse
for its temporary tolerance. No one
ever dreamed that it should settle up
on US as permanent thing. A certain
bitter piece of selfish work was to be
done and this was the only means at
hand
Now that the need is gone let the
practice cease.
The motto of the twentieth century
must be something other than this
greedy one that stood for the nine
teenth.
The world is becoming cosmopoli-
tan; the fibers of association are rap
idly increasing and rapidly growing
more and more intricate.
The Occident has swept into the
Orient, and both are being lost in the
universally of things. Why is it that
the Chinaman or the Turk or the Rus
sian is not now permitted to carry on
his affairs in his own way?
He was fifty years since, but not
any more, because the life the Turk
leads is become part of the life that
the civilized world leads, because the
Russian and the Chinese are joined to
the civilization of America and of Eur
ope.
What is thus very evidently true of
nations is true of individuals. You
and / are become educated parts of
great national and social machine.
The plot of ground which we cleared
for ourselves fifty years ago is not
now our own. The land of our neigh
Dor reaches over and covers part of
what we thought we owned exclusive
ly.
The very thoughts that we think in
the privacy of our most perfect seclu-
sion are no longer strictly private. AS
they influence our acts, and they are
not worthy the name of thoughts if
they do not, they become part of the
larger life we live.
Our financial prestige is dependent
entirely upon the satisfactory rela-
tons we are able to establish with
others. Our social life is absolutely
nothing but this
A recluse or a miser is become a
twentieth century sin. No man that
has the breath of life in him has any
right to exclude others from such life,
or to deny to himself the inspiration
of companionship.
Since we belong to the world, and
the world to US, natural charity must
become dominating factor in our
lives. AS we hope for mercy we must
practice mercy.
This land is today fairly rent with
the clash of contending factions. La
Dor Unions, employers associations,
declarations, all are striving with or
against each other.
Because the laborer saw that he
owed something to his fellow work
man, because the employer came to
realize that agents possessed certain
rights, and because they who will not
see this are being forced to see it, we
have these disturbances.
Just so soon as the employer realiz-
es perfectly the position of the en-
ploye, just so soon as the workmen
appreciate fully the needs and ex-
penses Of the capitalist, an under
standing that shall mean final peace
will be reached.
In other words, when charity and
knowledge shall rule in the place of
selfishness and ignorance, when men
shall be men to themselves and each
other the path into the future will
widen until it embraces infinity.