The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-14

conferred upon society, is given a tenn
porary monopoly of the sale of the thing
invented. but the fact that he is protected
for limited time only is another proof
of the general desire that the reward col
lected from society shall be proportioned
to the benefit conferred upon society.
1t is hardly necessary to add that it is
as sacred as his right to provide for him
self. and the mutual obligations between
parent and child take inheritances out Of
the ordinary rules of property, and yet
even in this case the graded taxes now
imposed upon inheritances in various
states-and they should be imposed in all
states-indicate a tendency to limit the
testamentary disposition of property
Gifts are either, f1rst an expression of
affection or friendship. or, second, pay
ment for service rendered or payment in
advance for service to be rendered to the
donor or to others.
But turning from the exception to the
rule. what could be more salutary today
than a universal recognition of this law
of rewards? If instead Of measuring sue
cess by the amount received each one
measured success by the amount actually
earned, what transformation would
be wrought in the world. If each
one We're so perfectly under self
control and so attached to a high
ideal as not to desire more from the world
than a just reward for his contribution to
the worlds welfare, society would pre-
sent changed appearance. Nearly all
injustice, nearly all of mans inhumanity
to man. can be traced to an attempt on
the part of the wrong-doer to obtain
something for which he has rendered no
equivalent return.
The inheritance would seem to furnish
the most notable exception to the rule of
rewards, and yet it cannot really be con-
sidered an exception for a mans right to
provide for those dependent upon him.
A conscientious application of this law of
rewards would not only go far toward
adjusting disputes between labor and cap
tal, but 1t would go far toward removing
the barriers between the classes.
The employe to make just complaint
against his employer shows that the lat
ter is claiming larger share of the joint
profit than is his due, and the employer
to bring a just indictment against his
employe alleges that the employe is seek
ing larger compensation than he has
earned. There would be little difficulty
in adjusting hours of labor and the condi-
tions of labor if the primary question of
participation in profits could be adjusted
and that adjustment cannot be equitably
made upon any other basis than that of
equivalent values With universal ac-
quiescence In this rule the usurer would
disappear, carrying his trail of evils with
him; with the establishment of this rule
the stock jobber and the market gambler
would cease to disturb the law of supply
and demand, and the reign of watered
stock and of exploitation would be at an
end.
The observance of this rule would make
factory laws unnecessary and relieve
from premature toll hundreds of thou
sands of children who now, to the shame
of our civilization and to the permanent
harm of our country. become sullen sup
porters of the family when they should
enjoy the delights OF childhood and the
advantages of school. Those who instead