The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-08-02

street ETC.. According statistics ninety per
OF business fail time another. When
the advocates present regime per
succeed they neglect tell how ninety per
cent have fail.
In the place this argument of the defender of
the thing it is has completely msnterpreted the de
mand of those whose cry he has heard goes the
assumption that these asking for OPPORTUNITY.
They asking for OPPORTUNITY. they asking
for EQUAL opportunity which is quite different
Any that each child the nation has
certain of opportunity but where is the
who has the hardihood declare that ali have EQUAL
opportunity? And it is nothing less than this EQUAL op
portunity which We demanding. The unfortu
mates board the Titanic" enjoyed opportunity each
had chance of being saved the the wreck
Cured but did they have equal chances? No. And for
the simple that there weren't enough safety boats
10 round The victims the "Iroquos" theatre fire
had equal" chances escape person forbade
particular group from the of the exits, law
passed edct proclaimed making impossible for
particular the door, but that equal
opportunity where in the very of the
case only could those in proportion
they happened to seated nearest the door? Could
anybody the who the exit enjoyed
no better chances of than the who sat farthest
away? and yet the arthest away had the same alb
stract right the exits the fortunate who
were able to get away Opportunity" equal oppor
tunity" quite different.
Again it is argued if demand equal OPP
portunity utopian doing away with
inequalities of But this is total msrepresenta
ton of the real Nobody of intelligence for
moment saddle society the responsibility ap
parent caprices of nature That am born tall short
light of complexion dark mine any others
fault 1t will probably always be the at least for
long time, that men and born equal and of
varying capacities say that unequal
through the operations of nature which have
control is by say justified defend
ing the artificial inequalities which due social and
economic injustces
Nor does the demand for equal opportunity a
plea for equal labor claimed by
the stand patters. No just demand could be made
the equal sharing those work little poorly with
those who work well and long
And again. it does not plea for uniform activity
Certain Utopians have dreamed then a society
which. would be organized the military plan with all
allotted to the tasks irrespective of native ability
or desires Such state of affairs would indeed be,
Herbert Spencer argued, form of slavery.
What the demand of equal opportunity to
is simply this that shall begin the of
life ON the line, and not ahead another behind
Oh yes you may say, that is we'll good isn't
that just what have? this and
equal does not child born have chance to reach
the top? That is indeed the popular notion but am
afraid has little Justification Let if cannot
make the matter clear by imaginary illustration. Let
us that millionaire (wouldnt millionaire
preacher be ouriosity?) and also that have our
boy girl but have secured permission of wife to
call her boy for sake of the argument) Next let
the c. & O. railway working at two dollars day, and
that you also have a the mine.
Now son has done absolutely nothing toward the
earning of the which enjoy,
there possibly be any logic in giving it him.
your has done absolutely nothing deserve being
born into cheap dwelling along the railway, and there
fore be of being lazy "shiftless" or
wasefu' and therefore deserving his may be
l earned my million have
lit at the hands of society and be that de
be in your position because you drinking
man and not steady But what about children?
In what way it be possible that they should deserve
their fate? Is there injustice in this that babe is
born millions and another poverty? Is this equal
opportunity?
boy grows up like mine and enters school, He
lis bright and sudous mine but find yourself
compelled to take him from his studies before he
has high school in put him to
help his keep" put him factory
receives dollar day and not yet having reached the
age when the mind and development he
quits his books altogether and loses interest them
for good But my boy remains in school, to
graduation high school then enters Harvard
where the instruction can give
him. After that l send him for postgraduate
Germany where he sits at the feet of Ernest Heckel and
Rudolph Eucken Jena. When he is through has
received complete and harmonious development all
his faculties and is in every your boy
has arisen to the dignity of two dollars day and
has married Of the girls" has rented cottage in
the North End and started the long grind with which
you already familiar Where is the justice in this is
this equal opportunity?
When your little you obliged to give
him patent medicines in illness employ a cheap
doctor unsanary quarters, adulterated
food poor clothing His work. when began
lit and when he crippled in acct
dent you forced to send him free ward the
hospital My boy has attended the gymnasium had the
best of food care clothing has to the Battle
Creek Sanitarum than and there received
best in the world Is that equal opportunity?
with rCvVd 10vaS 1,b1ic be1!I
dances, smokes cgarets has learned drink
scarcely companion influences him And