The Washington herald., 1915-12-16
Effects Of Competition.
~ JOHN D. BARRY,

SSAAskSSeseSVsss
~ JOHN D. BARRY.
The advocates of the minimum wage are stsiv-
ing to introduce into our competitive life start
ling innovation. It's far-reaehing meaning has not
as yet been generally thought Of 1t is proposal
to put check those new enterprises that, dur
ing the early period of their existence cannot with
humanity, sustain themselves and that live by
drawing the blood of the workers. Here there
seems to be restraint initiative, quality that
we prize SO highly and that we often refer to as
an explanation of our progress. Without absolute
freedom of initiative many of the successful people
would be lost to the world There they stand be-
fore US. an inspiration to be up and doing. proof
OF the power of originality and daring and force.
In thinking of all these delightful qualities. how
ever. forget other qualities that may be there.
too, unseen and yet none the less real the willing
ness to be cruel enough to take advantage of hu-
man hclplessness.
on the heplessness OF workers, after becoming
established, forget all about the workers The
very men that have given OF their lfe-blood may
be discharged on account OF the resulting weak
Their martyrdom is going to make one at the
darkest chapters in the story of unrestrained COM
petition when, as must happen some day. the story
ends and the world is able to look back on it from
q detached point OF view.
The defenders of the competitive system can
point to nature for an illustration. There, every
day, it goes ruthlessly on, among the growths OF
the earth. each fighting for its life and often
maintaining it at the cost of other life. Perhaps
the best, at any rate, the most impressive plea
the survival of the fttest On its PRONUNCIATION
and acceptance by the world it must have caused
many human heart to quake with dread. For
long time the doctrine dominated the minds OF men.
Rae oS late tbar> hae hona nd
tioning. What does the survival OF the fttest mean
when applies to human beingss Who is to judge
as to the meaning of fitness? Have We not had
many examples of the WEAK, the seemingly unfit,
that have developed into rare benefaetors of so.
ciety, flowers of the race? Then, too the cruelty
of the theory and the moral obliquty have given
US pause. Suppose we were to encourage some
kind OF selection according to convention Of fit
ness and get rid of the weak and the degenerate.
Might there not be fearful loss in the qualities that
so often and violently deny and accompany de-
and weakness? And might there not be
an even greater loss in the limiting Of oppor-
tunity among the survivors for generous and help
full sacrifice?
past lies in the adventure spirit. At heart most of
US are gamblers We dislike monotony and reg
ularity and most Of the prosac expressions Of
steadiness and persistence and virtue We love the
magic of chance with its surprises and excite
ments, with its emotional thrills. When we sue
cessful ourselves we easily forget those others
have left behind We flatter ourselves into the be-
lief that we are different. If they were like US
they would be in our place.
There is in my acquaintance a family that for
the past few years has been apparently the target
seconded in the social scale The old friends are
still friends. But many of them keep away. They
can't bear the sight of so much misfortune. Then,
too they arc afraid. They may be asked to help
future exactions They feel that they have burdens
enough Of their own. Aren't they obliged to sus
tain themselves on the surface Of the sea, where
so much effort is required to keep up?
In the vast group of the industrial world the
same struggle goes on. This group or that dis
appears beneath the surface. Sometimes large
number of people engulfed We may speculate
for a time as to what becomes of them; but we
really don't very much. We must look out
Tor ourselves
forget that they are. tragedies. AS we look on.
some of say that they are inevitable or
that they are an expression of Gods will.
But this kind OF blasRhemy is growing less and
realizing the responsibility of the will of man.
Beyond there is the lure of new order of what
Lincoln Steffens calls the vision. 1t promises a
the downfall of another, where happiness will not
men shall be free from the dread of want, COM
polling them to put forward, not only their best
but their worst energies, denying to them the
highest privileges OF life.
Just as find myself favoring restraint on those
enterprises that get the life-blood from the work
crs am reminded that capital may take advan-
agc even of SO merciful provision. making it an
excuse for crushing new rivals. Even here, how
ever, capital might be wiser than it knew and far
more philanthropic.' Already its success in con-
centrating enterprises and developing cooperation
S making us how much waste there is in COM
petition, in effectiveness and in human energy.
Many of great achievements are not any
way related to competition. The world of art Of
ers plenty of examples. Beside the competitive
life there has steadily run another life led by
hose that work simply and solely for the love Of
working, Their way, too, has remained in the
lcarts of the idealists as an inspiration and goal
or the Literature teens with longing for
he time to come when shall be free to
achieve spontaneously and joyously, to express in
work what is best in themselves.
On this subject friend wrote me the other
lay: The brilliant Veblin received but $50
Tor his book, entitled, Theory of the Leisure
Class. and nothing for his book entitled, Theory
of Business Enterprise, recognized by real think
,rs as two OF the best books on sociology
and economics that have been written in a long
while. No is to blame for this except the sys-
lem and the laws Of the business world-editors
must publish only what will sell. Shaw, in Love
Among the Artists puts up fine clear argument
against our supply and demand system. Do you
where he has a great composer, an ar