Evening star., 1916-12-03
Too Many Men Still Believe in
Perpetual Motion

GONE day. go into the Patent Office in Washington
! and look at the applications that have been made
~ for patents perpetual-motion machines.
You will see very ingenious devices.
For instance, a machine to be run by the power OF
graYtyir0n %ht balls dropping down chute and turning
The inventor of that machine provided for everything
He even added brake to stop the machine, in case it
should run SO fast as to become unmanageable
He forgot only that it requires just much
energy to lift the balls against gravity as they develop
by falling down.
hundred separate applications for patents were made on
experimentation machines.
Every single year applications made.
They stand-ths unendng procession OF applica-
tions-they stand magnificent monument to the
unchangeableness of human nature
testimony to mans unquenchabe belief that sOmehoW,
somehere is possible IN this word to get something for
nothing.
1t is mistake to gather all these perpeuamoton
machines together in Washington, ID. c.
One of them should be set up at the busiest of
every American city And twelve should be distributed
along Wall Street, New York.
Every who goes downtown to business in the
morning should pass perpetual-motion machine and be
reminded of its lesson.
There is great law that through all life.
Many have discovered it: Emerson named it the
Lap Of Compensation
Everywhere that law is operative. In physics, action
and reaction equal In electricity, if the north end
of magnet attracts, the south end repels.
If, as Emerson points out government is bad, the
governors life becomes unsafe. If taxes too high,
they yield laws too jures will
not convict; if they too lenen private vengeance
steps in and metes out justice.
Compensation everywhere.
When | started in business | used to be somewhat
worried by the good fortune of the wicked.
saw fellows who worked one half hard as and got
twice much money
saw other fellows lift themselves into the good graces
of the boss the golden wings of golf and funny stories
But have seen the Law of Compensation get in too
much deadly work to myself any
about anybody elses
| have good fellows who thought they were per-
fecy because they called the boss by his first
be fired by the same boss. who called them by their
first names when he did it.
And have grow very rch-and know that
there many ways in which the Law of Compensation
work when man has the ambition to become uery rich
1t can make him pay with his health. 1t can turn his
home into counng-room 1t make his children
snobs and hypocrites 1t destroy his joy in simple
things
Another gentleman discovered the Law of Compcnsa-
ton even before Emerson He stated it in this form:
Be not deceived; God Is not mocked for Whatsoerer a
man so,oeth, that shall he also reap.
There are many seeming exceptions to this law; but
the longer live the am that if most Of the
exceptions were analysed they would be found not to
be exceptions at all.
There is no such thing perpetual motion No
for very long gets than he deserves, without
paying for it something equally valuable he gets
"Nothing can work me damage except myself" said
St Bernard. "The harm that sustain carry about in
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