The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-04-22

The many strikes that r the past
two or three years, particularly, have
been disrupting business at frequent
intervals, have lead to the almost uni
versal query "where is this thing go
ing to stop We, ourselves, have
joined in asking this question and it
is not the purpose of this little article
to attempt an answer Indeed, we
have no idea that we could make an
answer. We are still questioning.
We do not know where it will stop.
Like the doctor who was in doubt
as to where many of his patients had
gone, we "hope for the best" But
we do have some idea as to the cause
Of the situation, and, consequently,
some notions concerning the remedy
that must be applied for its eradica-
ton. The cause is the intense indi-
vidualism which has obtained in this
old world of ours since the begin
ming even of tradition. Now, let us
digress, briefly, to pay a tribute to i'm
dividualism. 1t has led to competi-
ton. and competition has been the
mother of accomplishment. But, it
has grown to be exalted to the point
where it has become unseeing. 1t
has become the goal of life instead of
means for the cultivation Of a
better and more rational ideal. 1t
has been the same in all ages. 1t
has ignored the all-dominating prin-
ciple Of growth-the growth of So
ciety. In days when land in cur
country and other countries, in the
world, we may say, was sparsely set
tied, from the very nature of things
man led an individualistic life.
He lived apart from his fellows and
his own efforts were sufficient unto
his needs. And, the while man was
sharpening his wits and increasing
his efficience as an individual the
world was slowly but surely changing
to new order of things. Growing
smaller and bigger. Smaller because
of improved means of transporta-
ton and travel; bigger in popula-
ton, which has doubled twice in
each passing century Notwithstanding
wars, pestilence and other extraor-
binary causes of death. Humanity
congregated in centres of population
and manufacturing began to supple
ment agriculture as means of livli-
hood. The urban dweller had to
have the produce of the farm to sus-
tain life. Likewise, the rural cti-
zen found that the produce of the
workshops are essential to his hap
piness and we'll being and both have
been obliged to depend upon estab-
lished and highly perfected means of
transportation for the exchange of
these products. Man, whether he
loves the idea or not, has been chang
ing his individualistic mode of living
to a communistic mode of living.
1t is a matter of evolution that can
not be retarded by any amount of
political philosophy. 1t is the logic
of events. And while this change
has been going on we have failed to
anticipate it intelligently. We have
neglected education and the breeding
up of the race which is essential to
happiness when we come to live
closely and comparatively as at pres
ent And so the turmoil of the
to-day is the restless and unscientific
working of society trying to read
just itself to the new order of things !;
vainly striving to accommodate an in
dividualistic plan to a communistic
fact. 1t may take much time to
make good the loss of thousands of
years of fraternal culture, but that
must be the first step in the regen-
Grafton of the world. And then, as
soon as majority of the people get
experience enough to make them
ready for the step, considering the
fact that we must live and work to-
gether, that every mans welfare is
inseparably associated with that of
his fellows, we must have laws that
will compel reasonable cooperation
1t will not be worthy of the cililiza-
ton we shall ultimately know to per-
NIT any small faction of society,
from a purely selfish standpoint (the