The Washington herald., 1921-09-18
Equal Opportunity.

thrive on balanced ration. Nations no
different They cannot develop evenly in bone
and Hesh in brain and sinew, in muscle with right
portion of sustaining fat without the mixed economic
and social ration. This is the one thing
Russia has proved which must reconcile all OF us to
our mixed national ration talent, ability, mental
and physical unlkcness, in so-caled classes" and
be content with variety which is not only the spice
of life, but is life itself. Sameness is death.
There can be no SUCH thing dead level in
human social economy. Men not born that way
and can not be made over to that fashion. They
differ as much in their desires in their abilities
II takes all sorts to make world and all sorts
found m every nation. As we'll try to force an
equal levei in enjoyments, in conditions; in oc-
cupationS vocations. in material rewards. 1t
is in rs that makes US what and the surgery
to change this has not been discovered
The American process of surgery for this is
called equal opportunity This but means that every
American shall have good chance any other
American to develop his talent the best that is in
him and reap its rewards. But make this ideally
equal and two will develop alike, with the same
powers, the same abilities, or the same forces. AS
these will differ in kind and degree so will the de-
sires m rewards sought, viii the wastes along
the way, win the use of leisure and the reinves-
ment Of rewards.
In no other country is opportunity equal for
an as in this United States But the uses made
and the measure of advantage taken of opportunity
remain unequal is the quality and character of
men Some refuse it when pointed out to them;
some do not know 1t when they see it. Others diff
fer from their friends what it is and the path
they should follow, with the results and the re-
wards sought At the end.
This i, a world of infinite variety and of infinite
differences m appeal What satisfies one nsuseates
an-nf Eura ar 49,. ,hak
gratihes mans ambition, seems worthless to
another. 1t IS web that. this is 50. 1t brings into
each nation It's balanced ration of endeavor and
accomplishment, of life values and ambitions, of
fields for effort and of developed talent It tends
to put each individual in the place for which he i,
best fitted and when this is found the individual
gains most and the world profits most.
There is but inalienable right, one right
which voluntarily surrenders-the right to
work in the field vocation for which his talent,
best fit him. Happily the fuhllment of this right
is becoming more and more the aim of modern
education 1t IS known vocational guidance 1t
is the specific purpose of junior high schools 1t is
to give each pupil the chance to try himself out
to almost dabble around under the watchfu eye of
trained student of child nature until that general
vocation is found m which the child finds the larg-
measure of scf-absorption and that intensity Of
interest which makes work and study attractive
almost to obsession-
This is the equal opportunity to which every
American boy and girl IS entitled, When they have
it. when each is guided to find and develop the
best that is in him in ability and creative power in
intelligent application and mental interest then this
country viii have its most perfect balanced ration
This is not Communism it is not Socialism, it is not
capitalism; 1t IS American democracy, and needs
Ale right kind of bond to unite class consciousness,
into national consciousness