Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-12-30
THE MEANING OF EQUALITY


A clergyman found it necessary to cut
short a religious discussion which threat
ened considerable unpleasantness and ad-
dressing the disputants, said: You can
prove almost anything you want to by
the Bible" The saying is to a certain eX-
tent true of the Declaration of lndepend-
ence and the Constitution OF the United
States.
The Declaration of independence as
serts that all men are created equal
that they are endowed by the Creator
with certain inalienable rights, that
among these are life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness" The demagogues
read no farther, though what follows
interprets this statement so plainly that
mistake regarding its meaning is I'M
possible. Neither do they take into con-
sideration the conditions when this state
ment was made.
The colonists were subjects of the
British king and under monarchical gov
ernment there were classes. Men were
born subjects in certain class. The
trainers of the Declaration of lndepend-
ence had to deny these existing condi-
tions as basis for their proposition. The
colonsts did not propose to be subjects
and to be divided into classes. They
were born equal under the law, all eX-
ercising the inaienable right to life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness.
The colonists were wise men. They
knew that men differed physically, men
tally and otherwise-they always had
and always would. They lived too close
to nature not to have observed that man
is no exception to natural laws of what
ever kind. What they believed was that
though men might be strong or weak in
body, mind, or BOTH they were created
with equal rights and proposed to make
this belief fundamental to self-govern-
ment and future independence. What
they believed they ablished-nothing
more because it was impossible; nothing
less because it would have been undemO-
cratic. This was to be a government
under which there was to be no external
discrimination.
The question of equality was discussed
by Wentworth Stuart, at a recent session
Of the Associated Industries of Massa-
chusetts. Touching upon the misintGr
probation of equality, Mr.. Stuart said:
"Clear up this misinterpretation of
equality which is misleading, and has es
tablished a notion that this is land
where one man is as good as another
even though he is good for nothing"
Continuing, he added: "We recognize
no equality except equality of opportuni-
ty to make possible equality of being"
Neither did the trainers of the Declara-
alton of independence or of the Consti-
tuition.
We recognize no other equality be-
cause there is none. Pretense that there
is, is deception, which can lead to
nothing but mischievous results. 1t is
mischievous because it robs men of am
bition to make the most of opportunity,
for if they be equal, why strive for
equality? 1t is this method of reasoning
that has put men out of the race in such
numbers that the country today has
thousands who do not try to better them
selves and consequently become a bur-
den to society. And these form TIE
nucleus of the great army ofsdiscontentcd.
Not willing to raise themselves, they d az
others down, for misery loves company.
There is need Of education that ill
help men to think nationally. Illogical
reasoning has sent too many off or tan
gents and too often they ,anno@ find
their way back. They illustrate the
scriptural observation about those who
have not losing what little they have.
They need help not only to show them
the danger in which they stand, but the
prospect that to what they may gain
more shall be added and this, whether
they know it or not, is essentially what
they are striving for.
Finally, equality not earned is not
gained whether it involves social stand
ing, political place or wealth. 1t can be
earned only by making the most of op-
portunity, which is equally the right Of
the strong and the weak, the rich and
the poor.
9 He will have advanced far who learns
that there is no greater social and econom,
lie chimera than that of equality; when
he learns that it is inequality, not equal
ity, that is mans real aim.