Shoshone journal., 1923-04-06

er thought upon their great is
sues to humanity. And from 1t all
emerge an individualist-an unashamed
indiyidualist. But let me say also
that l am an American individualist
For America has been steadily develop
ing the ideals that constitute progress
sive individualism.
No doubt, individualism run riot,
with no tempering principle. would pro-
vide long category of inequalities. Of
tyrannies, Nominations, and injustices.
America, how ever, has tempered the
whole conception of individualism by
the injection of a definite principle,
and from this principle it follows that
attempts at domination, whether in
government or in the processes of In
dustry and commerce, are under an
insistent curb. If we would have the
values Of individualism, their stimula-
tion to initiative, to the development
Of hand and intellect, to the high de-
velopment Of thought and spirituality,
they must he tempered with that firm
and fixed ideal of American individu-
alism-an equality Of opportunity. II
we would have these values we must
soften its hardness and stimulate prog.
ress through that sense Of service that
lies In our people.
Therefore, 1t is not the individualism
of other countries for which / would
speak, but the individualism Of Amer
lea. Our individualism differs from
all others because it embraces these
great ideals: that while we build our
society upon the attainment of the In.
dividual, we shall safeguard to every
individual an equality of opportunity
to take that position In the commun.
ity to which his intelligence, character,
ability, and ambition entitle him; that
we keep the social solution free from
frozen strata of classes; that we shall
stimulate effort of each individual to
achievement; that through an enlarg-
ing sense Of responsibility and under
standing we shall assist him to this
attainment; while he In turn must
stand up to the emery wheel of COM
petition.
Individualism cannot be maintained
as the foundation Of society if it
looks to only legalistic justice based
upon contracts, property, and politi-
cal equality. Such legalistic safe
guards are themselves not enough. In
our individualism we have long since
abandoned the laissez faire Of the
Eighteenth century-the notion that it
is "every man for himself and the
devil take the hindmost." We aban-
doned that when we adopted the ideal
of equality of opportunity-the fair
chance of Abraham Lincoln. We have
confirmed ITS abandonment in terms Of
legislation, of social and economic JUS
tice-in part because we have learned
that it is the hindmost who throws
the bricks at our social edifice, In part
because we have learned that the fore
most are not always the best nor the
hindmost the worst-and In part be-
cause we have learned that social in
justice is the destruction of justice
itself. We have learned that the Inn
DQiSC W Nd4 tA4AJ " AH~A~
tanned at a high pitch If there Is
fair division of the product. We have
also learned that fair division can |
only be obtained by certain restric-
tons on the strong and the dominant. |
We have indeed gone even further In |
The Twentieth century with the en-
of the necessity of greater
md broader sense of service and re-
'ponsibility to others as part Of In
Whatever may be the case with re-
-ard to Old World individualism (and
We have given more back to Europe
han we received from herr the truth
hat is important for US to grasp to-
lay is that there is a world of differ
nee between the principles and spirit
f Old World individualism and that
rhlch we have developed In our own
ounrry.
We have, I'm fact. a special social
ystem Of our own. We have made II
urselyes from materials brought In
syolt from conditions IN Europe. We
ave lived IL; we constantly improve
we have seldom tried 70 define H.
abhors sufocracy and does not argue
ith Il. but fights H. II Is not capital
M, or socialism, or syndlcalism, nor
cross breed OF them. Like most
meroans. ! refuse 10 be damned BY
lybOdys wOrd.classldcafl0n Of II, such
"capltallsm,' "plutocracy' 'prole'
Iiof" or smiddle-elass" or any other
10 any Kind of compartment that "a
sod on the assumption of some
oup dominating somebody else
Yhe social force ln Which J pm inter
lnd s far higher and far more pre-
lus b ding DIAN all ill0se y sprlnm
m s0moliiug Infinitely moro en'
fingi y syringe nNW ihe one a0nrfe
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slNl On aIn lNf n'Han Nnf
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