Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1923-04-26
American
MdiUiduaLisn1
A Timely Message to
the American People
By HERBERT HOOVER
Secretary Of Commerce.

ulNlne spark OF the huutuu oVui hfo
alone the property OF individuals.
These do not lie In agreements. In or.
ganixations. In institutions, In masses,
or In groups. They abide alone In
the individual mind and heart.
Production both OF mind and hand
rests upon impulses In each individual
These impulses are made OF the varied
forces OF original instincts. motives
and acquired desires Many OF these
are destructive and must be restrained
through moral leadership and authority
Of the law and be eliminated finally
by education. All are modified by n
vast fund OF experience and vast
plant and equipment Of civilization
which we pass on with lncrements TO
each succeeding generation.
The inherited instincts OF self-pres-
ervation. acqulsitiveness, fear, kind.
ness. hate. curiosity. desire for self
expression. for power. for adulation,
that We carry over from thousand
OF generations must. for good or evil.
be comprehended In a workable sys-
TEN embracing our accumulation Of
experiences and equipment. They may
modify themselves with time--but In
terms OF generations. They diner In
their urge upon different individuals.
The dominant ones are selfish. But no
civilization could be built or can en-
dure solely upon the groundwork of
unrestrained and unintelllgent self-ln-
terest. The problem of the world Ia
10 restrain the destructive instincts
while strengthening and enlarging
those OF altruistic character and con-
structive impulse--for thus we build
for the future.
From the instincts Of Kindness, pity,
fealty 70 family and race: the love
OF liberty: the mystical yearnings for
spiritual things the desire for fuller
expression OF the creative faculties;
the impulses OF service TO community
and nation. are nodded the ideals Of
our people. And the most potent force
In society IL It's Ideals II one were
to attempt TO delimit the potency OF
instinct and ideals, II would be found
that while instinct dominates In our
preservation yet the great propelling
force OF progress Is right ideals. II
Is true we do not realize the ideal |;
not even a single person personihes
that realization. II In therefore not
surprising that society. n collection OF
persons, a necessary maze OF compro-
misses, cannot realize II. But that II
has ideals, that they revolve In q sys-
TEN that makes for steady advance Of
them Is the first thing. Yet true M
this Ii, the day has not arrived when
any economic or social system will
function and last II founded upon nj
truisrh alone.
With the growth OF ideals through
education, with the higher realization
OF freedom. Of justice. OF humanity, OF
service, the selfish impulses become
less and less dominant, and II we ever
reach the millennium, they will dlsap
pear In the aspirations and satisfae
lions OF pure altrulsm. But for the
next several generations we dare moi
abandon self-interest ms a motive force
TO leadership and 10 production. lest
we die
The will-o'the- wisp Of all breeds OF
socialism Ia thnt they contemplate a
motivation OF human animals by altru-
Ism alone II necessitates n bureau.
cracy OF the entire population, In
which, having obliterated the economic
stimulation OF each member. the fine
gradations Of character and ability are
10 be arranged In relative authority
by ballot or more likely by Tammany
Hall or a BolshevIst party. or some
other form Of tyranny The proof Of
the futility Of these ideas ~ q stimu-
lation 10 the development and activity
Of the individual does not lie alone In
the CHASTITY failure Of Russia, but II
also lies In our own failure In at
tempts at nationalized industry.
Likewise the basic foundation Of
autocracy, whether II be class govern
ment or capitalism In the sense that
few men through unrestralned control
Of property determine the welfare ~
great numbers, is as far apart from the
rfghtful expression Of American In
fividualisuS as the two poles. The
will-o'-the-wisp Of autOcracy In any
form II that II supposes that the good
Lord endowed a special few with all
the divine attributes. II contemplntes
one human animal dealing 10 the 9th
or human animals his Just share Of
earth, Of glory, and Of Immortality.
The proof Of the futllity Of these ideas
In the development Of the world does
not lie alone IN the grim failure Of
Germany, but II lies In the damage 10
our moral and social fabric from those
who have sought economic domination
in America. whether employer or EN-
ployee.
We in America have had too much
experience Of life 10 fool ourselves
into pretending that all men are equal
| IN ability, In character. In intelligence.
in ambition. That was part Of the
claptrap Of the French Revolution. We
have grown TO understand that all we
can hope TO assure 10 the Individual
through government il liberty. justice.
Intellectual welfare. equality Of Oppor-
tunity. and stimulation 20 service
II Is la maintenance Of a society
huid 10 these human qualities that our
individualisln departs from the Indiyid-