The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-06-26

weaker onts. or those that start a
little behind. viii perish and the
stronger will survive.
Now this tendency to competition
exists in every living thing. all Yege-
table and animal He. and ne mustn't
forget that man Is part of the ami
NAL Kingdom. " don care q whole
lot about rosebuah. "a turnip Or u
hawkweed that gets crowded out and
killed by its more robust rivals. our
sympathes are aroused Or should be
aroused when one Of our own Kind
goes under in the fac Of cOmpeu-
ton. II is not difficult 10 discover
and name the tendency which causes
plants and animals To combat each
other; It isn't quite 80 easy 70 see
that this tendency is Of ali perfasiYe
and eyer-present Selfishness and
greed for gain. are but Manifestations
Of il.
There are stupendons differences
between dog fights, fistic encounters
and the battle Of Gettysburg or the
Marine campaign. l. IS not easy 10
understand that a common principle
runs through all, but such IS the case.
II we could only grasp tho fact that
competition is as essential part Of
all life as weight and volume are Of
matter. We would rot 60 wrong IN so
much Of our reasoning
II you have followed mo thus far,
you'll be ready TO believe that the
controlling principle of everything
human as well as OF animal and Yege-
table life is competition. When We
get into that state OF mind We cease
to be surprised at q good many
things. There's no use naryellng
because nations are striving TO get the
advantage Of each other. There's
no sense in being surprised II, in this
great game Of -for-itself-
and-the-de vil-pitv- the-Weakest. now
and then u war results. Neither
is there any sense in throwing up
our hands in holy horror when a big
and powerful business concern crush
es out d lot OF weaker ones. Nor
should We be at all surprised when
Deacon Smith and Deacon Jones
trade horses that each should strive
to get the best bargain. These in
cidents differ, il is true, by the wild
est margins. but nations. trusts and
horse traders. are actuated by the
same motive.
Competition Is a dreadful and merci-
less thing. In its various manifesto
tons it accounts for about all the sui
fering, disappointment. unhappiness
and agony there is in the world.
MANS inhumanity to man makes
countless thousands mourn Ii the
race of man was universally intelli
gent and if ii could live in a com
pete state of cooperation instead of
in constant competition heaven and
the millinneum would be realized. The
human mind can scarcely grasp the
delight and happiness which would
ensue. Man. in something like his
present physical form has been i'll
habiting the earth for more than 4
hundred thousand years The prog
ress during this period has been
marvellous. II IS something 10 have
developed so many people who live
in a comparatively civilized state and
who settle their personal differences
judicially instead of by physical PROV
ess. 1t is something To Pave reached
point where We may even hope
that nations VIII do the same thing.
1t is surely something To have es-
tablished. even in our world OF greed
and competition. hospitals. schools.
parks. Fairgrounds, Libraries and
many other THINGS which are avail
able to all, rich ana poor, without
cost and practically o. the same
terms. II is something 10 have per
fected legal tribunals ia which affM-
w ence and poverty may come and be
heard without prejudice.
- We have come to know that the
physical universe is practically per
b feet in its adaptation 10 every human
Y need II the world endures. the hu-
w man race will sometime enjoy com
=. plete happiness. Justice in human
affairs is a prerequisite To that ideal
II condition. Progress will be made
< and the end finally come as the re-
Is suit of one or both OF TWO things.
u Christianity and cooperative living
j. Perhaps neither will be fully possible
'S without the other. If the teachings
II of Christ could be established as the
t sole guide OF human action. happi-
ness for every human being would be
" Immediately possible. The great bar
II to that result is that principle Of
E competition, already referred to. with
ot its resulting selfshness and greed
W which man should but does not ban
* ish from his heart If We could live
!" comparatively instead OF competitive
u ly, Christianity. every difficulty swept
> away. would rule the world at once
- So long as competition with its mani
81 festations of greed. insincerity. bigot-
Se ry. selfshness and intolerance domi-
&c nate human affairs, Christianity as
n in the past will gain very slowly.