The Omaha guide., 1938-07-16
The Profit System

rugged lndividualism.'
The theory of the profit sys-
tenn in the past was that when
capital was employed in business
enterprise, is was entitled to a re-
turn over and above the iuvesx-
ment and expense of conducting
the business. Bst the rugged in
dividuslists took advantage of this
theory and pushed the system to-
where it was virtual exploitation
Of their fellow citizens. Likewise
the rugged individuahsts took liz
tie or no note of the social wei
fare of the people who we're ex-
ploitd, except wherever the milk
of human kindness, perhaps bp
accident, happened to rise to the
surface of their natures. The
thinking was in terms Of gain.
and not in terms of welfare.
OF coursea few super-capita-
lists ATTEMPTED to ameliorate on-
dit'ons by hugh gifts, buy many
ether capitalists, or their families
made nauseating spectaIes OF
themselves by not knowing how to-
US the wealth piled up by there
or handed down to them.
Now the public has a leader
who sees wea tn as something
that should be divided upto make
life more bearable for the aver
age man. To bring into reaIiza-
ton this ideal, the Government
has gone into the electric power
business, has stepped in to help
organized lalhor, and has set up
| strict reputation for Investments
and levied increasing taxes on az~
come.
Some economists claim that the
I profit system, under the New
Deal, is being f~nuidated. The
rugged individualists, however,
get scant sympathy from the pub
lie when alone, has pointed the
way to a brighter day for ali
America. Under the auspices o.
the Federal Government, the mas
ses are getting decent homes and
having their lives enriched far be-
yond what a rugged individuahsts
would even admit was right ana
proper for a poor man TO have
And this being done at a price to-
the mar that he can affor to-
pay.
Suppose these innovations anss
reforms do cut into the profits or
almost cut out the profits OF thce
rugged individualist. America nor
longer needs capital for resls--
vestment for industrial expansion
The desert and the forest hayc:
been tanned. All the rugged indi--
vidualist would do with profits
would be to employ them to make
more profits, or squander them M
l~riotous living. Suppose the new
economics does stop skinning the
little fellow, and start skinnfns
the big fellow. On the whole. No
think it is a good thing for the
country.
Negro Literature
!. The recent death Of two emf
, nent figures in Negro letters, A
: A. Schomburg and James Weldon
| johnson, has served to focus at
tention on the literature of the
race. These two men one ss
I making a collection and the other
by writing pointed the way to
greater dignity and self respect
for tn group.
Y II was Schomburgfs love of the
e literature works of his people
. that made him amass the greai
= ! Schombsrg Collection. Haw MANI
Negroes love books by Negroe
! to the extent that they have a
: fair collection Of the works oi
Il modern Negro authors? How man
Negroes, who can afford to bu,
books and who do buy books
make it p pint to buy consistenk
fy, the works of their own pee
pie?
How many Negroes who hzva
S wept for or extolled tn virtue
: of Nh. Johnson, own on or morr
y of his books? How many Negroes
wen know how many books Mr.
Y Johnson wrote? How many Ne
5 grces know the title of the Iasi
: book written by Mr.. Johnsg9s
n How many Of Mr.. Johnson's W
a people know that he wrote his
tory as well as fiction and poe,
. try?
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