Torch of reason., December 24, 1903, Page 2, Image 2

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T H E TORCH OF REASON, KANSAS CITY, M ISSO U R I, D EC EM B ER 24, E. M. 303 (1903.)
ought to lie used in taking care
SOCIOLOGY—
The mind of a well-informed e x c e p tio n , an d to o fre q u e n tly tb e m o st
of the old, of the helpless, of
I person contains a large store of p o te n t re c o m m e n d a tio n in se c u rin g
those who meet with accidents Society Builders -The intellectual Forces fa(qs and an equally large store of e m p lo y m e n t an d p ro m o tio n was re la ­
tio n s h ip to som e p ro m in e n t s h a r e ­
in their work. Under our laws,
truths, i. e., logical conclusions h o ld er o r d ire c to r. In th o se d a y s, r a il­
BY PROF. LESTER F. WARD.
if an employee is caught in a
from facts. It uses the facts to ro a d s were w idely se p a ra te d , a n d th e
wheel or in a band, and his arm or
increase the num ber of tru th s de- sh a rp , s tre n u o u s , c o m p e titiv e c o u d i
( F r o m “ P u r e Sociology.” )
leg is torn off, he is left to the
This creative process of the mind rived from both within and with- 1,0119 which now o b ta in were u n k n o w n .
charity of the community, whereas is attended, like the receptive pro- oub But it does not stop hert R ates were high au d th e n e c e ssu y fo r
th e m o st rig id e co n o m y a n d tb e h ig h e st
the profits of the business ought cess, with a strong interest and an The combining of truths to form p o ssib le s ta u d a r d of o p e ra tin g efficien ­
to support him in his old age. If intense satisfaction, and consti- new truths is as legitim ate a pro- cy (w ith o u t w hich no ra ilro a d can now
employees had this feeling—that tutes the second step in the act of !eess
the rainil as the com bining live) was n o t feit.
P re se n t c o n d itio n s d e m a n d th e very
they were not simply working 1< r generating intellectual energy. It j of facts to form truths. Truths
best
m a te ria l o b ta in a b le , a n d th e sou of
that day, not simply working while bears less resemblance to a true derived from the combination of
th e se c tio n m an h as th e call, a u d is
they have health and strength, but appetite than does the first pro- other tru th s become truths of a selected in place of th e sou of th e
laying aside a little sunshine for CeS^ but the interest, zeal, and en- higher order. The fundamental d ire c to r o r th e larg e sh a re -h o ld e r if th e
the winter of age—if they only felt joym ent are scarcely less. Indeed, method of creative nature, as here- fo rm er p o ssesses th ese e le m e n ts in
that they, by their labor, were ere- there is a certain depth and vol-1 tofore explained, applies to the la rg e r m ea su re th a n th e la tte r , a u d he
ating a fireside in front of which utne (o |)ie satisfaction attending operations of* mind as well as to can com e p re tty n e a r d ic ta tin g his own
te rm s of e m p lo y m e n t.
their age and helplessness could
discovery of truth that has no those of matter. This as we saw,
But there are no such “sharp,
sit, the feeling between employed parallel in the mere acquisition of is the method of creating units of
and employers would be a thou­ knowledge. Knowledge that is higher out of those of lower order strenuous, competitive conditions”
sand times better.
acquired is simply taken from the and then using the latter as new upon which getting office in a gov­
On the great railways very few common stock and appropriated -units for still higher creations, ernm ent eestablishm ent depends.
people know the number of the in­ by the individual. I t was already This process of recompounding, or All attem pts to apply examinations
jured, of those who lose their possessed by others, perhaps by compound aggregation, which un­ for promotion are lame, compara­
hands or feet, of those who con­ thousands or millions of men. But derlies all creative synthesis, when tively, because those who conduct
tract diseases riding on the tops of a truth excogitated out of the it reaches the intellectual plane is them are themselves not under
freight trains in snow and sleet knowledge thus acquired may not called generalization . This may “sharp, strenuous, competitive con­
and storm; ami yet, when these be known to any one else. In the» be carried as far as the quality of ditions.” In a private establish­
men become old and helpless majority of cases, or course, the the mind will permit, anti the ment there is a constant scrutiny
through accident, they are left to same truth has been evolved by- power of generalization (not of going on to detect merit; but under
shift for themselves. The com­ other minds from similar m ateri­ abstract reasoning, as is so often government ownership no motive
pany is immortal, but the employ­ als, but the discoverer dues not said) constitutes the best measure exists for such vigilance. W hen
the jackers-up are not themselves
ees become helpless.
Now’, it usually know’ this, and at least im­ of intellectual pow’er.
seems to me that a certain per cent agines that he is creating some­
Generalization is inspiration. A jacked up they will not effectively
should be laid aside, so that every thing wholly new’. This interest new truth evolved from the stored jack up others.
brakeman and conductor could feel in the priority of discovery is ex­ facts and truths of the mind, often
Archimedes could move the
that he was providing for himself, ceedingly strong and fascinating appears to come suddenly to view. world had he som ething to pry on.
as well as for his fellow-workmen, and becomes the chief spur to Some of the greatest generaliza­ There is no fulcrum if you would
so that when the dark days came original thought.
tions have seemed to burst upon pry efficiency into government
there would be a little light. *
But facts are not the only ma­ the minds of their discoverers.at a officials. A private concern is run
The men of wealth, the men who terials received by the mind from definite moment. They are often to make money. The pry point is
control these great corporations— without. In advanced stages of only subconscious, ami conscious­ the acquisitiveness of the owners.
these great milis—give millions civilization there are innumerable ness seems to be occupied with But a government industry is not
away in ostentatious charity. They books, the purpose of writing other things at the time, so that run to make money. The acquisi­
send missionaries to foreign lands. which has been to express the the discoverers can relate the pre­ tive self-interest of the owners of
They endow schools and univer­ author’s thoughts. Thoughts thus cise external circumstances, wholly the private concern is the fulcrum
sities and allow the men who expressed iye acquired by reading disconnected from the discovery, on which rests the lever which
earned the surplus to die in want. as well as statem ents of fact. Many under which the truth first dawned. moves the General M anager who
1 believe in no charity that is such thoughts are so simple that
in turn moves the other officers
founded on robbery. I have no their mere statement shows that ECONOMIC EVOLUTION.— VII. throughout the whole establish­
admiration for generous highway­ they are-true, although the reader
ment, and acquisitiveness is one of
men or extravagant pirates. At may never have evolved the same
the strongest of the motives which
BY YOUNG MONOPOLIST.
the foundation of charity should truth from the materials in his
influence mankind.
be justice. Let these men whom own mind. The more obscure or
You might as well put a man in
The comparative inefficiency of
others have made wealthy give profound truths xpressed in books a baseball club because he is a son the officers in any government in ­
something to the workmen—some­ require to be thought out inde­ of an influential man, and expect stitution is reflected in the easy­
thing to those who created their pendently by the reader. If the him to hold his job; as to try to going behavior of the privates.
fortunes. This would be one step materials out of which they are have favoritism secure an im por­ Like master like men. Any person
in the right direction. Do not let constructed are not in his con­ tant office for an incompetent man of ordinary discernm ent if taken
it be regarded as charity—let it be sciousness he is incapable of ac­ in a great private establishm ent blindfolded to a gang of mechanics
regarded as justice.
tually perceiving such truths. win ther of trade, transportation or in a private, then to one in a gov­
They are to him only forms of manufacturing. The modern ten­ ernm ent shipyard, or to an interior
The time will come when even words and not ideas. This is why sion is too great. But a slack- of a large private printing office
selfishness will be charitable for the world demands abundant evi­ twisted genius can get in a govern­ then into the government printing
its own sake, because at that time dence of every statem ent that is ment position by favor.tism, and office, could soon tell by watching
the man will have grown and de­ not of itself apparent, i. e., self- once in can stay by means of red the gait of foreman and hands,
veloped to that degree that selfish­ evident. No great theory can gain tape. Also a man of considerable which was which.
ness demands generosity and kind­ many adherents that is not sup­ ability, like Gen. Wood, can by
W hen, Mr. Editor, I urge in
ness and justice. The self becomes ported by a vast array of facts. favoritism get a place much higher
these articles the superior produc­
so noble that selfishness is a vir­ Each separate mind must be put than he merits. Everything gov­
tivity of private as compared with
tue. The lowest form of selfishness in* sufficient data to work out the ernm ent touches is certain to be
public ownership; you ignore this
is when one is willing to be happy conclusion for itself.
W hen a tainted by inefficiency.
portion of the argum ent and say
or wishes to be happy at the ex­ theory or hypothesis, such as that
W. C. Brown, vice-President and that you fail to find the note of
pense or the misery of another. of natural selection, is thus sup­
General Manager Lake Shore and altruism in my tune. But, bless,
The highest form of selfishness is
when a man becomes no noble ported it needs no advocates, be­ Michigan Southern Railway Co., me, industrialism isn’t intended
prim arily for a benevolent in stitu ­
that he finds his happiness in mak­ cause the facts combine to estab­ said in the “Conservator.”
ing others so. This is the nobil­ lish it in any mind that contains
T h irty y e ars ago a y o u n g ruau in an tion or a Sunday school picnic. A
ity of selfishness.—[Ingersoll.
them.
offlolal p o sitio n on a ra ilro a d was tb e blacksmith once fitted up a new