74 2 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



is progress, there will be a certain portion of the labor and capital of a 

 country which will be in a state of flux. Mobility of capital and labor 

 is, in fact, a condition of industrial evolution, just as the unstable 

 equilibrium of matter is a condition of all evolution. It is a condition 

 of the growth and development of the human body that part of the 

 cells of which it is composed to-day shall be thrown out of work to- 

 morrow. 



The equanimity of our study of political economy is always dis- 

 turbed by its manifest inequalities and misfortunes. We plainly see 

 and deeply lament the inequality in the apportionment of land and 

 capital, and vainly try to remedy it. But is there not quite as great 

 inequality in the apportionment of industrial powers ? And where is 

 the remedy ? Which of us, by taking thought, can add a cubit to his 

 stature ? Can the Government by its force, or the economist by his 

 advice, do it for us ? And if they lack the power to make us indus- 

 trially equal, what else can they do for us that will make up for this 

 lack? Is there not here the greatest of all the advantages of one 

 human being over another ? 



Would not, in fact, the equality of land and capital merely empha- 

 size the other and confessedly irremediable inequality ? The drudges 

 who make a poor living work as hard, and their work wears as pain- 

 fully on their nerves, as can be said of the competent who without 

 land or capital are able to make a good living. Are they then to be 

 given a good living for little or unimportant work ? Not until some 

 way is found to highly reward the man who does little because he is 

 incapable, without encouraging the capable man to do little because 

 he is lazy. 



So much for inequality. But inequality is not the only misfortune. 

 Aside from the fact that industry is not organized to its best advan- 

 tage, is it not also apparent and rcgretable that under any organization 

 we are a race of sad bunglers ; and that so much of the work of sus- 

 taining social life must be done by those who are bunglers even in 

 comparison with their fellow-beings ? And what is the remedy for 

 this? 



We are growing out of it, and may still grow out of it, as also 

 out of the inequality. And this fact that most of our progress must 

 be growth need not discourage us from doing what we see can be 

 done to promote the progress ; our doing so will constitute a part of 

 the process of growth. But we can do it better if we recognize that 

 another part of the process is beyond our control, if not entirely be- 

 yond our aid ; for then we shall be better able to judge when we are 

 working in the right direction, and to make our work help rather than 

 hinder that of the overruling Power which is pushing us on to our 

 destiny. 



