640 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



all thinking men that further moral development was absolutely 

 essential, and, in the absence of legislation, an energetic moral 

 growth would have followed a recognition of the permanent bene- 

 fits to be derived by this further extension of trust. The rich, by 

 fair dealing and strict integrity, would aim to prove their worth 

 and show to their fellows that with added trust they would per- 

 form the corresponding duties. The artisans and mechanics 

 would have been stimulated to energy and moved to thrift, pru- 

 dence, and abstemiousness, in order to secure the capital with 

 which to render their mutual trust available for industrial co-op- 

 eration ; and while ten men with ten thousand dollars became con- 

 vinced of each other's worth, a thousand workmen would have 

 saved one hundred dollars each, and in this manner in action and 

 reaction each class would have developed the weak sides of its 

 character, and, the growing integrity of the one meeting the in- 

 creased energy and prudence of the other, would have gradually 

 lessened the disparities of condition which then existed, instead 

 of which we now find them constantly widening, and co-operation 

 would have been the normal growth. 



It is frequently claimed by the unthinking that co-operative 

 unions are unable to select proper leaders for direction, whereas 

 all history belies the claim. Whether in the playground, in the 

 feudal ages, in times of great public peril, or in popular revolu- 

 tions, the leader is recognized spontaneously, and the masses 

 have seldom failed to make a wise selection. It is true that the 

 co-operative concerns which have their origin in the hot-beds of 

 experimental legislation have generally failed. But who shall 

 say that failure would have resulted with the hardy plant which 

 has been shown to be indigenous to the soil of the present age ? 



The natural evolution of material progress seemed too slow, 

 and legislation was called into play to hasten the day of industrial 

 activity. Since each class possessed one of the essential elements 

 of industrial progress, it is evident that two ways were open to 

 accelerate its growth. It could have been accomplished by pro- 

 viding the artisans of the age with government aid in money, in 

 which way the state would have provided men a substitute for 

 thrift, energy, and prudence ; but government has no more right 

 to do this than she had to furnish the rich a substitute for hon- 

 esty and justice, and, as limiting the liability of the one has united 

 dishonest elements and given additional power to the strong, so 

 would and so has government aid in money led to a union of the 

 shiftless and improvident and made still weaker those who for 

 want of aggressive individuality have thus far failed to assert 

 themselves ; for, being provided with the results of energy and 

 prudence, those qualities would no longer be developed in an en- 

 vironment which furnished them without effort or activity. We 



