FARMERS TO THE FRONT 173 



moted — the Third Power will not rise — on the ruin 

 of other enterprises, but by building up alongside 

 of them will strengthen every other legitimate busi- 

 ness and institution. 



A great economic writer has given us an allegory 

 showing the wastefulness of a foolish and unen- 

 lightened selfishness. He once saw a cage of mon- 

 keys being fed. A plate full of food was placed be- 

 fore each monkey, but each one of them, instead of 

 eating from the plate before him, wildly grabbed for 

 the portion of his neighbor. And in the scramble 

 much of the food was lost. What is suggested here 

 is that each man should eat off his own plate and 

 leave his neighbor to consume his meal in peace. 

 Thus all would get enough, and the decencies would 

 be maintained. Society at the present time is very 

 like the cage of monkeys. In both cases there is 

 selfishness, but it is of the silly kind. Surely we can 

 order things better. If we can not, we might as well 

 confess that self-government is a failure, nay, that 

 men are not fit to live together in organized society. 



