TO THE POOE. 279 



we want individualism accompanied by justice, the sense 

 and perception of which seems as yet to exist in very 

 imperfect degree and to be almost blind in certain direc- 

 tions, whether amongst individuals or classes. We want 

 individualism, but with the individuals starting in the 

 race on something resembling fair and equal terms, with 

 the prizes of life awarded in reality and not in name to 

 talent, ability, and energy well directed. We require 

 competition, too, because competition, implying emulation, 

 is the spur to improvement and excellence in every 

 direction both as regards the higher productive efforts of 

 the mind, as well as material productions, and because 

 where the competitive spirit is lacking, men and nations 

 slacken in their efforts and begin to stagnate. But we 

 want competition applied to all, with a fair field open to 

 all, and with no favour shown to any of the competitors 

 competition accompanied by just conditions, and with 

 a sense of justice in the competitors themselves, so that, 

 if we cannot redress Nature's injustice and inequalities, 

 we may not add to them. We want, in fact, rather more 

 than less competition, because at present the best prizes 

 are given to those who have been wholly exempted from 

 the competitive trial, which is unjust ; and again because 

 the nations of the world are now brought into closer and 

 keener competition with each other, and only the nation 

 in which this competitive spirit is widely diffused can 

 permanently hold her own and prosper. Thus it is not 

 individualism and competition which really hurt men, as 

 the socialists maintain ; it is the evil things, their direct 

 opposite, which at present prevail, and which hinder 

 their full and fair development. 



It might be urged with some show of plausibility 

 that superior faculty and energy should not be rewarded 

 in proportion to their amount a proposition which is 



