THE SOCIAL PROBLEM 259 



reaching middle age. The division into " classes and masses " is not of 

 man's making; it is part of nature's economy. Men of all groups are 

 born in all grades of society, among the rich as among the poor, and 

 are found among the so-called educated as well as among the illiterate. 

 A man's place depends on his natural endowments. 



The vast majority of mankind consider little beyond the present; 

 the inherent indolence can be overcome only by compulsion. The ordi- 

 nary man finds that compulsion externally in the necessity of providing 

 for immediate needs or against threatened disaster. He may have an 

 indefinite longing for better things, but that incites him to no legitimate 

 effort. The extraordinary man finds compulsion within; he looks far 

 beyond the present, and desire for noteworthy reward impels him to 

 extraordinary exertion. In practically all cases, self-interest is the 

 compelling motive, as much to the man who demands only his daily 

 bread as to the man who seeks an empire. Every advance in civilization, 

 every improvement in the moral or physical condition of mankind in 

 modern times has been due primarily to this self interest. The initia- 

 tive has come from men of the highest class, who, in executing their 

 plans have utilized men of the other classes and all have shared in the 

 resulting advantage. 



" Born leaders " become creators. Men speak of Sir Christopher 

 Wren as the creator of St. Paul's Cathedral because that edifice existed 

 full-formed in his mind before a stone had been quarried for the build- 

 ing. The great intellects, who planned the transcontinental railroads 

 were as truly creators ; they saw full-grown a mighty empire beyond the 

 plains, which would come into being as the result of their work but 

 which would be impossible without it. They made not only the rail- 

 roads but also the empire — they created the values. And the story is 

 the same in the development of every great industrial enterprise. 



But without aid from men belonging to the second and third classes 

 creators of values could do little. One may have abundant strength 

 and abundant skill, but without a spade or its equivalent he can not 

 cultivate the ground and he may starve. And just here is the prev- 

 alent confusion of ideas. Men fail to recognize the relative impor- 

 tance of director and directed. Some years ago, when the writer ex- 

 pressed admiration for the executive ability of a successful acquaintance 

 he was surprised to learn that the compliments were undeserved. It 

 appeared that the success was due wholly to the " O.P.W. racket," 

 which, being interpreted, means other people's work. This successful 

 man merely concocted business enterprises and assigned to each lieu- 

 tenant a share in carrying out the plans. Further than that he did 

 little, aside from giving occasional advice, until the time came for 

 division of profits, when he received the largest share. Now, the men 

 selected to look after details had become disgusted, were determined 



