Page:Alexander Jonas - Reporter and Socialist (1885).djvu/53

 human nature to strive for improvement, to excel others. But at all events the prevailing social condition shapes the nature of the object mankind is endeavoring to accomplish. The present condition of things, of course, makes men to consider wealth the most desirable object to obtain, and for this reason all teachings and admonitions, in that respect, to the child, be it at home or at school, are fruitless. The teachings of morality, or of so-called religion, go for naught if the young man or woman, when entering practical life, finds everything going contrary to what has been talked or preached into him or her in the days of youth by impractical and deluded teachers and parents. Go to the Indians to-day and tell them that. it is barbarous to take the scalps of the enemy killed in battle. They will tell you that the young warrior will find life not worth living if he be no longer allowed to attain the highest honors his forefathers had been attaining for ages gone by. What to the young warrior is the scalp of his enemy is to our youth the possession of wealth. You know the old saying: "Make money, my son; honestly, if you can—but make money." Do you really think that such a shameful motto should be the watchword of human society? No, Sir. If a new generation will have grown up under institutions which allow of no robbery of the masses by a privileged few but whose principal aim and object is the welfare of all, you will see that mankind will quite naturally change its striving for self-interest into a general endeavor for mutuality and co-operative labor for the benefit of all. And as to new discoveries and inventions, it is fortunately the case already in these our times that they are not made exclusively for personal gain. The greatest scientific discoveries and inventions originate from entirely different, much nobler causes. But, who told you that the Socialists refuse to recompensate discoverers and inventers for their labor? To the contrary. While to-day, for instance, most of the inventors do not enjoy the fruits of their inventions, or get very little for them—as can be proven by thousands of cases—and the lion share of the result of their labors goes to some capitalist who possesses the means of making an invention pay, society organized according to our plan, would guarantee to discoverers and inventors the full fruit of their work. Spe-