inspiring
individual initiative and energy by any form of community ownership or
direction which destroys or lessens opportunity for the more competent
and especially the economically exceptional man. You would create
thereby a machine operated by machinists for the accomplishment of
machine purposes which are the purposes, good or bad as the case may be,
of the individual operators who have never been and are not likely to be
the economically competent.

For our generation the problem is, while not restricting either the
opportunity or the reward of the economically competent, to compel the
predatory and extortionate among them to behave decently, so that others
of their class may do so without ruin--to which end, in my judgment,
jail sentences and not fines will be most effective.

And likewise, to compel the ill-disposed and violent among the
economically ineffective, to obey the laws or suffer the consequences.

To bother our heads much less about Social theories, whose premises it
is impossible to establish, and much more about the practical relief of
the unfortunate by both individual and collective action and suppression
of parasitism among both rich and poor.

To encourage and promote the organization of interests, not for
contention, but for cooperation.

To fully recognize, that only by personal exertion according to his
ability does any one earn the right to live, but that the reward of
exertion will be and should be apportioned, not in the ratio of energy
displayed, but in that of its effectiveness and usefulness to Society.

To learn to differentiate between that reasonable discontent which is
the mainspring of human progress, and that unreasonable discontent which
is the destruction of Society.

And finally, each of us according to his ability and opportunity, to
practice and inculcate respect for the law, the maintenance of order,
regard for the rights of others, admiration for the successful, sympathy
with the unfortunate, charity for all, hope for humanity, joy in the
simple life and contentment therewith.

[Footnote 1: See Note 2.]

[Footnote 2: The accuracy of this reference was challenged by a young
Socialist, after the address. I have not read Capital for many years
but think I cannot be far wrong in my statement and, in any case,
the conception as stated, whether accurately Marxian or not, is the
conception of all who give vitality to Socialism in this country. Hence,
I do not take t