<SPAN name="VI"></SPAN>
<h1 align="center" style="margin-top: 2em;font-variant: small-caps">Chapter VI</h1>
<h2 align="center" style="margin-top: 2em;font-variant: small-caps">The Prophet of a New Day</h2>
<p>Philip and Mr. Strawn oftentimes discussed the mental
and moral upheaval that was now generally in evidence.</p>
<p>“What is to be the outcome, Philip?” said
Mr. Strawn. “I know that things are not as they
should be, but how can there be a more even distribution
of wealth without lessening the efficiency of the strong,
able and energetic men and without making mendicants
of the indolent and improvident? If we had pure socialism,
we could never get the highest endeavor out of anyone,
for it would seem not worth while to do more than
the average. The race would then go backward instead
of lifting itself higher by the insistent desire to
excel and to reap the rich reward that comes with
success.”</p>
<p>“In the past, Mr. Strawn, your contention would
be unanswerable, but the moral tone and thought of
the world is changing. You take it for granted that
man must have in sight some material reward in order
to bring forth the best there is within him. I believe
that mankind is awakening to the fact that material
compensation is far less to be desired than spiritual
compensation. This feeling will grow, it is growing,
and when it comes to full fruition, the world will
find but little difficulty in attaining a certain
measure of altruism. I agree with you that this much-to-be
desired state of society cannot be altogether reached
by laws, however drastic. Socialism as dreamed of
by Karl Marx cannot be entirely brought about by a
comprehensive system of state ownership and by the
leveling of wealth. If that were done without a spiritual
leavening, the result would be largely as you suggest.”</p>
<p>And so the discussion ran, Strawn the embodiment of
the old order of thought and habit, and Philip the
apostle of the new. And Gloria listened and felt that
in Philip a new force had arisen. She likened him
to a young eagle who, soaring high above a slumbering
world, sees first the gleaming rays of that onrushing
sun that is soon to make another day.</p>
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