for supplying them, and effectiveness in least wastefully directing
labor in the use of these means. Our Captains of Industry are those
who for the most part starting life with nothing but a sound mind in
a strong body have risen to the direction of great affairs through
unrestricted opportunity to strenuously compete through long hours of
hard labor and the mental and bodily strength to endure it. There is
no reason to suppose that any other method than the same strenuous
and unrestricted competition would produce men equal to such
responsibilities, or that any inspiration but the hope of personal gain
would induce such effort. The contention that the honor of direction and
the applause of the multitude would incite to the necessary competition
is not sound. In the first place long years of inconspicuous service
but with the same eager effort are essential preliminaries to the great
places which but few can reach, and secondly the honor would go as it
does now in public affairs, not to the man efficient in industry, but to
the man efficient in talk. The one stimulus to personal exertion which
Nature supplies, and the only stimulus which operates powerfully, and
universally and continuously is the desire of personal gain coupled with
the instinct for construction and accomplishment. Since the desire is
for the largest possible production it is folly to try to withdraw that
stimulus and substitute an emotion which, however powerful in a few
persons and for uncertain periods, operates most strongly on those
industrially least capable.

For I venture the assertion that there is not now and never has been
among Socialists a single person who has demonstrated the ability to so
direct the Labor of any considerable number of men either in production
or distribution that the aggregate of yearly accomplishment at market
value is as great as the aggregate cost at current wages.

The second count in the indictment of Socialism, therefore, is that
for lack of the sole stimulus which Nature supplies, and the lack of
opportunity under a system of equal tasks, with ideals of leisure,
direction of production and exchange under a Socialistic regime would
be so much less efficient than now that the aggregate waste would be
far greater than that of the parasitism which has always existed in
competitive Society.

A social parasite is a person whose contribution to the social product
is less than the cost of his or her keep. If obviousl