in practice,
could never be maintained."

"Not maintained!--no, because the strong oppress the weak, tyrants rise
up and conquer--men combine to do wrong."

"Not so, my dear father; I say it could not be maintained without the
organisation of each individual had been equalised and several other
points established. For instance, allowing that every man had, _ab
origine_, a certain portion of ground, he who was the strongest or the
cleverest would soon cause his to yield more than others would, and thus
the equality be destroyed. Again, if one couple had ten children, and
another had none, then again would equality be broken in upon, as the
land that supports two in the one instance, would have to feed twelve in
the other. You perceive, therefore, that without rapine or injustice
your equality could not be preserved."

"But, Jack, allowing that there might be some diversity from such
causes, that would be a very different thing from the present monstrous
state of society, in which we have kings, and lords, and people, rolling
in wealth, while others are in a state of pauperism, and obliged to
steal for their daily bread."

"My dear father, I consider that it is to this inequality that society
owes its firmest cementation, that we are enabled to live in peace and
happiness, protected by just laws, each doing his duty in that state of
life to which he is called, rising above or sinking in the scale of
society according as he has been entrusted with the five talents or the
one. Equality can and does exist nowhere. We are told that it does not
exist in heaven itself--how can it exist upon earth?"

"But that is only asserted, Jack, and it is not proof that it ought not
to exist."

"Let us argue the point, father, coolly. Let us examine a little what
would be the effect if all was equality. Were all equal in beauty,
there would be no beauty, for beauty is only by comparison--were all
equal in strength, conflicts would be interminable--were all equal in
rank, and power, and possessions, the greatest charms of existence would
be destroyed--generosity, gratitude, and half the finer virtues would be
unknown. The first principle of our religion, charity, could not be
practised--pity would never be called forth--benevolence, your great
organ, would be useless, and self-denial a blank letter. Were all equal
in ability, there would be no instruction, no talent--no genius--nothing
to admire, nothing to copy, to respect-