The Butler County Press

A MAN'S WORTH

The yard stick by which a person or group of persons measure the value of men is an indication of the ideal of the group. This being true, the yard stick in present day system is an indication of an unhappy ideology. The yard stick most generally used is the almighty dollar. People generally concern themselves with the amount of wealth that a person has amassed rather than with the amount of social service that he has performed.

This is so much the case that the whole public hangs upon the words of a rich man. Let a fellow be so fortunate as to inherit a large quantity of wealth or to secure a fortune by the manufacture of pickles or tin cans and his opinion is sought upon problems of all description, ranging from science to housekeeping. He may have no education, he may think that Galileo is some kind of musical instrument or the drinking of milk is harmful after reaching the age of seven. Nevertheless, he is quoted upon all subjects under the sun and a mercenary public press gives him wide publicity even though the editors secretly laugh at him.

Before real progress can be made this attitude of mind on the part of the public must undergo a change. It will be well when the public comes to realize the best gauge of a man's worth is the amount of service that he has rendered to society. This is a justifiable scale to adopt. Through social endeavor man has enthralled the elements and harnessed the stars. Without those things which society gives to the individual the existence of a man would be a precarious and miserable one at best. It is therefore reasonable to say that we owe our first duty to that from which we receive so much. This being so, the highest ideal that any one can achieve is to render the maximum amount of social service.