Advertise for a stenographer，and nine out of ten who apply can neither spell nor punctuate——and do not think it necessary to.
Can such a one write a letter to Garcia?
“You see that bookkeeper，”said the foreman to me in a large factory.
“Yes; what about him?”
“Well he’s a fine accountant，but if I’d send him uptown on an errand，he might accomplish the errand all right，and on the other hand，might stop at four saloons on the way，and when he got to Main Street，would forget what he had been sent for.”
Can such a man be entrusted to carry a message to Garcia?
We have recently been hearing much maudlin sympathy expressed for the“downtrodden denizen of the sweat-shop”and the “homeless wanderer searching for honest employment，”and with it all often go many hard words for the men in power.
Nothing is said about the employer who grows old before his time in a vain attempt to get frowsy ne’er-do-wells to do intelligent work; and his long，patient striving with“help”that does nothing but loaf when his back is turned.In every store and factory there is a constant weeding-out process going on.The employer is continually sending away“help”that have shown their incapacity to further the interests of the business，and others are being taken on.
No matter how good times are，this sorting continues: only if times are hard and work is scarce，the sorting is done finer—— but out and forever out，the incompetent and unworthy go.It is the survival of the fittest.Self-interest prompts every employer to keep the best- those who can carry a message to Garcia.
I know one man of really brilliant parts who has not the ability to manage a business of his own，and yet who is absolutely worthless to any one else，because he carries with him constantly the insane suspicion that his employer is oppressing，or intending to oppress him.He can not give orders; and he will not receive them.Should a message be given him to take to Garcia，his answer would probably be，“Take it yourself!”