You have twenty men starting for a race. You may say, "There is nothing to prevent any man from winning the race," but you mean any one man who is luckier or swifter than the rest. You would never be foolish enough to believe that _all_ the men could win. You know that nineteen of the men _must lose_. So we know that in a race for the Chancellorship _only one_ boy can win, and the other 1,999,999 _must lose_. It is the same thing with temperance, industry, and cleverness. Of 10,000 mechanics one is steadier, more industrious, and more skilful than the others. Therefore he will get work where the others cannot. But _why_? Because he is worth more as a workman. But don't you see that if all the others were as good as he, he would _not_ be worth more? Then you see that to tell 1,000,000 men that they will get more work or more wages if they are cleverer, or soberer, or more industrious, is as foolish as to tell the twenty men starting for a race that they can all win if they will all try. If all the men were just as fast as the winner, the race would end in a dead heat. There is a fire panic in a big hall. The hall is full of people, and there is only one door. A rush is made for that door. Some of the crowd get out, some are trampled to death, some are injured, some are burned. Now, of that crowd of people, who are most likely to escape? Those nearest to the door have a better chance than those farthest, have they not? Then the strong have a better chance than the weak, have they not? And the men have a better chance than the women, and the children the worst chance of all. Is it not so? Then, again, which is most likely to be saved--the selfish man who fights and drags others down, who stands upon the fallen bodies of women and children, and wins his way by force; or the brave and gentle man who tries to help the women and the children, and will not trample upon the wounded? Don't you know that the noble and brave man stands a poor chance of escape, and that the selfish, brutal man stands a good chance of escape? Well, now, suppose a man to have got out, perhaps because he was near the door, or perhaps because he was very strong, or perhaps because he was very lucky, or perhaps because he did not stop to help the women and children, and suppose him to stand outside the door, and cry out to the struggling and dying creatures in the burning hall, "Serves you jolly well right if you _do_ suffer. Why don't you get out? _I_ got out. You can get out if you _try_. _There is nothing to prevent any one of you from getting out._" Suppose a man talked like that, what would you say of him? Would you call him a sensible man? Would you call him a Christian? Would you call him a gentleman? You will say I am severe. I am. Every time a successful man talks as this M.P. talks he inflicts a brutal insult upon the unsuccessful, many thousands of whom, both men and women, are worthier and better than himself.