Quotation: fighting a hard battle

Article dated January 1898 in a Boston, Massachusetts periodical, Zion’s Herald (though probably published in England before December 25, 1897):

“IAN MACLAREN,” along with other celebrities, was asked to send a Christmas message to an influential religious weekly in England. He responded by sending the short but striking sentence: “Be pitiful, for every man is fighting a hard battle.” No message is more needed in our days of stress and storm, of selfish striving and merciless competition.

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Today read an article in The Guardian about a new hit economics book, Capital in the 21st century - it's thrust is:

 * Returns to capital are rising faster than economies are growing. The wealthy are getting wealthier while everybody else is struggling. Inequality will widen to the point where it becomes unsustainable – both politically and economically – unless action is taken to redistribute income and wealth.
* rising inequality is killing capitalism
* there are limits to what markets can do

 which gives the 1898 phrase "our days of stress and storm, of selfish striving and merciless competition" particular resonance