New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-07-06
SOCIAL SCIENCE CONTENTION.


IN response to call which was recently published
III The TRIBUNE about 90 gentlemen assembled at Cooper
institute yesterday Thursday afternoon and called
10 order by Mr. Albert Brisbane Mr.. b. explaining the
obect OF the meeting remarked that Social Science is the
most important of the Sciences since It's function is to ex
PLAIN the true or normal organization of human society,"
VINO called the meeting by striving TO make Social Sci
ence positive science TO interest the best minds Of
human Mr. Il. surve yed the known history of man
from the earliest period Observing the Of history
Ior he ast he said 1t would be seen that the
military and eudal system of the Middle Ages especially
from the downfall OF the Roman Empire in the fifth cen
tuy down through the thirteenth fourteenth cent
es was the sole ruling interest OF the world until after
three centuries obate gradually at the close Of the last
century by the tremendous French Revolution that sys
tenn was finally overthrOwn. 1t amid war and
oloodshed Five or six millions of men slain
conflict and countless millions OF money wasted
that great battle Capital and were at war
sword Now. shall the feudai power control the World
or shall capital own IL and control it, That
great industrial movement which waged battle with the
military and feuda system generated by the freemen
and cities of Europe and barTcaded the great feuda
barons They went until they got a foothold and be-
1898 the great middle classes the bougeoiS rose with
mighty impetus, and in that terrific revolution
the old military and feuda Since then might
be said that capital had obtained predominance Com
merce banking &c. were now the great powers in this
so. In England those powers were forming coalition
wise enough to accept that coalition fully would result
III modlhcatiOn OF the old system. To-day, IN the
supremacy OF commerce and capital and in the ab0rng
classes, for wage becoming their Instruments system
OF indirect seryitude prevailed throughout the world
these serts and slaves tOng with master, the
power Of money instead of the old one power OF the
sword Again. ali the great improvements in machinery.
the means of immensely multiplying wealth. had but re-
bounded to the advantage of small class OF capitalists,
while the laborng class had remained poor they
100 years ago In fact Halam had said that the
working classes at the present day had less food than
had the serfs of the Middle Ages. in proportion to the
labor done they doubtless had more wearing labor 1t
u
tice cannot last forever. 1t disease in the social
system which like disease IN the human body, must
either itself out Kill the nation. II they
living in age where there but leading desire,
mating almost all mankind which was seshness If all
were but seeking to accumulate in their hands
the wealth OF the world, regardless Of their
felOwen leaving the masses in destitutionthat sys
tenn could not last The sword made scrfs Of the labor
ing classes and told them to work for it, or it would hew
them to pieces capital put them into it's factories, and
told them to work ii would starve them to death But
slowly a newmOvement had begun III the world within
the last years taking its rise in the French Revolution
the of the sword and Of capital long enough
Will be their masters As certainly that progress
coming vast coalition of labor against commerce,
speculation, prOtmongerng usury, aud the whole sys
tenn OF swinding through capital Gould this great i'm
pending revolution be conducted to a successful tenina
tion without the terrible violence which has character
waste, and all the terrible evils which have
accompanied them or would the, capitalists
police, TO lind themselves ultimately stricken down by
peacefully He had been around among the people in
France in 1881 They said tteR, Political reforms avail
nothing; we want social reform: want TO elevate
labor" He had before that been travelling in Greece
Turkey and elsewhere and had become convinced that ill.,
ment better than the European governments except
that il Is liberal in form; but he had been profoundly
impressed with that great idea that that which produced
the wealth OF the world should control it, that every
could ha its benefits and the benefits or health and
intellectual development That idea had gone spread
ing through France through Germany through England
until now, after the long incubation vast cooperative
movement had sprungup from this idea terminated in tho
minds OF few young men, and had iLttrated through
the working classes everywhere, who were beginning to
understand the true relations between labor ana capital
and everywhere striving 10 organize do some
thing in pursuance Of this great idea by THE TRIBUNE
of that morning they would see that the English trades
unions beginning TO combine for tho purpose OF die
the first time In the history OF the world IL appeared
! that terrible punishmen's had been inflicted on
those who had worked contrary TO the lsTs OF the
union AID when an lr0nInasier IN Yorkshire VINO
could carry his business because of the nutDy
him-wanted TO wind up his affairs. the junior
partner proposed and succeeded IN establishing co
operative system; and their concern, which mad not
yielded than three or four per cent profit has
since yielded them ten per cent These tradeSuniohs
wages adopt some more equitable system OF labor,
using even murder as II means to carry their point
O the unions who dlsregarded those laws II this sys-
! TEN continued, the result would be that the
wOrkngmen would begin to dictate laws to capital, AKA
| by-and-by. II they met with opposition mandatory
would be burned down or private building OF a sl,n
would he murdered, until regular reign OF terror en-
sued conspiracy 20 force capital to obey their be
! hests Then, II labor wise, all would be well.
But labor was The rich ignorant but the
laboring class perhaps more ignorant sun Inc
monarch who was now entertaining emperors and kings
bedzened in their diamonds and pearls sitting ms the
highest representatives OF humanity on the car III 1882,
through his ministers issued secret circular directing
that every wor1lingman who had away from Paris
should be shot, and numbers were shot accordingly II
those great leaders Of civilization would dOths and II,
as they knew heads OF the Church would burn men
by thousands would tho working classes do any better
proyeIncnt to be soyedY Progress in the science Of
| astronomy, for example, had been made III heller
| little help from astro0gy. II was in crude state
III the time OF Copcrncus. but when Calico and Rpler,
and Newton came that great science TOOK form ana order
Was IL possible that the speculative theoretical political
economy in which VIC have gr91ed 9y Tey should ;Ygy
principles He feared many mistakes would DC made
many dangers stood In the path me accumulation OF
capital the invention OF machinery were great facts
bat the rich accumulated the capital aud by that means
secured the most valuable inventions TO themselves In
five years they might see terrible revolution III Ger
many, the working classes gaining the ascendant and
in Germany they had the theory and plan OF such a
movement all mapped out including the conisaton OF
dicted violent revolution in France II little more
excitement created in England, the arts
and ruin. In this country, through the greater
intelligence OF the agricultural class there was more
chance OF escape that the great countepoise But
in our great cities IL would be seen from passing events
that there be conflict between labor and capital
Chate Slavery in the South terrible thnR ana the
slave master terrible master; but no master III the
South got G hours Of labor day out OF s negroes
The rich entirely preoccuped In making money
Talking some days before with some rich men, he had
f. and asked What are you creating trouble forr They
we're afraid Of such movements Our rich men cared
only for their capital their Investments, got larger
rate OF interest 20 make millions out Of Pacific Rail
road, such schemes there was neither phllan-
tbrouy nor wisdom them. The foreman, OF course,
wancd 10 get "a little for his days work To wok as
little as pOssble-thrce hours day p0SslDeand get
$40 for IL aughterl which would DC about the same
| thing substantially. The rich do not see that
under their speculation society will he conVuscd the
abOrng class do not that, II they reduced DAY
labor down 10 eight hours IL would take so many more
days labor purchase barrel Of flour Society neede,
10 be taught how 10 was composed; everything connected
with the production and distribution OF wealth the dVl-
sion labor through the laws which govern labor prop
ance Labor needed scientific organization III cutting
improved machinery and so facilitating labor that men
would want to work The merchant never compliance Oh