New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-27
TIE "TWd YOICES.n

There seems 10 DC bOInetnluB III 1ho Pio'o0
sion of a Keformcr which, sooner or later,
imparts 30 serious o squint to the moran
vision, that things change places WITH nin'
and, from conscientious and even suDLlhe
labors to insure Reform for the sake OF Men,
he declines to cranky and even silly endeaVorS
to make puppets of Men for the sake OIL ne
form. There is Mr.. Carlyle, for example, whose
magnificent scOrn of shams once nl1eu 'no
whole world which knew him to higher icNei
of reality. But the pursuing oDiiqui'y u
vision doomed him not only to see men as
trees walking, but the holloWest OF men seelnou
"a the Ash tree Ygdrasil, supporting the
whole earth, at whose feet flowed sacred
fountains. Ruskin, who wooed clods and
otonas 70 follow in his fragrant footsteps, finds
his hero nj last in coarse tyrant, anu hls
model government in slaveholdlnS hepuDnc'
Mr.. Garrison retired from business, 30 10
sneak, when tho great Abolition copartnershlp
of the North was dissolved, and has, there
fore. preserved coipcident optic axes and the
power of separating the actor from his part,
even when that accomplished mime, Gen. But
Ter, essays the character of Aristides. But
Mr.. Phillips, mournfullest example OF all
alas! that we should say tin whom the
souint has become almost blindness, finds
Reforming, as O trade, so difficult business
that whereas once he found grievances crying
to his hand, now he must manufacture them,
create his facts, and draw out with hook
his leviathans of conclusions. And, as we
said, his methods force his best lovers to be-
licve that, as in his splendid Summer he skill
fully managed Reform so that it should come
to benefit Men, now in his sadder Autumn
he skillfully manages men so that they shall
benefit bis notion of Reform.
The moral is obvious. It is that when the
leavcn of self-seeking penetrates the breast of
the professional Rcformer, whether it be that
self-seeking which satisfies itself in giving
ever new sensations to its public, or that
which would arrogantly stamp its image and
superscrption on the minds of men, or that
which pleases itself with the cheap martyrdOm
of the rcproach of the public press, and the
encouragement Of group of adoring women,
then there is an end of wide usefulness for
that man. The voice which cries prepare ye
"the way of the Lord" rings hollow if the
John who projects it be thinking "What
"fine unselfsh figure l look, in my skins and
"rope- girdlc! Admire me, worldlngs, as l
"munch my locusts and wild honey"
The champion of One Idea consciously sacri-
fees something to his Cause. UncOnsciOusly
he is apt to sacrifice the better part Of him.
For his tendency is to see but one side of
many-sided Truth to become reckless in state
mcnt and bitter of speech. To recognize hon
esty in an opponent is to him to compromise
with Satan and all his works. In a sense not
at all divine. he comes, not to send peace, but
III oil
against class, sex against sex. Presently vi
tu3eration seems to him the closest logic, and
the hurting of hard names in the air the fight
of heaven-sent arrows.
Now and then large ard sweet soul ap-
pears in the ranks of professional Rcformers,
which passes safely through this wordy crisis,
as through measles, and comes out the bet
ter for it. The fair and brilliant lady who
spoke last night at Steinway Hall on "Dema-
"gogues and WOrkingmen" to an audience
wherein ungloved hands and last years bon
nets prevailed, seems to us to have earned this
praise. 1t has been our unpleasant duty more
than once severely to censure what we have
considered Miss Dickinson's intemperance of
speech and feebleness of argument 1t be-
comes our pleasant duty to report elsewhere
her thoughtful, earnest, careful treatment OF
some phases Of the great lawsuit, Capital
uersus Labor, which is before the worlds
bar to-day. Even its vehemence was no longer
the writhing of feebleness, and its sober can
dor commands entire respect.
1t will be seen that Miss Dickinson differs
in her understanding of this question from
her eloquent friend, Mr.. Phillips. He says, in
effect, Scratch the meekest employer, and
"you find black hearted tyrant." She says,
in effect "Scratch the hardest employer, and
"you find possible co0perator the moment he
understands the laws of work and wages"
By careful statistics, which are likely to reach
the class for which they are especially intended,
she shows how ignorant antagonism beats the
air in vain. And she labors to prove to the work.
lngman, what everybody but the workingman
knows, that all Trades Unions, Interna-
tional Societies, and Hands Associations
are costly and miserable failures. Intel
ligence, not logged obstinacy, Is the work.
ingman's golden key to success, and Coopera-
ton is the secret of thrift. If poor men need
evidence that Capital is not of necessity,
cruel and grinding, let them consider that
great rain of gold which wealth is pouring on
desolate Chicago. "Put yourself in his place"
is the keynote of Miss Dickinson's womanly
lecture, and it is advice not more admirable
for its intended audience than for that great
army of Reformers which uniformly declines
to do anything of the sort.