The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-11-13
Henry Ward Reecher


Despite the Indictment weather last evening,
City Hall was full with an audience drawn 70
hear Henry Ward Beecher on the 'Wastes and
Burdens of Life" He considered his subject
from the standpoint of political economy rather
than from moral point of view. though mucn
of what he designated as ''wastes" nave lohg
since been denounced as sins by orators auu
preachers. Prefacing his address Win Ine state-
ment that society was very complex institu-
ton. and that few persons nave Deeh accus6om-
ed to look at its burdens and TO thlpk now many
were unnecessary, the lecturer named sickness
us the first waste under which society loses
STRENGTH continually. widespread sickness as
it exists IN life had an alarming effect upon the
sources of industry and the condition of happi-
ness in society, and he therefore thought it
right TO consider il under the head of political
economy. Every sick man was like so much
luggage, particularly in those parts of society
where we expect force and energy, for besides
he waste occasioned by Grief aud disappoint-
ment and sympathy, we must consider how
large portion of society is burden if we in
clude All the weak. the superapnuated and the
sick Then there are very few that perform the
work that society demands, and the wastage
from TINS source was enormous. Weak ress,
ne considered, is worse for society than sick
ness. for feebleness in man is apt to go to the
next generation, and 1t tends to vtiate the
forces through a long line, 1t tends to produce
poor work, and it is fruitful in pretences for
weakness surrounded by energetic riv llries and
competition tends universally to help tself by
Sinking, so that an immoral element is intro
duced. Many vices have their origin in feeble
ness or IN rbid condition of the body, and this
Is prodigious waster, and hence 1T is the duty
OF society to take charge o. the health OF the
cod.mnnity for this reason, for health is one OF
the fundamental conditions OF the prosperity OF
society. IL is the duty of society to provide
knowledge of health, to provide knowledge of
cleanliness, of ventilation, of sewerage, OF
warmth, of the necessity of breaking up nests
of contagon, for society is punished throughout
when it let's the rich secure all the privileges OF
life and leaves ignorance and squalOr to misery
and disease Then there are the wastes occa-
stoned by ignorance, and by ignorance Mr..
Beecher said he did not necessarily mean that
which would be decided by purely literary
basis He who knows the nature of things. and
knows enough a bout himself to use the powers
he has in the outer world and the conditions of
life, is an educated man. A man therefore may
be unable to read or 10 write and yet be an edu-
Gated man, and on the other hand a man may
have literaryculture and yet be totally uneducat-
ed in kuowingthe world, the things IN ii, in know
ing how to use himself advantageOusly Man is
born an animal; manhood is the developed sub
sequent state. An ignorant MAJ lives for the
main part in the lower part of himself, and he
is to the State therefore unproductive, not
knowing how to use the factors of benefits he
has within him. He canuot be a contributor OF
ideas, he cannot take part in that contribution
called the atmosphere OF intelligence, Who
ever is ig.oraut becomes burden to society
because he withholds that contribution which it
behooves every man to make to the welfare of
society. And in proportion as men are Ignorant
in that proportion they are MASTERS, and are a
burden to the community. A great weakness
and a waste arises from misdirected efforts in
society, and in hardly anything else are men
so governed by chance as in the choice of the
field in which they will exert the forces which
God has given them. In every family it is
serious question as to what shall be the future
occupation of the boys. There is Oaly one trade
for the daughters, and that is to get married.
With women, the question is wIom? with men,
what? One result of the placing of boys in
wrong positions is to be found in the fact that
the pulpit to-day is filed with men who were
ordained to stay at home, while the law is hlled
with men who canuot make a livelihood by the
administration of law and equity The commu-
nifty is swarming with men who make mistakes,
and if society could make inlerchanges of those
men, how great an Improvement 1t would be!
The waste of man is the most piteous Thing in
the world, for in the great multtudes of man
kind the cheapest thing ON earth is mean
man. A faithful dog dies and is missed, a
good and stately horse dies and he is missed;
the emigration of the birds IN autumn is a source
of sadne S to us, but mean men die and few
tears fall. 1t is a piteous thing TO die aud not
be mssel, but il is more piteous thing to live
and have people to look at you as much as to
say, 20 eater, when will you have done eat
ing?' Another of the great wastes 10 life, in
Mr.. Beecher's estimation, is lying, or talsehood
between man aud q q, for the trust of one MAJ
in another gives stability tc society, aud by
striking at that confidence business was dsinte-
grated and destroyed. The is no other vice, no
other crime, that is more mischievous in its
tendencies than the crime of falsehood Every
one of the little white lies, every imposition
that creeps ihto business impedes the progress
of that business aud gives man more work to do
upon man than upon the materials he uses in
his trade. All the process OF business would be
simplified il men would be only honest in their
dealings with each other, for he considered that
one Of the greatest enemies to society is this
depravity of untruth and dishonesty. What we
want is more preaching and talking about the
honor of truth. Another cause of weakness and
burdens is that which arises from the over in
diligence of men's appetites aud passions in
which the nervous system is rui ned by violations
of the laws of nature, but this, Mr.. Beecber
said was homiy and not a part OF his lecture.
He considered this was waster from an eco
nomic point of view, as dissipation deprived
men of that power of clear discernment and
calm judgment necessary in any great emery
ency. Then came a brief consideration of the
burdens imposed upon society by old aud vast
ed institutions. of exploded PHILOSOPHERS ami
cast ron religions. but time was working its
own changes in all of these. One of the Chief
burdens of human society is war, and in ganc-
ing over the history of the last twenty years the
lecturer regretted that its wars were the blood
lest the world had ever known. Civilization in
all nations. he said, is as yet only partial, and
it does not bear any just proportion to the con-
ceit with which nations estimates themselves
No nation is half as civilized as it thinks it is,
not one is half as prosperous as 1t believes itself
to be. Christianity has great work to do. and
to-day it is tn, most perfect in families and The
feast perfec' in the church; 1t had great deal
to do among the upper and the lower classes of
the community, for be was one OF those that
believed the great mdling. classes were great
deal better than either of the extremes, tor they
did look in some degree after the interests OF
the country, while the men who were at the to-
ID tlla dutIas of citzsn, Ivera trail-