New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-31
1.-THE Wastes and Burdens OF Life. -

The announcement that Beecher was to
| lecture at Lincoln Hall, with the compare.
| lively low price of admission, caused the
seats to be taken SO eagerly that none
| were left after nine o'clock yesterday
morning, and long before the hour of the
| lecture the hall, including the platform,
was overlooking, and several hundred had
to 60 away witheut being able to get inside
| the door.
The lecture was delivered in Beecher's
best style throughout, and was clear and
| logical prod uctiOn, enchanting the atten-
| ton of the large audience throughout, and
frequently eiciting hearty applause
In opening the lecturer said that civiiza-
ton is not matter of choice, but of neces-
sity. Men can not help living together, and
solitude, were such thing possible, would
speedily destroy the qualities of manhood.
The strongest social and moral faculties de-
mand society, which is the greatest of
earthly institutions. 1t is, therefore,
especially important that we consider the
burdens and wastes which sap the prosper
ity and progress of society. The first of
these is sickness, which is in great degree
an element in political economy, for the per-
feet state demands that It's greater part
should be healthy. Every sick person is an
element of waste and leakage. When we
consider that the average of humanity live
days. we see how it is that society loses the
services of three out of four of its pro-
ductive classes and thus the maximum of
possible work is reduced and it's quality de-
based.
Little work is bad, but poor work is
worse. 1t is wasteful thus to moral quail
ties. Vigor is Indispensable to virtue.
SlOvenliness, unthrift, poverty, are the re-
suits OF weakness in this direction. Be-
-. 4 ~, ,v,, ,,
positive waste, and the duty of good gov
eminent is to take the best care of the
health of society, as one Of the fundamen-
tai laws Of the prosperity of society. 1t is
the duty of society, therefore, TO provide
for public cleanliness, for ventilation, for
sewerage, for light and air; to break up
any too great assemblage OF humanity in
any spot for the health of the whole; for
society can not afford to allow any portion
of society to suffer in health.
l will next discuss, said the lecturer, the
waste of ignorance; and in using the terms
ignorance and education, do not mean ar
bitrarily the absence Of book learning or
it's possession. A man may be unable to
read or write, and vet be an educated man.
Now, an ignorant man lives, for the most
part, in the lower part of himself. He can
not so use his powers as to produce the best
results. He can not perfect himself in the
mechanic or productive arts 1Of WnlCn
brain-work is required. You might move
your Massachusetts cotton mills direct upon
the cotton plantations, and yet be unable 70
produce the manufactured goods SO cheap
ly as you can pay the transportation of the
raw material hither and the cost of man
utacture here; for in the productive in
dustries, success is largely dependent upon
the atmosphere Of the whole surrounding
community.
Every man whe absorbs all his living
and produces nothing is burden to the
community. There Is no law, no magis-
trate for him who is educated, virtuous and
Industrious, for he does freely out of his
own will what the law and the magistrate
would require him to do. On the other
hand, law and magistrates are absolutely
required to keep within bounds the ignO-
rant and vicious, for despotism depends
not so much upon the government as upon
the governed. | come now to the waste
produced by the very state of society of
which / have spoken. In the early stages
OF nation all the members are producers,
but as civilization develops the needs tor
various industries and professions, so do
the aspirants for those grades multiply.
And too often, instead OF consulting the
natural fitness Of the person for the posi-
ton, the mere question of making money
lie considered, and all rush into those
branches supposed to yield the greatest in
come with the least labor.
Many . father says: II nave had a hard
time oil my days to make living and lay
mp something. ] do not propose that my