The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-08-09
JACKSON c. H., OHIO THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1877.

cate the odious meaning which has been
widely ascribedto them | hold no such
views And to represent me as holding
them after this disclaimer, will be a Sian
der as odious and guilty as would be the
imputed language. To have taken time
Of general suffering in which to under
value and contemn the suffrrings OF the
laboring classes, with heartlessness and
contempt, would have been so inhuman
and monstrous that my known character.
my recorded writings and speeches abun
dant. and the service Of forty years OF
life devoted. at home and abroad, to
those struggling to rise in life. should
have saved Inc from the unjust imputa.
ton"
Mr.. Beecher then proceeded with his
sermon. saying that men sought for lib
erty, aud when they gained il knew not
how to retain il. lie believed in the lib
erty Of the whole mass Of society, and IL
was a subject that should interest every
man. Are the wnrkingmen oppressed2
| Yes. undoubtedly, both by governments
and rich men. and also by the educated
classes. Because they want to oppress
them2 No. II is because it must be so.
Only in the household is il possible not
to oppress helplessness and ignorance.
The administration of affairs throughout
the world is such that il can't be helped
The destruction Of the poor is their pov.
erty. The destruction OF the ignorant is
their ignorance. Mr.. Beecher referred
to the working classes in Europe, saying
that they were lacking in personal devel-
opment, self government, lacking power.
They are small in waist and smaller in
the head Since 1860 the National debts
in Europe have been increased $40 00O,-
0OO,OOO through wars. That amount OF
money has been invested in war and the
interest upon which must be paid by la
bor. This debt might not exist had the
workingmen had a hatred for war as all
workingmen should have. We sympa-
thize with workingmen everywhere. We
are on the side Of the workingmen in
Europe, who are much outraged, and
who are great sufferers. But the meth.
ods proposed for their release are unwise,
unjust, impossible. / abhor the theories
which have been devised for their rescue.
These theories hurt them The work
ingmen of Europe and their followers
are not ft to teach the workingmen of
America. We have much to learn from
Europe about music and so forth, but we
have much to teach them about human
rights. The importation of European
tion. [Applause.l
Mr.. Beecher said be laughed at the no
tion that the Government should take
care of the people. It is the duty Of the
Government to protect the people, while
they take care Of themselves. That the
Government should see that the work.
ingmen have bread is an absolutely for
eign idea to the theorists of Europe.
Hands off You can never readjust the
thoughts OF GodT' No equalization can
take place until men are equal. 1t is a
wild vision, the European notion of com
binatioDs among workingmen. The lib
erty of the individual is destroyed in
combinations. The line should be drawn
between the skilled and the unskilled
workingmen. The attempt to regiment
labor is preposterous.
Mr.. Beecher next spoke OF the general
condemnation of capitalists by working
men, and said capital is the product OF
labor. The capitalists are workingmen,
or men who represent work. He pro-
tested against what he styled "the Ger
man dreams OF Government" and said
that the Americans do not propose to go
to the schools OF impracticable German |
theorists. He considered communism a |
deadly poison for the workiDgmen. We
give citizenship to foreigners. but not to |
their theories. We will sink their phil |
osophies in the sea. God gave men the |
right of liberty, and it is the business of /
the Government to see that liberty is not |
taken from them. Every man is in him
self whole commonwealth, but you |
must not use your rights TO destroy the 4
rights Of anybody else. When men say
that the Government must take the rail
pnoHa falaurauh lines and of h..r huafpaaa
industries, they mean that the Govern.
ment should be turned into a gigantic
and the products divided
among the people. This is the commu
nistic view given not long ago in our sis
ter city, which is more blessed than US
with such theorists. Only a theorist in
sane by nature and thrown by meditation
into delirium tremens could invent such
theories. There is no rich class before
the law, no workingmen's class before
the law. He who classes men and who
seeks TO antagonize is an enemy of his
and OF his kind.
Mr. Beecber dwelt on brotherhoods
and trades unions, and said that their
demands on employers were un-Ameri-
can and unjust IL is an American doc
trine that every man must stand upon
his own level IL is said that the world
owes every man living. That is so
when a man earns it. Again, that the
world should take care OF all men. Man
was born to take care Of himself but
sometimes he is cared for by his mother.
and aiterward by his wife. Man should /
be valued according TO his achievements
1t he achieved as much as fly he is
entitled to an equal reward for what he
did. II he is an eagle, he has a right to
e. L. hl1a - No .t..LN
20 hilh by artificial merits; it must be
merit Men msy get into a re-
bellion, and learn that two pounds weigh
more than one. The law OF nature j.
the side OF two pounds. A man who
drinks beer and grumbles, and works
OF the day. says that he is as
good as the next man. That depends
upon who is the next man. Laughter ]
The test Of all com mbinations is how much
liberty they secure for the Individual.
was born with a hatred of wrong and op-
preston. Do you suppose that after my
pleading for the slaves OF this country,
and for the yeomanry of Europe, that
could stand by and listen to a band OF
tyrants who want good time, whether
they earn it or not2 Men should b.
ranked by their productive power. Mind
is superior TO matter soul is superior to
body.
The clergyman commented on the wide
difference between skilled and unskill. q /
workmen, the man OF brains and the 4
man OF muscle. A man, he said, speaks OF /
the amount of work accomplished; but |
why not speak OF the quality2 Another
talks of the cost Of production. To make |
"A box that might be anything like a box,
should | undertake the work and finish \
il, would cost me about $3.50 Laughter ] /
In the time taken in the construction OF 4
the box might make $3.50 lecturing. A /
carpenter would do the work in much |