Smyrna times., 1878-01-02
The Wastes and Burdens Of Society

One OF the largest audiences OF the
season assembled at the Academy of Music
on Monday evening last, to hear Henry
Ward Beecher's lecture entitled, "The
Wastes and Burdens of Society,"" His
his keen humor and satire, held
the attention of the vast audience for more
than an hour, during which they frequently
manifested their delight.
The theme was introduced by reference
to man as subject to the various phases of
law, physical, social, industrial and moral.
Liberty is perfect obedience to perfect
laws The wastes and burdens of society
are the result of disobedence to these
laws.
The first waste which we will notice is
sickness" 1t is not in a medical or
moral aspect that we will consider it, but
in its relations to political economy. If
we consider the extremes Of society, the
children who have not yet learned to work,
and the old people who have worn out in
the service, we have at least bisected
society, leaving out one-half who are fit for
work and if then we subtract the others
who are untitled for labor, the sick and
those attending upon them, we have left,
at safe estimate, but one-fourth of the
race who are good for anything. Although
civilization is, in many respects, an advan-
tage to the health of man, it has disadvan-
tages. Light and warmth, and well-cooked
food, are beneficial to the health of man.
In the early ages, the pastoral and agricul-
tural, although lacking these luxuries, man
had, at least, as much cold water and pure
air, as he wanted. Civilization tends tc
mass the population and in this way is
detrimental to public health. The worst
poison to man is man. In crowded halls
crowded churches and crowded neighbor
hoods the effluvia is deadly poison. 1: the
proprietor Of hotel or restaurant should
ask you to eat from plates which had beer
used unwashed two or three times before
you would have none of his food, and yet
in a crowded hall, every man breathei
something Of every other man. The breath
comes and goes and at the end of an houi
you have something in you Of every man ir
the hail. The art Of ventilation is not un
derstood, or if it is, it is not practiced. Ir
its indirect results sickness is as wastefu
as in its direct results. The mortally sick
are kept from work, but the partially sicl
and the unhealthy so on and on doing poo
work, and doing so much less work than i
they were strong and healthy. Sickness
must not be considered only as a school fo
developing the sweet graces Of love, charity
and patience, not even as a preparation 70
a future state. 1t is detrimental to com
mon wealth, and should be considered il
the light Of political economy. Legsla
lures should consider the subject, and pas
sanitary laws and regulations which shall
improve the health of the people.
"The second waste is ignorance" w
cannot judge of the condition of society b,
the highest class, nor yet by the lowest
Society can rise no higher thar its average
A few gigantic minds may march forwart
with great strides, but the great mass O
ignorance will drag them back. The fe1
cannot advance faster than the whole mass
Again, ignorance produces immobility
Water standing still must become stagnant
Mobility is the law of the universe 70
keeping things pure and sweet. A nobilit
in society is good for the few who belong I
it, but bad for the many, if it is so fixe
that men in the lower grade can neve
come up into it. The moyability of societ
is one of its greatest safeguards. In ou
country man makes fortune, his SO
spends it, and his son begins again to max
the fortune. The whole face of societ
changes about every three years. If tn
lower class is so low and ignorant that
can never be changed, and is fixed in il
low estate, il is curse to society and
preventive of growth in wealth. Ignoranc
places the lower classes under the contr,
of unprincipled men. Demagogues wh
have their position in the upper class, an
their power in the lower class, are entire
dependent upon the ignorance of the
tools; and if these ignorant men were ab
to divine the schemes of the unprinciple
the sanctioning of crimes and of men wi
commit them would be almost impossibl
A mans work is worth just as much
/ it has of the man in it, and it depends {
what part of the man. Brain is worth mo