The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-13
SABBATH LECTURES.

DIR. rEIIx ADLER ON THE PROGRESS or
ETHICAL CULTURE.
Or. Felix Adler yesterday morning, nj Standard
Hall: upon the occasion or he second anniversary OF
tho Society tor Ethical Culture, general rcview
OF tho progress OF liberalism ana tho doctrines OF tho
society. In pointing At The apparently small number
OF tho followers OF the movement no said tho power
OF such movement should never be measured by
nero numbers, but by the thousands that stood be-
hind them. The wave that washed tho shore had the
great ocean behind It DR.. Adler repealed tho fear
prevalent that this lbcrastc move Mt was not for
tho attainment OF liberty, but license. People
afraid that II II should DO successful Il
might become q oatlpprasnacat, or witchcs'
Sabbath, In which passion and vice nigh: rcvcl
freely. The society, no claimed, HAD affinity
with tho radical 'isms, was not aimed lesscnin2
individual rights or thc'sanctities Of homc-on the
contrary, even wanted more OF those than present
roeious crccds could give The morality which
its main doctrine was OF 3 kind to keep thom STAN
Derins In vain to confess 1t; II that morality
which lifted up down ,rodden mankind, that great
martyr as he s~ayed and bent beneath the CROSS
II was true that the liberal movement weak and
scattered yet and that could offer It's ministers t-
tie OF material com Perhaps tame honorY
mol more probably defamation and dishonoE And
this, wnc the ch urchcs were fonced In BY their i'm
memorial usagcs and society In this country accorded
their ministers personal RECONSIDERATION youcn.nieS
10 no other class oil persons, be they ever high
LABOR NOT CoM1oDITY.
Dr. Adler said the past two years OF The societys
exisonce had been principally devoted TO the practice
Of larger and broader humanity and the training Of
the young TO become members and leaders OF the
ethical scnool OF the future. The sermon OF humanity
what Il II II is not practicalf We have had enough
OF brothery love IN the abstract let IL now 10
practice. Already has the tocsn or alarm sounded;
the two great classes OF society arraysd against
each other, and muitcrings oil tho social
na IS saa . ~ nG M S %
enough We have replied that land. indeed,
\, \, boun'co us. but thu. all have not enough.
acommodty like any other, ana that a moral scnti.
meat should BIO called to interfere business mat
tiers. As the price Of tho coat 70 regulated ~ tho
number OF Goals IN The market and by the demand
existing for them so the price OF labor must DO regu
lated by tho number OF laborcrs In tho market and
tho demand existing for thcn. To this wc ans yer
Indignantly that there Is no department OF HE which
10 not affected by tho reduction It's price, but the
laborer ~; his wife Is, his chill IL. We say that Ia
Dor Is not mere commodity, because labor has SOUL
wthers under ignominy. Applause
PLEADING ron rnE LowLY.
u was also urged that eOuntry lowest aud
humbest aoorer could by dint OF Industry ana intel
gcnce rise to the rank OF tho highest We reply that
inc one brilliant success, but yos overlook The
myriads who have 10 drag out IN tAeir old grooves
idle to speak OF improving tue cond,ion Of labor
ing classes because the more gvo the laborcr tho
banks refute this statement ana that auch or their
demoraixed condition is doc 10 The uncer.
tanty oil their employment TO tho necessity oil
their living from hand TO mouth. We plead
for giving the w0rkiDgmen intellectual Indus
trial ana moral freedom. BY intellectual freedom
do not mean TO raso tho aborer above his cass,
to increase mechanical and scientific skill by tcchn-
cal tuition In the Schools and thus BY enhancing tho
skill OF The lhborer Increasing The vauo OF his
and tho dignity OF tho producer BY industrial frcc-
dom mean that form OF cooperative employment
which, though u siiiI leaves employer ruler,
gives tho workman snare in the front and inter
ost In his work, and TINS could DO such
manner ss not 10 decrease the gains OF the employer
nokAL FREEDOM woKKIxoHEN.
But We ask Tor tnem moral freedom more than any.
thing else Will not SPEAK OF the thousands OF lives
wasted W foul air Slapped By poor nourishment but
merely ofthc vriue slain, ths morality underm med,
the sclfre5pect destroyed and moral seif traint
overriddon by the crowdine together OF the laborng
classes In their present pcstilcntai quarters Let
US place ourselves IN the position OF tho honest
inginan who has to live IN such dcs. Ho erica
that he has right 10 virtue u not to happiness. He
asks for bread, not alone fer the Of broad
but because Il Is tho staff sise OF higher lite.
Without bread, without . clearly home, no cannot DO
clean inwardly. Therefore he asks Tor aid, and wo
should lend u 10 him. And therefore should mees
these advancing hosts and extend them tho whito
nag OF purity, control them with tho rcfns OF
knoWlcdge and drive them 70 the great goal OF hu
mahty
Dr. Adler congratulated tho society upon It's pros
perty and alluded a. length TO tho goou work
pIished by It's kindergarten In when seventy little
human plants, gathered from the poorest classes,
were being trained into intellectual light