The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-12
THE WINNERS SPEECH.

"The Problem of Social Life" Considered
by Mr.. Asher, the Successful Contestant.
Mr.. W. r. Asher, of the State University at
Bloomington, spoke next, his subject being an
nouuced "rhe Problem of Social Life" ana
upon being presented he was received with much
applause. The following is the full text of Mr..
Asher's speech, which will be found unusually
interesting:
Indulgence is the fatal breath which, if not
quencbed, must extinguish the torch of civiliza-
ton. Ii is a latent principle OF death embodied
in the structure of every nation. To make the
earth sustain mankind Is the first problem of phi
lanthropy Iar question or property rests at
the bottom of half the revolutions of history. 1t
is the question of the judicous distribution of
wealth hat hovers, like a nightmare, the
body social, today.
To the taoughtful mind it would seem that as
civilization advances and inventions multiply,
that society would he elevated and the
vice and crime and pauperism that
spring from poverty would be exurpated.
For this We look in vain. The increase in
material wealth does not diminish poverty and
it's train of sad and terrible evils Civilization
has imprisoned steam ana by it enlarged the
field of human enterprise. Civilization has
bridled the fleet and restless wind TO make it
drive the commerce Of the earth. Civilization
called the lightning from its home among the
clouds, TO make it pusate with human speech
over continents and under seas Civilization
has every where revealed the hidden forces of
the universe Manure has not dealt niggardly
with She has given us mineral stores of I'M
surpassed richness She has twned the proudest
upon our plains She has clothed our mountains
with exhaustless forests, while along cur valleys
the floods of ages have lost their boarded
treasures. Yet in this golden age OF material
growth, in this land of plenty, the lives of be-
nlghted mill 0us are filed with suffering and
pain and tears; streets cleaning with the
light of gay and gided pleasure stand beg
gary and criminality and sin Beneath this
all there must be a common cause;
mplacable, wide-extended and radical wrong.
Tue countless diseases of society penetrate into
all lands-deepiy buried and fixed in all civiIza-
tions. They exist in lands melted out and trod-
den down to he the duil and contenred footstoos
of priests and kings; they exist, also, in land
where every man is free; where there burns in
the hearts and veins of Its sons n patriotism as
pure as The light of its stars. They found in
lands despot-ridden and famine-cnrsed; they are
found in Land where the returning seasons
shower upon the lips of thankless man the riches
of natures prodgality. They exist in land
where art and beauty have yielded to the touch
of decay; they exist in land whose teeming
millions joy in youth, and the light of whose
constellation bursts like sun upon the falling
ruins OF the world.
The vice and crime and pauperism that affliet
mankind with an increasing pressure as cIvili-
cation advances aud the arts and sciences null
tlply. spring from the insane, irrational aud in
human legislation OF man. Government is an i'm
portant factor in the formation of mars enarae-
ter. He is made by God, by nature ana by society.
And governments based upon the false SUPPOSE
ton than man can develop his own powers and
realize the highest nature, need not hope TO Sc
cure liberty equality and fraternity so long as
they emanate from principle If ia lsehOod and
dsuniOn The most fatal error that can hs in
fused into human society is that principle
which allows the accumulation of the property
of the country in the hands of the few TO Une
embarrassment and impoverishmeu of the many.
This principle, more than any other, mas caused
this earth 70 srOan and travail in pain, Till now
it has entaied upon the human race base beg
gary and idleness and hate. 1t has changed to
beastliness the nature OF man little lower
than the angels born. 1t widens the gulf
between onuleuce and penury. 1t gluts
the gorged il rohs the starving. We would not
deny the right of properly, for around it cluster
some of the strongest motives to fortitude,
tue and courage. But around il there should be
restrictions thrown, that the Inequalities Of po-
sition. now pronounced and defined, would
to curse the race. In the present state of
society this fact ia clear, thar the deep ahase-
ment of the larger portion of mankind Is incon-
sistent with individual liberty. The music OF
independence bell proclaimed the equality of
man. Equality, say you2 MOL 1t was but a
vibration of that sound whose harmony will
some day charm the cara of an unfettered world.
At the magic stroke of tho pen of the great LIN
coin four million human beings were unclaimed;
four million souls made free. Made free, say
yOul No! Transformed from the slavery of
whips and chains TO the bondage of poverty
and ignorance and crime. so long as man
is compelled TO toll for mere subsist-
enee, the nObeP qualities of mind and heart
mIst slumber In updeveloped savagsry. Aud
that nation need never hope for aught hut law
lessness ana violence aud discomfort that wOuld
rear the fabric of social life upon the enslave-