Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-06-21
ThE ALUMNI ADDREss.



Rev. DR.. Davis, president of the alumni
association, introduced Hon. Jero 8. Hess,
member of the Pennsylvania STATE Sen
ate, from HellertOwn, Pa, who entertained
the audience for an hour with his vigorous
treatment of "a Politic- Economic Prob
lem.' Mr.. Hess spoke with earnestness
and maintained the attention of the audi
ence to the close.
The universally of citizenship in this
country and of individual responsibility fo,
governmental affairs were cited by the
speaker as justification of his choice of a
politico economic theme for literary oc
casiOn. In vivid contrast he sketched the
simple life, the plain customs. the cheaper
modes of living and absence of luxury and
idleness prevailing 10 the beginning Of our
nationality, and the wealth, extravaganza,
dissipation, Capitalization aud abuse OF
power that have followed our uuexampled
material progress. Labor saving ma
chinery, railroad development, the appli.
cation of electric power havc L3en fol.
lowed by the accumulation of large
fortunes and the concentration Of vast
authority, but tho common laborer has
not shared proportiOnately in the advan.
tages secured by these inventions and i'm
prOvements.
Railroad and iron kings, coal oil, and
merchant princes, gold and silver barons
absorb the advantages and centralize social
and political power. Wealth accumu-
lates and men decay" Those who control
the franchises of great corporations enrich
themselves at the expense of the public
and their employees. Mercantile interests,
tho records show, are concentrating in
fewer hands, despite the increase of wealth
and population 8; combinations are formed
to crush out individual operators pools
and rings control trade and prices, instead
of the free operation of supply and de
mand :; dividends on watered stock and
false capitalization sweat the public. All
this has tended to dangerous and demor
alizing social extravaganza, disgusting in
itself and degenerating in its tendencies.
The style of living in centres of fashion
and such ostentation as the Vanderbilt,
all were quoted as evidences of this, along
with which and all other indications of
wealth and material prosperity 60 the most
abject degradat:o1 !, and pauperism. Caste
and aristocracy are being built up and
labor degraded. Extravaganza Of enter
tainment has banished tho simplicity of
true hospitality society has become
snObbish and sprigs of royal fashion bud
forth everywhere. The waste of substance
by millionaires and non. producers taunts
the sufferer and laborer until his resent
ment is famed into and breaks out in
such tragic explosion as the labor riots of
1877. The causes for such calamities lie
deeper than in temporary evils and de-
mand radical relief. It is to be noted as
sign of the times that the ago that has
produced the greatest material results is
also the age of dynamite, which the
unreasoning may sieze upon to right their
wrongs unless social and political science
offers remedy. The presence of the
homeless and hopeless is q constant men,
acc to society, wealth and government.
Cheap labor is an aggravation rather than
. remedy. Low wages and high salaries