The Wilmingtonian., 1886-05-15
(CoRtinaed fom last aoeek.
THE LABOR QUESTION.
A Verbatim Report of the lecture DeIiv.
cred by George w. Stone at Unity
Church, Wilmington. Delaware,
April 2sth, 1856.

For what do we educate ourselves foI
what do we devote the best energies Of our
natures why are we willing to toll why
do we make so many sacrifices of time and
comfort from the day we are thrown upon
our own resources until the time arrives
when by earnest and successful effort we
have gained competence, and so find our
selves in the possession Of leisure and the
means Of its enjoyment? Is it possible that
boarding money is good in itself, or is the
boarding only necessary as means of doing
good after it is accomplished? Is it the
possession of wealth that produces blessing,
or its proper and benehcent use? Ia short
are we not all striving TO obtain leisure to
pursue our chosen occupations and pursuits?
Observe do not say ideuess, but leisure.
Idleness is an unmitigated curse, leisure
possible and in a rightly instructed
AMI right-minded person, an unmxed
blessing. And if in the advanced condition
of the race more leisure is attainable, why in
the name of all that is good should we not
gladly avail ourselves of itP If the work of
the world eau be done in less time, in less
hours er day. then welcome less hours of
labor! If the tendency of the more ignorant
classes is to abuse those hours of leisure,
then let those newly found hours be occu-
pied by these better disposed, in educating
the ignorant to better use of the time thus
placed at their command A careful and
sincere examination of the conditions of hu-
manity at this time, will reveal the fact that
the world is very much better than it has
ever been before, in spite of all the dark
ness by which we are surrounded in spite
of all the wickedness in high places and low
(and there is an ocean of it) the average
goodness is higher than ever before. Human
life and personal liberty, freedom of thought
and freedom Of action, were never held more
sacred then at this time The rapid and easy
transmission of intelligence that is peculiar
to this age sometimes makes it seem as if
iu the world, but the bad shakes to the top,
the worst and lightest comes to the surface,
the real and substantial gain is i'll a healthy
direction. The noisy and foolish actions by
unwise and illy-advsed rnen at this time are
bad enough, but not SO a gerous as the quiet
but ore effective a ygressions that unscru-
pulous and able men have been making in
the pas t twenty years. The vast aggregations
of capital for the purpose Of monopolizing
the industrins Of sfIc woIiai are In sreat
measure responsible for much of the trouble
that we are now contendiDg with. The dis
position shown to crush out individual in
terests, has produced ain irritation that
promises to result III division of society
upon the question of the relative importance
of corporate and individual rights, and there
can be but one end to that contest when it
comes. Corporations exist only by the con-
| sent of individuals ana are therefore subject
| to such restrictions as individuals choose to
establish and in due time the fiat will go
forth ''thus far shalt thou go, and no far
ther" Society can safely be trusted to con-
troll the questions the whole is greater than
| any of its parts. When the time comes,
society will say to the rail road corpora
tions, "You are common carriers. "You
are the servants of the whole people," You
shall not deal in coal or other merchandise,
an you shall not have your favorites, or
discriminate in favor of one citizen at tine ex-
pense of another. The highways Of COM
merce shall be the common property of ALL
and individual enterprise shall not be eXtin-
guished for corporate benefits, 'tevery tub
| shall stand ON it's own bottom" and indi-
vidual skill shall have freedom to develop its
highest capacities without let or hindrance,
1t shall say to the man or men who make
corners in breadstufrS, Ego into jail where
you belong you are conspirators against
the lives and happiness Of your brethren" "
1t shall by wise legislation regulate the
amount of capital stock that shall be issued
on each mile of railroad and telegraph li1es
and shall presenBits being watered 1t shall
in some way make stock gambling illegal
and disrcputable.
1t shall in some way establish the fact
that the wage OF the worker shall not be the
item upon which speculation is based that
a fair days work shall have fair days
pay for all the tim9; then all
manufactures will have a reliable staLdard
and one that is unchanging, the distributing
capacity Of society will remain more nearly
uniform, and depressious will be less FIRE,
quent. For it is as sure as anything can be,
that the active distribution Of the earnings
Of the world is practically made by the wage
oarners and when they are prosperous, ali
classes are prosperous also. Society is q
unit after all, and any division of its inter
| aSts prpdureS disoor6 n Sfnnna,va nnan,