Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-11-16

HIS LAY SERMON ON THE LABOR PROBLEM
Robert G. Ingersoll delivered lay sermon al
Chickering hall, New York, Sunday evening al
the close of the session OF the Secular union
that had been in conference for several days
1t was Mr.. Ingersolls first appearance on tll
lecture platform for year since his throat
trouble, from which he is now recovering
began. Those who anticipated an attack on
the Scriptures were disappointed. Mr.. Inger
soils text was the prayer Of King Lear when he
finds himself at night without shelter in the
grandest ever uttered. From this text he re
ferred to the evils OF society. They arise, he
said from the inequalities OF wealth..
The New York Sun reports the following as
among the things he said:
Ii nobody has TOO much everybody will have
enough.
could die and not Ieel that he had left his wife
and children a prey to the greed or ayarice Oh
necessities of mankind.
There is something wrong in the system when
idieness is burdened with wealth and industry
with famine.
Get out OF your minds that old nonsense abou,
mans Tree moral agency. A man is no more
responsible for his character than for his height
or Tor his acts than his dreams. Then you will
have charity for the whole human race
Wealth is not a crime nor Is poverty virtue
although virtue mas generally been poor.
There is only one good-human happiness.
To do right is the bud blossom aud iruit o.
No perfectly civilized man could be happy
while there was an unhappy being in the uni
The poor imagine that the rich live In Para
disc. know That the most OF them live in a
giIded hell.
No man has the genius or the brains to own
five million dollars. The money owns him. He
is the key TO Safe. Yet these men go on accu
initiating. 1t is a sort of insanity. Imagine q
mana good, Intelligent man-with Two million
coats llaughterl, six or eight million hat,
tcheers, a billion necties laughter and cheersl
Then Imagine him getting up at az O'Clock m
the morning and working hard all day TO gel
another necktie. Prolonged applause.
Great wealth is the mother OF crime.
The gulf is growing wide between Lazarus
and Dives, only the two have changed places
Dives is in Abraham's bosom.
The rich have scOrn and contempt for the
poor; the poor envy and hatred Tor the rich.
There must be some way for the loving poor
and the sympathetic rich to get acquainted. Ii
there is anything that should bring mankind
together il is a common belief, but in this
Christian country there is no welcome in the
velvet for the rags. 4 would think much OF
any religion that would allow the rich and the
poor to clasp hands, If only for one instant
All men are not capable Of getting a living
now. Some are not cunning enough, NOT
strong enough, not stingy enough.
Millions OF machines have been invented to
save labor, but the labOrer does not own the
machine. The machine owns the laborer.
No man should be allowed to own any land
that he does not use; but L would not take an
inch OF land from any one without paying Tor il.
au1d were r poss.Gls 10 polite The AIR there
citation before shutdown tomorrow, and mil
lions would be allowed to die for want of a
breath IL they were unable TO pay the monthly
air bills.
would not only see homes made free from
attachment from debt, but free from taxation
also. Then we would have q nation OF nresides
and a nation of patriots.
There is something about money that dries
up the affection. suppose that one reason Of
II Is that the moment the man gets any money
there are SO many trying to get 1t away from
him that he thinks the whole race are bis enc
mics.
don't blame the rich, mind you; they are
the natural products OF the system Blame the
system.
The first great remedy is in the ballot The
poor are in the majority. II the law Expresses
them II is their fault. They have followed the
fife and drum OF some party. No man should
go with party unless IL is going his way.
civilized man Will never want To sell q
thing for more than IL Ii worth, nor vill he
want TO buy anything for lees than what 1t Is
worth.
Look at the children OF the rich. My Godi
what punishment tor being rich!
am not afraid OF monopoiies. The people
VIII stand oppression 70 . certain point, and
then the end will come.
have no ear OF the workiugman. He is not
dangerous. He Is with US su the time, and his
enemies are no greater than those Of the rich.
But this is not the country for the socialist the
revolutionist or the communist. II IL the best
government ever made by the human race,
and with free speech, y free ballot and . free
press the conditions OF ting world and society
must be changed tor the better.
s-------4O1-