Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-03-10

hlFlAt' lillNldl' Ndlll ol sell respect
and religious or race preludiCcs are
stumbling blocks ON the path to "A coop
eratiVc and iraterual democracy. \
free. peaCcable and orderly citizen and
voter is a part Of his State; and as such
he may indirectly help himself a. par
tlcipant in the general improvement re-
sulting from such legislative measure. or
measures, Us he may have helped to in
troduce. The wise, strong and fraternal
citizen Is miniature state; and as his
conscience is his law, SO the law ON the
statute book may he the expression of
the mighty unison of many thousand
conscionces, ror popUE roe drii The
still small voice prohibits selfish advan-
tage-taking, but sanctions the insurance
Of self interest consistent with a regard
for the common good To seek ones
own safety in contributing 10 the com
mon welfare, is the privilege wisdom
and Statesmanship Of the average citizen
Of IA commonwealth which understands
its own best interests. Votes and innu-
ences brought to bear upon election and
legislation. are possible agencies in di-
rectinG and qualifying the State and in
dividual interests are not likely to he
lost sight of when general improvement
is rrotessedly aimed at, which amounts
to helping the State to help ourselves.
The State is the alleged promoter of
justice and equity, and 1t is reasonably
supposed that such promotion may IA
cilitate the maintenance of peace and
order. Law is based on custom. and
custom is subject to evolutionary
change. Justice and equity are discov-
| cred anew with successive generations,
and they are ineXhaustihle AS to applica-
ton. "Ali Tor each, and each for all, y
as a motto, expresses the best aspiration
Of noble and digniiied citizenship. JUS
tlce consists IN an impartial considera-
ton of common interests. Constant
general improvement is the highest ex-
pediency AS a community, we are not
responsible for existing mental and edu-
cational inequalities; opportunity to one
may not he opportunity to another; des-
| potic benevulence cannot accomplish the
impossible; we might as well legsate
June into December as attempt to fore
stall the natural process Of social evoh
tion. We may render general conditions
for individual development favorable,
and then wisdom consists in patience.
| The State cannot compel people to love
each other; the love of justice and equi-
| ty flows out Of kind regard for others;
| they are the expression of fraternal SEN
| timent in its youthful stage.
Equity consists in a regard for the i'll
| terests Of those with whom we may
carry on business Equity is matter
| Of degree, and in the business world is
largely founded on custom. With many
of us 1t consists in doing az others do no
no matter what. Thus, custom is con
science. AS responsible parts of State,
let us know what equity consists in. 1t
| is asserted nowadays that labor should
| have what belongs to it in equity; and it
| is claimed that an hour of useful labor is
worth that which requires the same
| length of time to produce; that, accord
ingly, we must have money redeem
able only through labor, and not by mo-
nopoly and speculation. Our c0ucep-
tions Of justice and equity are progress
siye. ChattelsIayery lived by statute
| law.
One Of the monuments in Common
wealth agenue commentaries one who
once came very near being hanged by q
respectable mob and to day the report
ers of the daily press are instructed to
carefully count the numbers who attend
unpopular meetings, and to withhold
from the reading public a favorable pre-
! sentation Of new cause. The DUiy
Hcraid opened its columns freely to the
| pen Of your present speaker until the
latter voluntarily declined to continue for
private reasons. This was under the
heading of talks with the people, and
which fact should in justice be stated as
an exception among newspapers,
Intelligent, practicable ideas aiming at
general social Improvement are helps
| Our best inspiration makes MS work for
others. We are not simply State, but
Il commonwealth. I he State, as coer-
Give, defensive, organized force. will be
| gradually shed as a tree sheds its bark
| but the cooperative commonwealth will
remain. We cannot help on this grand
work of generally improving human CON
ditions without gaining IN knowledge,
in ability and in inward satisfaction, es-
| pecialIy when we are interested in gen
eral progress; and when we, as parts of
the State, help protect the ignorant and
weak against the strong and unscrupu-
! lous, we are beneiitting ourselves az
! brave men. as citizens and voters, by
earning better conditions for ourselves
as well as for others. DO we intend
spoliation through coniiscation? We
not not only do NOT aim at spoliation,
but are resolved to prevent it. Con-
sciences which do not consider the com
mon interest must be subject to laws
which do. What is justice unless it en-
forces equity And what is equity un-
less it abolishes unjust monopoly and
extortion in every form? The State is
still needed as a help; we are parts of il
if we choose. The help which the ma
! inritu nay render Ihrnnnh Iheir cnnsti-