West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-03-16
ybo kills another in the act of steal

ing his cow will so by common con-
sent unpunished; and that horse
is more valuable than man is shown
conclusiyely wherever you findhorses
and men employed by the same con-
Germ. More valuable? Why not ?
A horse costs $3.50; when one drops
in his tracks it costs that much to
replace him. But if man drops in
his tracks another is ready to take
his place at no cost, Though he knows
that he, too. will soon drop in his
tracks. 3
You were troubled with draft riots
in New York in '63, and all the
sssolid men, in the community were
with the government against the ri
oters. What produced these riots?
The people saw that when the gov
ernment was in need Of men it did
not hesitate to go into the poor mans
home and take out the bread winner;
but when the government was in
need of money livery considerably
agreed that the poor people who were
left after the war should pay to the
rich a dollar and half for the pre-
sent use of half a dollar, beside in
terest ad infnitum. Supposing the
government had drafted money when
it needed it as freely as it drafted
men, would all the "solid men" have
been as patriotic as they were? And
yet why did the government not do
so? Because the glorious civilization
we have reared by violating the pre-
cepts of him after whom we have
named it, is one which makes money
more sacred than men.
1t is strange how long it take us
to see what evil results always fol-
low this false practice of government
by force and how good the results
of the right conduct are.
l never heard parents beside the
dead form of child repent of all
their patience and wise forbearance;
but have heard them express shame
and regret for using the rod.
Some years ago the murderer of
Jim Fisk was tried for the crime and
sent to prison for year or two.
Now he is prominent man in socie-
ty in some respects. Would it have
been better to have hanged him?
Would it not have been better to
have done nothing to him since what
we did has sent him forth, what
would be called in theology, 'justi-
fed" His crime is "atoned" for.
There is, however, o. real difficulty
in putting into practice the charita-
BILE precepts of Christ. IF man
takes your overcoat give him your
undercoat." "Give to him that ask
eth thee and to him that would bor-
row of thee turn not thou away"
"Lend hoping not to receive again"
These precepts are difficult to follow
because nothing is more certain
than that he who puts them into
practice is kind of criminal, since
the certain effect of indiscriminate
charity is to pauperize the commu-
nifty and reduce wages. 1t is abso-
lutely certain that the hundreds of
of dollars which are pour
ed into New York through her two
hundred charitable societies does
more harm than good.
Here is the point at which we run
against a snag in the teaching of
Christ, and it brings us face to face
with the question: Is he wrong, or
are we wrong?
l do not hesitate to say we are
wrong. Any social system which
makes it desirable for a man to be-
come a criminal is wrong. And this
our system does. We are rapidly
approaching the time when it will
be desirable either to be very rich
or be IN prison-that is to say, to be
a criminal; for it will soon be true
that q man can neither be very rich
or get into prison without becoming
a rascal. The road to wealth is al
ready practically closed against con-
scientious men, and it is repeatedly
found necessary nowadays to refuse
entrance to prisons to honest work
ingmen who apply for the privilege
of going.
Only short time ago man in
Danbury, Conn, was forcibly elected
from apolice court because he insist
ed upon going to Jail, whereupon he
went into the street and threw a
stone through show window. and
SO succeeded in his quest after being
forced to become a criminal.
This is because, as the Christian
Union says, it is now demonstrable
that society provides more bounti-
fully for its criminals and treats
them better in every way than if
they were honest mechanics.
The spectacle Of Austin Corbin
giving $4,000 in charity to the fam
lilies of the suffering miners, after
having refused to arbitrate with them
for the purpose of deciding upon a
fair scale of wages, is an instructive
picture of society N relation to the
workableness of the golden rule.
This is not doing as you would be
done by. No man wishes to be de-
prived of the opportunity of earning
a living and then pauperized by
charity for the glorification of pha-
risees.
The golden rule is not workable
now in the industrial world and