Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-22
A CURE FOR POVERTY.
DR.. Edward McGlynn ExpOunds His
Theories Concerning Land.
ONE OF THE CREATORS BOUNyIES
he Would Make All the Rich Real Estate
Owners Go to Work.
A LARGE AUDIENCE LISTENS TO HIM


Georges theories, lectured in the BraddOck
Opera House last evening on the theme
Chow to Abolish Poverty"
The audience f lied about two-thirds OF
the house. 1t consisted of the middle class
of American men and women, as rule, but
there were here and there men who were
plainly mill workers. The audience was
attentive and patient, for the address was
more than two hours long. Applause was
given at rare intervals, but there was little
opportunity for applause. The talk ran
along smoothlyan connectedly, and there was
no apparent effort to produce crisis where
applause might be expected.
Rev. 1. n. W. Irvine, of the Protestant
Episcopal Church, and Rev. DIR. McGlynn
walked upon the stage together. Rev. Mr..
Irvine presented the lecturer in a few
eulogistic words. He said that when the
history of leaders of great movements was
written the lecturer would occupy therein
many pages, He was not runaway from
the Roman Church, but faithful adherent
to Its faith. "He is not under any ban,
said the presenter, "for any violation of its
faith or morals, but because he loves his
citizenship and true Catholicity better than
any system of politics from Italy"
THE DOCTOR WAS sALUTED.
When DR.. McGlynn smiled, and stepped
forward with bow he was saluted with
generous applause. He is tall and rotund,
we'll rounded in body and limb, and
his fat cheeks depend upon his collar.
He wore a frock coat and a common
black tie. He deprecated the praise
of the gentleman who introduced
him, but acknowledged the truth of the
statement that he had no quarrel with the
Catholic religion. He said, II am ready to
protest on every suitable occasion that I
have nothing but the profoundest reverence
for the creeds of the church, and for those
left to his Christian ministry as food and
medicine for sick and weary souls. It would
be a pain for me to enter into any rehearsal
of the events to which nv friend has
made reference. shall content nv
self with speaking on the subject
How to Abolish Poverty Although some
desire has been expressed to hear me speak
on another subject, 1 have felt great re-
luctance to speak on that subject 1.-THE COM
mon schools, because it might irritate
where have no desire to irritate. have
treated that subject with frankness at home,
to my own friends, who perfectly under
stand my position. Concerning my lecture
here tonight the newspapers have said GER
tain things which hope-I am glad to say
1 hope-are untruthful; but because of what
they have said 1 am all the more anxious to
avoid irritation"
This was the only allusion the speaker
made to the report that Rev. Father Hickey
had forbidden his parishioners to attend.
DR.. McGlynn then entered upon the sub
iect of the lecture. He spoke with
mellifuous and steady voice, distinctly un-
derstood by all. His gestures were few and
not vigorous. He expressed his varying
motives rather with the eyes and the mouth
than by his arms or hands. Sometimes,
made very grotesque countenance.
POVERTY NOT GODS PLAN.
He said that some good souls thought il
to attempt to do away with
considering it a necessary part
of Gods plan. In the same way
people thought it a sacrilege to at
tempt to prevent smallpox by the use
of vaccination. "The abolition of poverty"
he said, sis social question, closely con-
nected with the problem of life. It is
most momentous question for the welfare of
society, for the maintenance or growth of
civilization. 1t is closely connected with
the very essence OF religion, It is essen
tally religious question. 1 am, by choice,
by voluntary dedication and by sacerdotal-
a priest of the Christian
church, preacher of Christ's truths to man.
L assure you that stand just where stand
not in spite of my religion, but because of
my religion. have always believed that
nothing can be more in keeping with the
genial character of the Christian priesthood
than to be solicitous for the suferings of
the masses of men, of the poor and the out.
cast. Nothing can be worthier for minis
ter of Christ than to have in his heart and
on his lips the thought and the words of the
Master when he said, 4 feel compassion for
the multitude lest they should grow faint
by the wayside.'
1--WE wage war against poverty because
we are convinced that the involuntary
poverty in the world, and the vice and crime
flowing from poverty, are the result not of
the law of God but of violation of Gods
law. Poverty is, indeed. fruitful source
Of irreligion.
DENYING RIGHTS OF MEN.
1.-THE involuntary poverty which arises
rom the inability of men to employ them
selves, or when employed to obtain an ade-
Iuate reward, is the result of denying to
men in practice the enjoyment of those
rights declared by the Declaration of Inde-
pendence to be theirs inalienably and by the
yift of the Creator. The question resolves
itself into the religious question, as to the
mystery of mans existence here and bis des-
tiny hereafter. The preamble to the Dec
aration of Independence is profession Of
religion, since it bases therights of man upon
/ gift of the Creator. The basis is the
4l af o1d ho hro3horhnoI
If man. That is the essence of all religion.
From the fatherhood of God flow all the great
truths that shall serve to redeem mankind
from his slavery, that shall make possible
he prophecies of the seers of Israel and of
The best men of all the ages, when the world
shall enjoy perfect peace and perfect justice,
when, in the words of the most gifted Of our
poets, man shall govern himself in the
parliament of man."
After speaking of the injustice and crime
Of slavery, and of the changes wrought by
time in the views men hold on that subject,
be proceeded:
"All men have equal right to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. The pursuit
Of happiness means the gratifying of our
necessary wants, not merely bodily wants,
but mental, moral and spiritual. God has
given us these bodily, mental and spiritual
faculties and needs, and we have equal
right to crafty and cultivate them. How
shall that be done?
Labor is the essential condition for
doing that. The Father has placed us in
this storehouse, where, by diligent study,
we are to decipher His handwriting. This
is abundantly supplied with all
manner of material, so that we are enabled,
BY the proper use OF these materials, to rise
from the finite to the infinite, from the
creature to the Creator. Labor is Gods
law. 1t is not merely right; it is a duty.
BROAD VIEW OF LABOR.
Labor is not to be restricted in its
definition to the coarser kind OF muscular