Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-02-27
ON SOCIAL ! ROCRESS.
Mr. c. s. Darr0w's Lecture at Central
Music Hall Chicago.
The Development of Society Under the
Law Discussed at the Final
Economic Conference.

The address bye. s. Darrow on Social
Progress Under the Law was worthy Of the
occasion and the audience.
1T has been said that there was no labor
question said Mr. barrow The pres
ence Of this audience and the success of
these conferences demonstrate its existence
and that it will continue so long as one
class Of humanity is rich powerful and
great, and by far the greater class in the
depths of poverty and want.
TIE SAVAGE AND CIVILIZED BEING.
Between the savage clothed in skins and
fighting with his fellows and the civilized
being of day is a chasm broad ana deed ;
so broad that it seems as if no links con-
meet the present with the past The
savage centuries since emerged from his
cave and saw the rising sun dispel the
night watched it with fear and wonder
as it passed across the sky; he saw It, as
the evening hour came on, sink slowly
from his sight and leave the world all cold
and dark He thought that this was living
thing a god who thought and moved and
shed his light upon the earth, and he pray
ed that it might come again
to fiji the earth with hope and
cheer. The savage saw the lightning s
flash and trembled at its power; he heard
the thunder s voice and fled in terror to
his cave There were the weapons and
the voice of an ayenging g0d-a god that
must toe appeased by sacrifice and prayer.
The cililized being Of to-day sees the
sun 20 down and knows it will rise again,
and can tell the reason why. He sees the
Iightning's flash, but it brings no terror
to his soul. for he has learned the cause
He has even dared the gods by bringing
these wonderful elements to do his will.
He looks on nature in all its changing
forms, and IN it sees no miracle or mystery
save the one great mystery that lies back
Of all. The difference between the savage
of long ago and the civilized man of to-
day has all been brought about 10y knOwl-
edge of and obedience to law
The savage of ages since was an individ-
ual, he stood alone In his weak mind
there had not vet been born the thought of
the strength that comes from associatlng
with his fellow man He was the prey Of
the elements of nature the prey of the
wild beasts that surrounded him. the prey
Of other barbarous men like himself He
was a slave, although no master hand
had ever vet been raised above his back.
although no human law had ever yet been
made to fetter him, although no social
customs bad been formed to curtail his
acts. This savage was a slave. He was a
slave to heat and cold, to hunger and want,
to the elements that surrounded him. to
all the forces of nature. Al these de-
manded his whole time and strength, and
in the end they left him, after short and
precari0us existence to starve or die
through violence.
NAN CANNOT STAND ALONE.
"Self-preseryatioa is the FIRST law of
ated the condition in which he lived, even
before he began to think, die law of self
preservation drove him to association with
his fellow-man He did not know the
reason why; he did not know the wonderous
power contained in association with
his fellow but the law of self-pres-
eryation drove him to do it. He associat-
ed with others of his kind that he might
defend himself from the heat and cold,
from the elements of nature. from the
beasts that wrged war upon him, and from
Others Of his race. Around the strongest
chief there naturally gathered followers,
who united with the rest and made COM
mon cause
The speaker then traced the progress Of
civilization through the primitive stages
to that ii which the invention Of machu-
cry and the diversi6catiou Of industry
made ii impossible for q man to longer toll
alone ana forced HIM to become a servant
of those possessing the improved nipple
ments Of production With this improve
meut there had arisen a natural monopoly