The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-07-11
Genius and Spirit Of NationaIism
AnAddress delivered before the LIST
Nationalist Club Of st. Paul,
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. I
By REV. c. A. CREsSY.

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
1 knew man in a cotton-factory,
east, who could write and speak four
languages, and he was beside, a fine
artist in colors. Why did he not
stay there? Because the mill with
it's iron claws had caught him and
held him fast. Professors chairs and
artists studios are not in the habit
of inviting mill-Operatives to fill
them. Think OF a cultured blind
man, in middle life, standing on the
streets OF your beautiful city, selling
lead pencils at ten cents a dozen for
a livelihood. Is it coDgenial employ
ment do you think? Or ask one Of
your bawling mock-auctioneers,
whom you can hear believing like a
bull calf from morn till eve, if that is
really congenial employment to him :?
1t may be that he has spoiled his
voice for anything else, but society
makes the best possible use of such
men in licensing their business
Think of a poor sewing woman
with two little children to support,
bending all day over her needle, while
the hacking cough, engendered by
her occupation makes it's fearful in
roads upon her delicate constitution,
while every desire and aspiration OF
her soul is to find, for the sake of her
little ones, more congenial employ
ment, but every door but one is
closed to her, and that is the scarlet
curtained doorway that leads down
to hell!
"Society' is a fine word, but it is a
hollow hooking word to those who
are under the gilded heel of So
Getty
The present industrial system
ought to be superseded becauseit adj
mits of monstrous wrongs to the
children OF the working classes.
Statistics show that in 1888, the
average expenses of workingmen's
families in Massachusetts, were
$754.42. The earnings of workmen,
who were heads OF families, averaged
$558.68. q take these figures from
the 18th annual report of the
bureau OF statistics) This means
that the average workmen had to
call on wife and children to help
maintain the family. In the same
year--lSS3-there were in the indus
trial employments of Massachusetts
28,714 children under 16 years of
age.
In the average workingman's
family 80. A per cent of the support
fell upon the mother and the chill
dren.
In 1880, of persons employed in
all occupations in the United States,
1,11S,3 1856 were children, Is years OF
age and under.
In old Sparta babes were exposed
for day Or night to the inclemency
of nature to test whether they were
fit to survive or not. If by not dying,
they established their claim OF fitness
to live, they were so nourished and
trained as to become strong and
help to serve the state. But in the
10Th century, in our own America,
children OF tender years are put to
worse tests, and if they survive the
inhuman treatment and neglect to
which they are subjected, resulting
in the dwarfing of their powers, they
are, at manhood. absolutely Deepen
dent upon their own resources for a
livelihood, with no proper chance or
fitness for the same. How shall we
cure this monstrous wrong to chill
aren? / answer, there is only one
way, make it possible, by a better in
dustrial system, for parents to take
care of and educate and train
their children as they, ought, and
then make education compulsory, if
compulsion is needed, which, under
better conditions of society is very
doubtful.
A great mistake in the study of
economic question is to eliminate
ethics, therefore as though one
part of man is related to
ethics, and another to political econ
omy, and the parts have nothing in
common. Ethics is defined as the
science of human duty. But human
duty has reference to mans relations
to his God, his fellowman and him
self.
Since mans a being made for &C.
ton, the normal action Of his pow
ers is ethical, or action in accord
with duty.
What man ought to do is his duty
to do. Nothing has become more
deeply instilled in the human
thought than the essential brother
hood uf man. The fraternities have
built enduring movements to the
ethical principles. Poets have sung
their sweetest songs, and orators
have voiced their most eloquent
thoughts in support of this principle.
But, save in few rare instances, it
is little more than a fine phrase.
How much brotherly feeling have the
money grabbers OF St. Paul and
Minneapolis for each other? Or the
real estate dealers for the poor
:'SuckerS" thew trv to 'srOne inn to