Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-03-01

came on, sink slowly from his sight and
leave the world all cold and dark. He
thought that this was a living thing, a
god who moved and thought and shed
his light upon The earth, and he prayed
that it might come again to fill 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. These were
the weapons and the voice of an aveng-
ing CODA god that must be appeased
by sacrifice and prayer. The civilized
being of today sees the sun 90 down
and knows that it will rise again, and
tells the reason why. He sees the light
ning's flash, but it brings no terror to
his SOUL for he has learned the cause.
he has even dared to tempt the goods
| 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 diff
| and the civilized man of today has all
been brought about by knowledge of
| and obedience to law. The savage of
| ages since was an individual; he stood
| alone. In his weak mind there had not
yet been born the thought of the
strength that comes from associating
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 slave, although no
masters hand had ever yet been raised
above his back, although no human law
had every been made to fetter him,
although no social customs had been
formed to curtall his acts. This savage
was 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. All these demanded
his whole time and strength, and in the
end they left him, after a short and
precarious existence, to starve or die
through violence.
MAN CANNOT STAND ALONE.
''Self preservation is the first law of
nature, and even before this man appre-
ciated the condition in which he lived,
even before he began to think, the law
Of self preservation drove him to asso-
citation with his fellow-man. He did
not know the reason why; he did not
know the wondrous power contained in
association with his fellow, but the law
of self-preservation drove him to it.
He associated with others of his kind
that he might defend himself from the
heat and cold, from the elements of Ma
ture from the beasts that waged war
upon him, and from others of lis race.
Around the strongest chief there natur-
ally gathered followers, who united with
the rest and made common cause"
The speaker then traced the progress
of civilization through the primitive
stages to that in which the invention of
machinery and the diversification of in
dustry made it impossible for man to
longer toll alone and forced him to be-
come the servant of those possessing the
improved implements of production.
With this improvement there had arisen
natural monopoly which was, as all
laws of nature, not to be contended
against, but rather made to conserve
mans use and happiness. This was the
problem of the age. Man could not pre-
vent monopoly but it was in the nature
of things that he could make his, like
al natural laws, subserve the happiness
of the race.
MoNoPoLIEs CONTROLLED BY THE PEOPLE.
The control of the natural monopoly
could be secured by the extension of the
| powers of the state in the direction al
ready taken. The government had
already shown its power in the manage
ment of schools, in the transportation
of mails, in the supply of heat, water,
and light; and it was possible for man
to further extend these functions, until
the value of all these natural monopolies
should be gained for the people to whom
they belonged.
In closing the speaker said; "These
questions are before us; they must be
settled we cannot dodge them or avoid
our responsibilities. We hear upon the
one hand laughter and music and Joy,
upon the other the cries of woe and sur
fering. We cannot close our ears TO
those cries. We cannot close our eyes
to this misery and want. These are
questions for us to solve. 1t is earnest,
sincere work that is needed. 1t is for all
who are patriots; for all who love their
fellowmen; for all who have heart
that feeis for others woes"
The close of the address was greeted
with long continued applause.