Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-02-01

pro perry or no property at all. Well,
who is to blame for their poverty--are
they not themselves to BE- blamed for
it?
No, it would he unjust to lay all tho
bla me at their door; it is more likely
thai society at large is more to blame
for their condition than they are them
selves.
Is there no way out of the situation?
Certainly there is. Christ, our great
Tea cher, long ago pointed out the way
in (which the rich and powerful could
rem edy the situation without bringing
thin gs to a revolutionary pass, without
any upheaval of the existing order, if
they would only seriously take care of
the miserable; that certainly would have
insured them the undisturbed enjoy.
ment of the bulk of their fortunes But
there is little hope of a peaceful solution
Of the question now: it is certain that
the well-to.do classes will still prefer to
rem ain Christians in name only; they
will still hope that palliative measures
will be sufficient; or else, believing the
dan gers to be distant, they will not be
disposed to give up much; while the
pau Ioers may be soon found unwilling
to take the pittance Offered them.
do not mean to go into discussion
OF the matter; | would not pretend to
POINT out how much justice or injustice
there is in these claims; state only the
face that there is deep gulf between
the former cries for bread and the
sharply formulated claims of the pres
ent. 1t is evident that the appetite of
the masses has grown within the past
cent uries, and the bill which they in.
tend to present for payment will not be
asnlall one
Who will be required to pay this
bill ?
Society, most certainly.
w i'll it be done willingly?
Evidently not.
Consequently there will be complica
TONS, quarrels, civil wars. They are
alre ady casting their shadows before
them in the shape of disturbances of
soci alistic character that are originating
here and there. In America, most
likely, those disturbances are lesser and
less pointed, but in Europe, in France
and Belgium for instance, such disorders
assn me very threatening aspect.
w no is likely to be victorious in this
stru gge?
Unless Napoleon was wrong in his
asse rtion that victory will always re-
main with the gr0s bQttdiHons the
''reg ulators" will win. Their numbers
will be very great whoever knows
hum an nature will understand that all
SUCH as have not much to lose will at
the decisive moment join the claims of
those who have nothing to lose.
The only consolation remaining to
the rich is that the REGULATORS" have not
had time yet to organize their forces for
a su ccessful struggle with society. This
IL tI-ue to certain extent But they
are perfecting their organization all the
time; yet, on the other hand, can we
say chat society is well enough organized
not TO stand in dread of attacks?
w no are the recognized and official
defenders of society?
The Army and the Church.
a soldier is a good support; he repre-.
sents solid defense; the only trouble
abo,I him is that the soldier himself be.
gins to get weary of his ungrateful part.
1t is likely that for many years to come
yet the soldier will shoot with light
hear t at such as are called his zen.
emies;" but the time is not far distant
when he will refuse to shoot at his own
people.
w no is good soldier? Only one to
who IN you can point out his own father,
his 1nother or his brother, in a crowd,
saying: "those are the enemies of So
ciety-, kill them, land who will obey.
TE e other defender of society, the
priest, has been less illused than the
soldI er and consequently he is not so
tired of his task but on the other hand,
people begin to tire of him, less heed is
paid to his words, and there arises a
Doubt as to the truth of all that he
breaches.
Clearly things assume serious aspect:
suppose the day comes when the priests
will entirely lose their hold on the
Poop lie, when the soldiers will turn their
guns muzzles down-where will society
look for bulwarks then ? Is it possible
that 1T has no more reliable defense!
Ce rtainly it has such defense and it
is nothing else but talent and their
Representatives in science, literature,
and art in all its ramifications.
Art must and will defend society It's
innu ence IL less apparent anu palpaDle
but ut Is very great; it might even be
said that its influence over the minds,
the hearts, and the actions of people is
enormous, unsurpassed, unrivaled. Art
must and will defend society with all
the more care and earnestness, because
its devotees know that the regulators"
are N OF disposed to give them the honor
able. respectable position they occupy
now-snce according to them a good
pair of boots is more useful than a good
picture. a novel or a statue. Those
people declare that talent is luxury;
that talent is aristocratic aud has 10 be
brou Ght down from its PEDESTAL to the
common level-a principle to which we
will never submit.