The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-11-19
Labor Warned by Rev. Alsop Against Chang
ing the Present System end Thereby Kill
ing the Goose That Lays the Golden Egg.
Competition Responsiblefor Many Evils
of the Day, According to Prof. Gould.
Socielistic Ideas Will Surely Win, So Rev. Bart
lett Contends-Flower Missions and Other
Topics Before the W. G. 7. Q.
SOME VIEWS ON SOCIALISM.
Delegates to the Protestant Episcopal Churcl
Congress Express Opinions.

SOME VIEWS ON SOCIALISM.
Delegates to the Protestant Episcopal Church
Congress Express Opinions.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 1s.-Rev. Reese f.
Alsop. ID. D., of Brooklyn. opened the Sec
ond days proceedings of the Protestant
Episcopal Church Congress this morning
with an address on socialism. He rapidly
sketohed in outline the theories of Henry
George and the delightful dream of Bel
iamy. ana pointed out the differences be-
tween the most noted advocates of social
istic theories. Quoting the fable of the
man who killed the goose that laid the
golden egg, he urged adhesion to the pres
ent system of social economies, and held
that If labor forced change 1t might kill
the goose and lose the golden egg He did
not believe that the present conditions
were so bad as they were made out to be.
Thrift had its reward; enterprise rarely
failed to reap its profits Every one of the
socialistic authorities were bitterly opposed
to observation-disclosures was the leader in
that movement. To expect thrift and we'll
being to result from such theories would
be TO expect the stream to rise higher than
Its source. There were bitter complaints
of the present system of wealth distribu-
ton. and it was asserted that its tendency
was to enrich the few and i'm
poverish the many. Was that
truei Adam Smith. hundred years
ago. had shown that it was not, and
the facts of to-day bore him out. 1t was
not true that the rich were getting richer
and the poor getting poorer. The laborer
of to-day enjoyed luxuries that were not
dreamed of by the laborer of hundred
years ago. The tendency of capital was to
push down prices. and so help the consumer.
who was the laborer. Out of every hun
dred eggs the goose laid. ninety at least
went TO the workman and not more than
ten to the capitalist There were abuses
under the system, such as vast monOpolIes
and trusts that led to illegitimate prosper
ity. They were disease of the system, and
tc eradicate it would not be to destroy the
body.
Professor Gould of the Philadelphia Di-
vinity School. held that competition meant
that two persons or more were trying to
get the same thing; in business IL meant
that one man was trying to get all and
leave nothing to his competitor. That was
not the proper spirit of self-love. The
community which consumed the dealers
prices. and the dealer gave them cheap
products-cheap and nasty. Adulteratlon
was general. Nothing could be bought for
the home that was not adulterated. If
man was held down all day under the grind
stone he had no time for spiritual growth.
THE GREAT EVIL.
The great evil was not that part of the
people were made to he poor. but that those
who come together in the churches were
made so poor in spirit. The serious evil in
the socialstlc system was the destruction
of individuality, the tap-root from which
all progress springs 1t vas question
whether it was proper to substitute one
evil for another. The pulpit should con-
denim constantly the moral evil of the pres
ent system, and men should be taught to
live in a state of freedom according to the
Masters teaching.
Rev. H. NJ. Bartlett. of Montchanin, Del,
the next speaker, declared that given
Christianity, democracy, was sure TO come.
After democracy, socialism would come. 1t
was impossible 10 say what forms socialism
in Its development would take. 1t might
be sometimes ridiculous and sometimes
dangerous. That had been true of religion
and of all refOrmatory grOwths. Socialism
must win it's way against the most
powerful influences that ever beset
q. reform. 1t had 10 hope
of final success unless il could
prove itself reasonable and practicable.
We were already we'll along towards socinl-
ism; the movement could not be stopped
and should not be feared. DE-. Bartlett
rapidly sketcbed the Rrowt tn of socIalIstio
practices, particularly in municipal gov
ernment, where their good results were so
manifest that no one would return to the
old eysteme. 1t had come to that pass that
Sir William Vernon Harcourt. the great
English parliamentaran, had said: I'VE
are all Socialists nOw."
Rev. p. w. Sprague, of Charlestown,
Mass. said that the great number of obiee-
tions against socialism were based upon an
absolute Tisconception of its principles.
He was himself avowedly and openly So
cialst. He said that the principles of So
cialism were the ideals OF Christianity.
Rev. VIM. Pratt. of Detroit. spoke of the
prevailing discomfort among the laborlng
classes, based on their belief that they
failed to receive their share of the worlds
wealth. The principles of Christianity
and socialism were alike except that Chris
, fianity went further than socialism; went
further than justice and even TO mercy.
The differences between Christianity and
socialism were to be found in the socialistic
belief that by changing the condition of
men their characters would be changed.
1t was n fallaciOus belief.
COMPETITION NOT sELFIsHNEss.
Rev. DR.. Kirkus, of Baltimore, delivered
tho next address. He was sorry to fine
himself in an almost hopeless minority.
ne duuleQce udu Deeu tOiu tnat tney were
all selfish, all covetous. all guilty of the
basest meanness. Competition did not
mean selfishness; every body knew that the
seller filled as useful part as the buyer.
A most radical and stupid Interpretation
had been gwen to the Scriptures Religion
was never less than common sense. When
people did not understand the Sermon
on the Mount. they c0uld not be
expected to understand John Stuart
Mills political economy. He did not
believe that anybody knew what
he wanted as well as he did himself, or
that any considerable number of people
knew better than himself what was good
for him. Was brotherhood" such potent
word TO conjure withf All preachers called
each other brothers. and. OF course. they no
longer had any differences Laughter.l
What would become of all the fine arts
under socialism, You could not butter
bread with a fine picture. so you would not
be permitted To paint pictures. but must
90 TO work In the fields. What would be-
come of the freedom of the pressi Would
not religion be taken charge of. and mar
riage. and every individualf
Henry George. of New York. has been set
down as the next speaker. but as he was
prevented from attending the congress from
domestic reasons. Rev. j. O. :. Huntington.
of New York. took the platform. lie said
he agreed with what DR.. kirkus had said,
but from exactly opposite reasons. He
, was not Socialist. but he recognized the
fact that there was dlscontent among the