Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-18

Kew DR. ALSOP.
DR.. Alsop introduced his paper with the an
nouncement that it was devoted to a consid-
Grafton of the subject of the proposed eco
nomic changes of modern day, and to the argu-
ment that they should be followed slowly if at
all. Competition. he said is q necessary ele-
ment of all progress ana then went on to dis
cuss briefly the theories advanced by Henry
George. who. while not a socialist, is yet an
ardent exponent of the idea that there should
be no such thing as property in land, Of Prud-
homme and of Edward Bellamy in his pleasant
dream of the future. The condition Of affairs
as 1t is today, whether it be right or wrong has
certainly been productive of vast wealth and
resources. The beast has been prolific; or. to
use a better figure, the goose. if it be a goose,
knows how to lay golden eggs. The elements
in the production of wealth sre industry,
thrift, capital, which comes as the result of
these two. and lastly. individual enterprise in
GLIDING inventive and directive ability The
speaker would not hold that wealth might not
or ought not to be accumulated in other ways,
but he would maintain that as a result of these
elements he had mentioned wealth had in
creased.
The opponents of the modern industrial sys-
TEN wage an earnest war upon all forms of in
vestment and Bellamy would have the indi-
vidual lay aside all interest in himself and
trust to the state for support. Yet to deprive
the individual of all enterprise, industry and
thrift and then to expect the state to furnish
all that the individual lacks is analogous to
expecting the stream to rise higher than the
source. There could be no doubt that the in
dustral system Of the time has been successful
in the matter of accumulation. The chief
charge that can be brought against it is on the
ground of unequal distribution. If the distri-
button of wealth is radically unfair then the
system itself is failure The speaker took the
ground that it is not Unfair. Interest and croft
ON capital have been decreasing steadily and
labor is the gamer thereby The poor are bet
ter off than they ever were before. Wages are
higher and the poor are in the enjoyment of
more comforts and Injuries than in the past.
The failure OF the very few which may result
from any one of number Of causes should not
blind us to the success of the system. 1t would
be unwlse to kill the goose that lays the golden
egg simply for the purpose of diverting the di-
rection OF the remaining ten eggs.
PROF. GoULDs REMARKS.
Rev. Pascal Narrower of Staten Island, n. Y,
was the second writer on the program. but a
telegram was received from him this morning
announcing his illness and consequent inabil-
ity to be present, and at the last moment Rev.
Prof. Gould of the Philadelphia Divinity School
was invited to take his place, but was given the
privilege of speaking extemporaneously.
Prof. Gould spoke mainly to the theory that
the present industrial system is not in accord
ance with the Divine command to love ones
neiShbor as ones self. Competition is not in
keeping with proper and seemly self-love.
II is effort to get all for ones self at the ex-
pense of ones neighbor. Competition does
bring about a cheapening in price, it is true.
but only as result OF marked
deterioration in the goods that are sold. 1t
also results In q vast system of deceit.
When the grocer sells oleomargarine he does
not mark it as such, but calls it prime butter
When he sells cotton-seed oil he labels it
'huile olives" Another result of COMPETE
ton is the lowering of the value of labor down
to the barest living rate. A man goes into a
furnishing store to purchase a ready-made
shirt and finds that the price is but little above
the cost of the material that is used in its
making. This can only be made possible by
reason Of the fact that the garment is pro-
duced at the cost of the life blood
OF ones fellow man. Things have come to such
a pass that the working people must work all
the time in order to make both ends meet. No
time is left for recreation nor for self culture
It is a continual case of the nose held to the
grindstone. Nor is this part of the community
in any sense an incOnsiderable one.
Prof. Gould criticised the theory of socialism
as remedy for these ills, holding that the
greatest objection to it was that it did away
with the personal freedom and individuality
of the man. He did not think that God IN
tended as substitute for one imperfect condi-
ton OF affairs another that is equally open to
objection, but that in His own good time and in
some way He would point out a system that
should be in keeping with His own teaching
and by which men may live in accordance with
His law.
REV. H. n. BARTLErr's PAPER.
The last writer Of the morning session was
Rev. II. IL Bartlett of Montchanin, Del He
began his paper with the statement that with
Christianity given democracy must necessarily
be the result. Out of democracy what will
come? The answer Is already becoming clearly
visible in the signs of the times. Socialism ran
be the only outcome Ct democracv. 1t is yet too
carly &c properly define socialism. just az up
to the time of the French revolution it would
have been impossible to predict what
form democracy would take, so today it is be-
yond the power Of any one to say what form of
development socialism may take. We are
already far along on the road to socialism, and we
shouad not attempt to put it of, ncr yet should
1t cause us any dread or fear. A perfect religion
may spring complete at one bound from the
great heart of God. but an improved social
condition can only be the development Of time
and experimental.
Rev. Mr.. Bartlett saw the advance Of social
ism in this country clearly shown in the pa
ternalism OF the government that 10 developing
on certain lines. The government control Of
education, OF the army and the navy. Of the
post Office the policing Of the cities, the paving
of streets and numerous other matters over
which the government asserts control
arc all proofs OF the growth Of :
form Of socialism. person Who
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