The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-22

tAe uA4SFcut SCnOOlS tuS Pu95fSaoh ~ -
most IS numerous as the patients; nor the
pulpit, seeing that its gifts and calling
are from above. Indeed, the tendencies in
every professional calling are already too
strong. As far as the vocations OF the
merchant, the banker and the manufac-
turer, the attractions and rewards of these
callings viii always keep them full. But
enter plea for the great productive
callings Of society. Indeed never stand
in the presence of one of these muscular
and bronzed toiIors, constructing
giant engines as they do, adjusting
complicated machinery, rearing mag
nificent palaces, burdening the groan-
ing great lines of railroads and
the immense and swift steamers with the
products of their invention and industry,
but feel like uncovering my head in the
presence of king. And yet such callings
as his are accepted from necessity, not
from choice. Next to these, but not lelow
them by any means, is the cultivation OF
the SOIL This, after all, must be the main
source of wealth--the products of agricul-
ture must supply the markets and fill all
channels of trade.
Second-0ur secular pursuits should
not lead us to neglect the continued
cultivation of our minds. Study political
economy if you are to engage in trade;
natural philosophy or mechanics If you
have chosen the productive arts; chemis-
try, botany or farming if agriculture be
your choice-by all means keep pace with
the progress of knowledge. Third-As
the crowning grace of the entire man per-
NIT me to suggest the improvement OF the
moral and spiritual nature. The daily
reading of the sacred Scriptures, the
habitual approaches of the soul to God in
prayer, the remembrance and consecra-
ton of the Sabbath, and the reverend
service at the sanctuary-nothing has yet
been discovered better calculated to en-
throne conscience and to quicken the
moral and spiritual nature. and to produce
sturdy character. than these practices.
Patient industry, advancing intellig-
ence and spiritual culture - these
in time may be trusted to
correct the devotion to material interests,
the absorbing greed for large gains which
lies back of the gambling spirit, and thus
may redeem the restless and the rowing to
the restraints of virtuous domestic life.
Let US, however, consider our times in
their national aspects. The first feature
arresting attention is want of reverence
for authority. As race, the Anglo-Saxon
has peculiar capacity for self-govern-
ment. Hence the evil complained of cam
not be a race characteristic. Neverthe-
national characteristic, and the
danger that the qualities of the children of
this generation may become the qualities
of the voters of the next. calls for emphatic
discussion of this subject. The European
child has reverence for age and authority
not witnessed here. We call our defects
in this respect young Americanism, and
thus localize it and explain its origin. 1t
springs from a notion of liberty which
Identities it with license. 1t springs from
a misconception of the liberal spirit of
Christianity. The father leaves the child
to decide for itself in mat
tiers of religion. 1t may spring
from a right conception of Christianity
applied to the wrong subject. Before the
Reformation man belonged to the state, az
in Sparta or Plato's republic, to the mon
arch, as under absolute governments, to
the soil, as in feudalism; to the church, as
in all ritualistic orders, to his fellows, as
in the system of American slavery. The
potential idea of the Reformation was
absolute freedom of mind. Man belonged
to himself and to God oaly--henceforwar
the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness were inalienable, this right be-
ing modified only by his subordination to
the monarch.
But in this very perfection of liberty lies
our greatest danger. Applied to subject
of the old world, who has spent his life
under system of surveillance and repres-
sion, and he is liable to abuse-to such
one liberty becomes license. We must cur
tail our elective privileges No unintelli-
gent foreigner who comes to our shores
should be permitted to share our elective
franchise. We have legislation to exclude
Chinese. L believe We should also have
legislation which would debar the danger
Gus elements by modifying the right to
vote by the following requirements: Edu-
cation, a small property valuation and
equal exercise of the privilege regardless of
sex. [Applause.]
In the next place, We may remark an in
creasing exemption from the drudgery of
toll. Machinery now does the work of
muscle, and by the aid of modern inven-
ton one man now does the labor of manv.
We all know that great uneasiness has
been apparent among the laborers of late.
The introduction of labor-saying ma
chlnery has caused great increase of pro-
duction over consumption. Hence a
plethora of manufactured goods every-
where, witness Birmingham, Manchester.
Sheffield and Liverpool. Manufactures
running on short time and frequent sus-
pensions are the results. The less efficient
operatives have been dismissed and a
threatening army has arisen and covered
the country from this sewing of dragons
teeth-the tramp is abroad. In China
and Japan the remedy is to stop the in
vention of machinery. The idea of Charles
Reeds novel "Put Yourself In His Place -
would be to kill the inventor. But in
America the remedy at once suggested is
the shortening of the hours of labor.
Another feature of our times is the rand
accumulation OF wealth. Our nation is
now the richest on the globe. Were a GEN
eral distribution of accumulated wealth to
take place the share of each American
would be $1,000. The history of nations
heretofore has been poverty, industry.
thrift. competence, wealth, luxury, decay.
ruin. What shall our history be-?
The speaker spoke for some time longer
in this vein. He urged particular atten-
ton to be paid to public Libraries. to pub
lie bathing places, and to the home and
efforts on the part of capital to
ameliorate the conditions of the
artisan and employee in various WAYS
He expressed confidence in the intelli-
gence of the youth and maidenhoods under
heavenly guidance, to work out the proper
remedies for the exigences of the times.
The audience gave him frequent warm tes-