The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-03-07
PROTECTION TO LABOR.
Ii. ]. Everett Take on This Subject Before
the Progress Club.

The regular meeting of the Progress Club
was held at the rooms in the Mansur Build
ing yesterday afternoon. The attendance
was larger than usual. and the entertain
ment furnished proved interesting to all.
The lecture of tho afternoon was de-
lIvered By attorney II. j. Everett and his
subject was Protection" In substance
Mr.. Everett said: webster defines this
word to be the act of protecting; defense;
shelter from evil; preservation from loss.
injury or annoyance.' We find protection
under good laws and sh upright admins
tration- How little are men disposed to
acknowledge divine protection. lean only
discuss the question from an American
standpoint Any man living In America
who adopts foreign view or 1t mlsappre-
hends the most sacred duty that he owes
to himself, to his wife and to his children.
/ might be perfectly willing TO sacrifice all
my wife's blood relations In war with
Chilli. but would / deny to them the right
of family protectionf Would L say to my
most bitter enemy, you should not have the
right TO protect your family from harm7
1t has been held as good law ever since the
days of Grotius and PuhendoTf down 10
Blackstone, and perpetuated by Us TO this
day, that man Is justified before God and
man If he commits murder In the defense
of n member o. his family. God even
looked with complaIsance on the Egyptians
while they stored away the harvests
against rainy day. and to every man In
his lifetime there must come such days.
II take itas clear that IL Is mans hrst duty
to protect himself and those dependent
upon him. 1t was against the law, but
was il not a lawful duty for our ancestors
to throw the tea into Boston harborf Was
it not for protection against the oppression
of King George7 Now, If my premise is
true that the head of the family constl-
tutes the government or 1t, then may we
not look into what government lss The
various families constitute the community,
and the community the government. The
family. then, having Its protection from Its
head or chief, for the general congregation
OF families the proper law-inaklng power
and executive officers must make and en-
force such laws Tor the whole sum OF fam
lilies as is for the best protection of them.
In this manner of dealing we ar
rive at the rights OF nations keeping
always In view the fact that this
Is republican form OF government; and
the majority of the governments of the
earth are ruled by monaTchs. They are
ruled by families-by blOod-in which the
people or their rights constitute but o
small proportion"
the Oldest monarches OF the earth. China.
with all its vast territory. has became
oycrcrowded to such an extent that hec
people have locked to this country. and
until our government piaceu On emoaEgo
against their coming they were fast driving
out certain classes OF American labor and
taking our money back to their native
land without dong us any good. If they
could manufacture their wares and land
them in this country free OF duty,
they would overflow our markets
with products that American labor
could not attempt to duplicate for
the money, and would eventually
kill still other classes of labor. They live
on a mere pittance. do nothing TO elevate
our business OF social life. and send all they
make back home. where. when they have
acquired fortune TO their satisfaction,
they return and live In ease the rest or
their days on good American money,
wrenched from the hands of honest Ameri-
can laborng men,. America is deriving n b.
so,utely no revenue from this. and. furth-
ermore. is numbering the interests OF its
own working classes. The home labcrer
cannot begin TO live on such poor. cheap
food as the Cbinafnan. and competition il
useless. Is there a free-trader here who