The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-18
Man and the Law.

Man and the Law.
cinnati. and with it came flood Of rain.
Though the storm lasted for only fifteen
minutes 1t did great damage. It tore on
the roofs Of houses. and several men were
seriously injured by falling stones. bricks.
and timbers.
Might not that be resented as cruel and
unfair in the Ruler Of the Universe Why
were those people at Cincinnati subjected
to such loss of property and physical injury
while millions OF other people in the
Union. many OF them their near
neighbors. suffered no injury from
the elements? Why was there this
Injurious discrimination against them !?
They were like the rest Of people. IL not any
better. at least no worse: and yet they
alone were punished in that way. and they
had no escape from the punishment Tho
wind blew and they could not resist 1t.
they could not stop it. and they could not
have prevented its coming.
One child Is born strong and sound. an
other child is born feeble and a cripple. Is
not that an unfair discrimination One
child is born with a vigorous and fer
tile intellect. so that his way through
life will be easy. Another inherits a
dull intellect and may even lack normal
supply OF brains. SO that he must be forever
behindhand In the race. One child comes
into the world with the faint OF q criminal
disposition. He has not the normal capacity
to resist temptation. and no Is bound to
end in prison or on the gallows. An
other enters upon life with q heritage Of
goodness which is increased by the educa-
ton Of the surroundings into which he is
born. and his course Is consequently
straight to honor and prosperity. One
child Is born OF poor parents. He must
make his own way In the world, II he is
to get on at all. Another is born into
wealth. with an inheritance Of tho quail
ties apt for the preservation and accumu-
lahon Of wealth. and thus he starts
out ahead in the race. One man has a
strong intellect. but feeble body: another
strong body and dull intellect. One
mans child dies. another's lives to be his
support in age. Pestilence attacks one re.
glon and leaves another untouched. A
stone falls and hits and kills one man.
though many are passing by with him and
are left unframed. though perchance OF
them all he is the one whose life seems to
NO Uuo ulOSC ueCeSSdTy 10 OLucTb.
These inequalities may seem to men, az
measured by their notions Of justice. wholly
and grossly unfair. Why Is not everybody
treated alike Why are some strong and
well. handsome and prosperous. and Others
weak. slckly. deformed. and unsuccessful
Shall men rise up and profane GoD be-
cause His law does not work to their uni
versal satisfaction. but brings about these
inequalities Of lot? Shall they strike
against the Almighty in their rage against
His immutable and absolute laws2
1t is q mystery. this life Of ours. No hui
man intellect can solve It, It Is past un
Outstanding. We can only bow and sub
nit. Resistance Is vain. The law OF ma
ture is inexorable.
These inequalities OF conditions and des
tiny. II We may call them 80. though In
truth under tho perfect law OF COP there
can DO no inequality. extend throughout hui
man society. They make the distinctions be-
tween the rich and the poor. between CAPT
tai and labor. between the leader and the
follower. the servant and the master; and
they continue though the world grows older
Happily. however. under the wise laws
OF nature and their beneicent opera
ton. every man Is compelled to DO q
helper OF his fellows. By his very liv
Ing he must help others to live. HI
must assist In leading society to the
goal OF happiness and prosperity fol
all. which 1t will surely reach. though II
ages yet far remote. Men are not unselflsl
enough to enjoy the thought that they liv,
and suffer. toll and fail. only for tho beneil
OF generations which will DO on tn,
earth many thousands OF years afte
they shall themselves DO dead The,
must SOW that others may reap: and the,
cannot escape from this bondage. Poo
and struggling men may think it cold con
ISOLATION to be told that their descendant
of a hundred years hence will be rich becaus
their patient fortitude cultivates quail
ties OF character which will win prosperit
for their posterity but SO it must DO. Tn
progress of the race must be slow. Here
this country its progress toward comfor
and wealth has been far greater tina
anywhere else In the world yc
even here 1t is so slow that tn
impatient poor sometimes give hoe
TO the pestilent demagogues of societ
who cheat them by telling them that the
can prevent the operation OF the unvaryin
and Irresistible laws of nature. The nun
Der OF rich men in this country who wer
rich hundred years ago. or eve
fifty years ago. Is small Ninety-nne ou
OF a hundred OF the rich Of to-day We're poo
whom they started out. poorer than tn
vorkmen at Homestead. 80 rarel