New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1893-06-14
A n EN- 7 THE SOCIAL MALADY.
It is Grave and Menacing, but Not 50 DAN
5erous as Its Doctors and Drugs.
Tie Remedy is in the Hands of the Victims,
Whose Wounds Are Self Inflicted,
Says t3x- Senator INGALLS,.

'Inr"2 is no form Of power SO tangible
- - Substantial and palpaIlc, 50 positive
md 50 readily an'rchrndch as hat which
,c.n>A nnir~ and results from til" posses
ion OF money. The desire for money
the most constant and universal pas
ion among men: not alWays-scllom,
,rrN:s sp>-for its own sake. but for its
consequences, it's effects, what it COM
nan,l~ and What it brings Millions care
rothin~ for literary fame, for the re-
wards OF ambition, for military glory,
'ut everybody wants money. Manhood
li>rc4ar.is the joys of youth and age
sinks into apathy that is Indifferent alike
to the pleasures Of love and the cXulta-
tons Of success, out the need of money
survives the decay Of the faculties, and
ends only with y Money intelligent
ly employed m AlS cultivated leisure,
books, travel, music, congcnial compani-
un~hip, art. agreeable occupation, the de-
LIGHT OF the senses. the best food and aD
parcel. tin" comfort aud happiness of those
lrluvtl. th" felicity Of bcncvolcncc and
charity, the relief Of suffering, the power
oI doing good, skilled nurture in illness,
Consolation in bereavement and superb
oritv 10 the minor accidents Of existence
"Nld age and poverty" says Shake
~pcare, ..arc an Unmatched pair,' and at
any stage nothing is SO melancholy, so
wrctcIlcd and depressing, as hopeless and
helpless poverty. The man whose daily
bread for himself and his family depends
upon wages that an employer may give
or withhold at pleasure, IS not free. The
alternative between starvation and sub
mission to q schedule is slavery. Liber-
ty is something more than a name, He
who depends upon the will Of another
for shelter, clothing and food cannot be
. 4 free man iii the Broad, full meaning of
that WurI Freedom does not consist in
definitions. I'll" declaration that life,
IiIur:: "nI the pursuit Of happiness are
he iua)irna',r ri yIt> Of every human
N..;ng makes no i.iun in>lcrenlcnt. The
right 10 liberty Is an empty mockcrya and
..rlN~irr. unlr::S the power to be tree cX-
;~t~ ui~r. Freedom is merely the rcmo~
vuI rl iryuI restraints, the permission to
t,}nlt. or r,. Added to these must be
tn" c:t ,';>"lty and the opportunity, which
Only tNrN1ptiun from the necessity Of in
s':'~sAut iiaily labor can bring. 70 para
phrase shakespeare, poverty AMI liberty
are an Unmatched pair Freedom and
dependence are Incompatible. The abo-
lit! III Of poverty has been the dream of
Missionaries and the hope of phi!anthro-
j1~t< from the dawn Of time. In cpuali
~ @! fort tunes and the obvious III ustice
pf thr >lncu,lul distribution ui wealth
t"trl- m"n has been The pcrp]cNity Of
philosophers. 1t is the unsolvc,l enigma
= If }}ui't,tai economy. Civilization has
10 paradox so mysterious as the existence
"i hunger when there is an excess of
IurI--o of want in the midst Of supcrl1ui-
IT, That one man should have posses
~ioI1~ hcvoud the capacity of eNtrava-
ounce to S,,landcr, and another, able and
willing to work, should perish for want
Of rmbrr<,r rags and ii crust, renders soci-
ctv un;ntrlliHiblc. 1t makes the character
Of human rights loYogriph. So long as
such conditions continue, the key to the
cipher in which destiny is written is not
rcvcuIctl-thc brotherhood of man is a
phrase: Justice is a formula and the di-
ylnc code is illegiblc.
70 admit that the ignorance, wretch
ltlnc><. disease, want poverty and lcyra-
'in,iun of society are inevitable and ire
mc,iabc, is to impeach God. To repeat
the vain and paltry eNpedients Which the
experience Of centuries has rejected as
frivolous chimcras and vagaries is to ac-
knowledge that civilization is a failure
and that mans only refuge flom the in
tirmities and obstacles of his nature is in
barbarisin, the equality of the savagcs,
where all fortunes and stations and con-
tlitions are reduced to the level of the
lowest by the irresistible gravitation of
its basest appetites and the inertia of its
most groveling instincts.
If the unequal distribution of the bur-
dens and benefits of society depends up
on legislation, institution and govern
ment, then under a system like ours the
equilibrium should be restored. If wealth
results from unjust laws and poverty