The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-12-21
THE WORLD OF LABOR
CAN THE PROBLEM OF POVERTY
BE SOLVED.
Or. Utter's neutrality-suspicious. and
Production-Fhe HIalthusian The
DRY.

The picture Of the modern Utopia
which Dr. Utter presented to his con-
gregation last Sunday was not an at
tractive one. In it poverty was to be
abolished, but it would be only at the
sacrifice of personal liberty. He
thought this Utopian society might
have to restrict or regulate marriages,
and determine the amount which indi-
viduals should be allowed to accumu-
late. The speaker thought this was
the only means by which poverty could
be abolished, and doubted whether the
benefits of universal prosperity would
compensate for the sacrifice OF Self-re-
lance and Independence that would re-
suit from such paternalism- Even II
poverty were abolished, he believed the
increase in population would in time
outrun the capacity Of the earth to
support its inhabitants. and therefore
all would not be fully able to supply
their needs. The reverend gentleman
thought poverty was largely the result
of differences in the character of indl-
viduals, and therefore one means of
abolishing poverty was a different pro-
cess of education or training.
The sermon was something of q sur
prise to me. as [ have always looked
upon the speaker as a firm believer in
personal liberty and in Spencer'S theory
OF evolution. which not only accounts
for the past development Of the race.
but also provides for its future inn
provement. IF poverty is simply
question of character-if liberty has
done its most perfect work and must
give way to restrictions-if evolution
has brought mankind up to the highest
possible point-if the future shows q
world incapable of supplying the needs
of its unnumbered millions-if this is
the inevitable destiny of humanity, we
may as well give up the struggle right
now. But let US see first if the gloomy
picture drawn by DR.. Utter is a true
one.
take issue with SHIN first on the
proposition that riches and poverty are
the result Of differences in the charae-
ter of men. Observation abundantly
disproves this. There are thousands of
men who were rich one, two or three
Years ago who are poor today. They
are the victims of circumstances. They
were making big profits in their mines.
their mills or their stores, and today
are bankrupt and penniless. Others
were in eeipt of good salaries and
wages, nday find themselves with
out er Qyment or money through no
fault their own, and no change in
their character. Other, or perhaps the
sam Icircumst ances, have raised
Others from comparative poverty to
wealth. The ttled ard wealthy of the
older countries owe their happy condi-
ton. with few exceptions. to the acct
dent of birth. The condition of the
great mass OF the poverty striker is
due to some accident, and even if their
failure to rise from such conditions is
due partly to their characters, their
7111 ofa IN nf1 ]. i
formed by their conditions and sur
roundings. All attempts to alter char
acterS without taking them out of
their surroundings is like trying to
make roses bloom in a dark and noise
some cellar. 1t is indeed true that all
men are born fran sAAz6<equal; the differ
ences in lot and character which deVel-
op afterwards are due chiefly to the Gsz=
ferences in environment. That some
men achieve wealth or distinction in
spite of unfayorable surroundings is
no proof that il is possible for all Or
any considerable number of men to do
SO.
Since their poverty and want are due
chiefly to unfavorable conditions, can
these conditions be so altered as to
make it possible for all men to earn a
competence7 In other words, is il pos
Il
believe it is. and with a greater extern
sion Of personal liberty than at present
prevails, and without the remotest
danger of reaching the limit of the
earth's capacity to support the densest
population that is likely to cover it for
ten thousand centuries to come. 1 be-
lieVe II is possible for conditions to be
such that the most shiftless and in
competent could make a living. with
never an appeal to charity: that the
moderately frugal and Industrious
could have the comforts and luxuries
now enjoyed only by the well-to-do,
and that those of still g7reater skill.
ability and judgment might enjoy the
wealth and leisure Of our most fav-
ored classes, and all this with third
of the work and worry that the aver
age man experiences today. Under
conditions that are quite possible
wealth would not be the result of
shrewd of lucky speculations, but The
natural reward of skill ability and
judgment. POVerty-if any existed
would only exist because men would
not avail themselves of the Opportu-
nifty to work which would be open to
even the most ignorant, incompetent
and untrustworthy. I base this belief
first upon faith in the ability Of the
Creator to provide for man as gener-
ously as he does for his other creatures,
and second upon the teaching of Dr.
JItterS favorite doctrine of evolution
II evolution can develop protoplasm
into man it can surely continue his de-
velopment beyond the point whel
there is any danger Of his starving to
death!
Now what are the conditions which
would abolish poverty and give every
man a living? We need only look
around us to see that the first condi-
ton is an opportunity to work How
much poverty would there be in Salt
Lake il every man had all the work he
was willing to do at 81. or even 81 per
day? The second condition is that
capital should ample opportunity for
investment in productive enterprises.
There is no lack of a demand for every
product that labor and capital can
make. Thousands, yes millions. of
people are suffering ror the want of
food, Of clothing and OF shelter, and
thousands Of men are idle and anxious
10 produce that which they and others
want. Millions of capital is also lying
idle. equally anxious for investment in
profitable production. Is not this an
extraordinary condition? Why, with
abundance of labor and capital anx-
ioUs to produce, do the needs Of thou
sands remain unsatisfied? Il can only
be because there is some check to pro-
duction. To produce wealth, or that
which man needs to satisfy his desires,
labor. capital and raw materials are
NECESSARY. Since there is 70 lack of
labor and 1t is ready TO work even at
a low wage. and since there is an
abundance of capital ready for safe
investment at low interest, the check
to production must be something winch