The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-30

Mr.. Ferguson, on coming forward, was
warmly applauded. He said in the evolu-
ton of society great forces have always
dominated long periods. Having done their
work, they have given front place to other
forces. These have continued the work of
the Great Designer of the Universe "Who
did not make the world for a lest" and
who, seeing the end from the beginning
weaves the ages, as it were, in his loom. ;,
The three great forces of historic times
have been absolute despotism, feudal mill
tarism and commercial competition. The
first is gone the second is going from our
social system, but the third is in almost
absolute possession of our social ofganiza-
ton. Let us examine its operations and
results. Beginning with the wars of the
roses, commerce has stricken the power
Of king and baron, and the palaces of COM
merce and the ideas of the trader TODAY
control our islands more completely than
IN other days did the ''donjon keep, or
code of chivalry." OIear. hear) What
is the result? Much gain, but also terrible
loss. EVIL is the shadow Of good and the
higher we rise the more fearful is the
chance OF fall. Cities of palaces suburban
villas, gas and electric light tramway,
telegraph and telephone, education and re-
beauty! Millions of our citizens upon a
higher platform of civilization than could
have been dreamt of by the kings and
mobiles of 300 years ago! Gloria in excelsis
Dec! But stop, not too fast. "Per contra >
to use the modern term Haleam tells ne
there is more want and suffering amongst
the workers Of England today than in tbe
age of the Tudors! Thorold Rogers proves
the same proposition. John Morley tells
us 40 per cent of all the people of England
who pass the age of 60 are or have been
paupers. 1t is fact that an overwbeln,
ing majority of the workingmen of these
Islands who pass the age of 60 go to a
paupers grave. Mulhall calculates that
aooooUO of the British people are at any
time on the starvation line. Now here are
the wealth producers-the men who produce
~ times as much as they consume-denied
sufhclent substance to give them q COM
Portable physical intellectual and moral
life, and such a leisured and honored old
age as both the Christian religion and
economic science demand as their right.
But let us lift the curtain which this God
defying hypocrisy this NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
sehshness, called commercial progress-has
hung between modern civilization and its
terrible product. Feudal landlortlism has
been for generations making manly com,
portable, independent country life imnossi.
pie, ana so in hopeless despair all over
Great Britain and Ireland agriculture ;s
being deserted, the fields are going hack 70
nature, and the workers are crowding into
the towns to. become mere exchangers in
stead of producers of wealth. See the re-
suit. The average length of the lives of
the working class is now only 81 years.
whilst the landlord, large capitalist and
professional classes live an average of "a
years. "Thou shalt not muzzle the OK thet
treadeth out the corn" IF a man will
not work neither shall he eat" ."Tba
laborer is worthy of his hire" (Applausel
Modern commerce says-the OK shall have
bnly the cheapest food we can procure The