The Washington times., 1895-05-06
Pingree's Potato Plan. Says Or.
Kent, Is Just a Pointer.
ITS VALUE AS AN EDUCATOR
Living Return Wanted for Peoples
Labor, Not Cab-horse Existence
Many Suffer From Want, While the
Few Reve1 in Poverty
Problem Not Solved by Charity.

"Pingree's Popular Potato Plan" was
the Rev. Alexander Keuts theme at the
Peoples Church yesterday morning. He
commended it, but chiefly for is educa-
tional value.
"The city of Washington, !" he said, "needs
Improvements vital to the health and COM
fort of all the people. 1t could employ
thousands of men constantly in a way that
would add to the wealth as well as to the
health OF the city. And it could do all this
without, in any way, interfering with that
Individuality Of the people which it is so
mporta mt to preserve, But it is not ready
For this''
1T appears to be only ready for the Pin
gree movement Let us use this for all it
Is worth. 1t Will evidently be inadequate
and yet will give proof that the hoped-for
solution must be found in that direction.
Men dou' need charity; they need employ
ment They need living return for their
labor; not cab-horse existence, but a
living that has in it the possibilities Of
manly growth and human progress. In
the supply OF mans needs there will always
be demand for productive activity which
his productive ability can never outgrow.
Food, clothing and shelter are the major
needs OF the savage; they are the minorn
Va iAC imperative uteuS Iuey
are always and always first in order. But
they are needs which are chiefly important
because their supply iS conditional for other
and higher ends. When they are most fully
supplied the needs OF the real man are as
yet unmet.
MILLIoNAIRES AND PAUPERs.H
"Stiil we have not yet learned how to
secure for all reasonable supply of these
bodily cessities. We have wealth
enough to meet every need and we have
earning ability to double or treble it in
the next decade. But while the few revel
in abundance the many suffer from want
I'VE are running to milionaires on the
one hand and paupers on the other. The
extremes of luxury and want are growing
more and more common. We never shall
provide properly for the body until we
come to regard it simply as the instru-
ment of the soul and TO regard food, cloth
ing, and shelter simply as the means for
keeping this instrument in condition for
service.
when we realize this truth we shall see
that any disposition OF these things W hich
interferes with our own inner life and
blocks the pathway OF mental and moral
progress for our fellows is not q use but
an abuse OF these things We shall see
that any appropriation of these things by
us that neceSsitates the want of them by
others is misappropriatioD.
Such inequality of distribution is
ruinouS to every interest individual and
social. II harms the man who wrongs his
fellows as We IL as the men whom his greed
has wronged If such inequality of dis
tribution were due to inequality of earn
ing there might be some show of justifi
cation for its existence.
wEALTH-GETTERs NOT EARNEST.
'But it isn't. The greatest wealth-get-
ters of this and other lands are not earneTs
at all. They are parasites They suck
the life blood whose currents are only
kept strong and healthful by honest la
bor And these parasites are fastened
upon us by vicious legislation. The peo-
pie are waiting up To knowledge of these
facts"
Three things were shown, he said, by
the popularity of the Pingree method.
These are: First. the people are coming
to see the futiiity OF attempting to deal
with the problem of poverty by methods
of charity; second, growing conviction
that the people have right to self
supporting employment; and third, that
society is under obligation TO see that in
some way this employment is provided
He thought care should be taken to so
employ the needy as TO preserve the earn
ing power aud the disposition to self
support Charity destroys the earning
disposition and with it the earning power.
The chief element in backbone and muscle
is the moral element The moment this
oozes out men shrink from honest work;
it tires them. The worst feature of the
potato plan is that il retains this ele-
ment of charity to a considerable extent"
ANNUAL CHURCH MEETING.
The church held its annual meeting i'm
mediately after the sermon. Officers were
reelected as follows: Mrs. Jennie L.
Monroe, president; P. A Auer, secretary;
and NJ. A. Clancy treasurer.
The reports showed the church in pros
porous condition and balance in the treas
ury. The discussion of church matters led
to good deal of exchange of friendly and
complimentary talk till some one suggested
that the church seemed to be a sort OF mu-
tual admiration society.
Tbisdrew from the pastor, Rev Alexander
Kent. the remark that it was considered in
the primitive church q sure sign of disciple
ship that the professed followers of Christ
should hold each other in high esteem grow
ing to most affectionate regard. And he
quoted the passage in which love of the
brethren is spoken of as one OF the proofs
of possession of the true faith.
AT the close Of the meeting two doves
church room. Some of the members re-
marked this as happy omen and in keep
ing with the spirit of peace and love that