The Louisiana populist., 1895-10-25
Oh Consistency: oh ReasOn!!


Daily Picayune of the 21st inst,
we notice the following startling
admission:
THE GREATEST DANGER OF TIE AGE.
The most serious problem of politi-
cal and social life to-day, and one that
| is felt in every Christian country. but
particularly in republics, where the peo-
pie are theoretically free and equal be-
! fore the law, is the existence side by side
of enormous wealth and extreme pow
erty.
And yet in the face of such can
did admission the Picayune is up
holding with all its might, the for
ces that make such paradoxical
conditions possible.
Yea, it is doing more; it is fight
ing, belittling and laughing to
scorn all attempts of honest, though
humble reformers to right these
dread conditions.
The Picayune says further
when statesmen, philanthropist and
all sorts of thinkers and theorists are
wrestling with this imperious and men,
acing problem, it is not strange that it
should have attracted the attention of
religious teachers. 1t is to-day the
cause of the one great blot upon the
religion of Christendom. and it is time
that it should be treated by all who
have at heart the good of their fellow
men,"
But we believe, dear Pic, that
those most interested, the suffer
ers from these conditions, will be
the most likely to demand reform
and to make the sacrifices necessa-
ry to secure it. This is but natu-
raj. The possessors of this ''enor
nous wealth" are not likely to be
dissatisfied with the conditions
which gave 1t to them, nor are they
likely to go begging for chance
to return that which has been
wrongfully obtained. No, they do
not want even to stop such wrong
full accumulation. So. if that is
what you are waiting for, friend
Pic, you will never begin to COM
mence to correct the ''Bane of Re-
publics."
After discussing the several
phases of the evil, the Picayune
concludes with this liberal and rath-
er sage advice:
1T is time for the representatives of
religion to take up the matter. Dean
Farrier says that the only remedy is in
true religion. Who is going to sell his
vast estates and give to the poor This
would not improve the situation. To
make men respected and self-respecting,
they must earn their wealth and place
in society. They cannot purchase honor
and respectability with riches gotten
by oppression and dishonesty. Put a
beggar on horseback and he becomes an
offensive upstart.
To regenerate society, religion mnst
work both from the top and the bottom,
or else there will be social cyclones.
Nothing short of divine power can ac-
complish it. Will men be raised up for
the work ?''
Yes, friend Pic, men will ''be
raised up for the work." but true
to the history of our race they will
come from the ranks Of the op-
pressed, and not from among those
who fatten by the oppression.
Necessity is the mother of inven-
ton" as much so in the discovery
and development of heroes and
statesmen as in the discovery and
development of the latent forces of
nature.
And "divine power" will accom-
plish it," but as in all other instan-
,es it will be through human in
,trHmentality. So don't sit down
before this destroyer of nations
md wait for the unnatural to hap
pen-for the respectable element"
who ''fare sumptuously every day"
IF the system, to kill the goose
hat lays their golden eggs; neith-
,r wait for a miracle of 'divine
power" to start the ball rolling,
,ut 90 to work at the ''bottom" of
,ur social fabric and remove the
auses of social decay, and avoid
he ''social cyclones" which are
more dangerous to You and your
srespectable element than to the