The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1896-05-28
Popular Discomfort.

Following Is the graduating Grafton of Earl
Jackson delivered at the closing exercises of
Martha Wilder School in the opera house last
Friday night
A person need not be q student of political
economy to see that our present social system
is founded on unrighteousness and governed by
the law of greed. That might makes right is
the actual law OF our civilization. To build up
ones self at the expense of society, is thought
by the world success, The rich are growing
richer, the poor poorer, the middle classes are
fast disappearing. While the rich are gaining
more possessions the poor are growing poorer
and live in dissatisfaction.
Discomfort prevails chiefly among the labor
ing classes. Let us look at some OF the causes
OF this great discomfort In America To many
il seems without cause, for the people have
more rights, are better fed clothed and en-
plOyed than ever before But greater advance
has been made by man himself men are more
intelligent, they see more of the world observe
the state of affairs andare discontinued with IL.
The invention of printing was the sunrise
which drove the black shadows well down the
sides OF the pyramid, but left the broad lower
strata of society still wrapped in the darkness
of ignorance; but there has cen in our own
time an invention. scarcely less important than
that OF printing itSelf-the application OF steam
to the press This meant for the first time in
the world S history the enlightment of all Now
any person can receive and read books papers
and magazines. because they are common and
cheap
Second only to the influence of the press on
popular intelligence, has been that OF travel
The educational influence of so vast an amount
of travel Is beyond computation, A few genera
tions ago, men, il they travelled at all, usually
went on foot their journeys were of necessity
few and short Each community sat apart from
the other, Travel has had great influence on
popular intelligence, The press and travel
have made the working man OF today
a cosmopolitan Add to mans knowledge and
you enlarge the world In which he lives his flu
ture contains greater possibilities he becomes
conscious of new wants and aspirations which
il not satisfied, naturally breed discomfort He
observes the masses OF our great population do
not share justly In the wealth they labor to
produce, The benefits Of our present civiliza-
tion are not impartially distributed one class
holds a relatively inferior position to that
maintained by the other class. The wealth Of
the United States may be estimated at several
billions of dollars. but enormous portions of
this wealth are in the possession OF few men.
/ Wealth can exercise almost unlimited power
| over the lives and contentment of the people,
but distributed as 1t is 1t Is responsible large
| ly for nothing but discomfort. In land of
plenty a few men at their pleasure can order u
| famine in a thousand homes.
We have glanced at the man, let us now look
at his circumstances Profound economic
changes have attended the worlds methods OF
production and distribution, 1t is to this
source we must look for some of the principal
causes of discomfort, New inventions are cons
stantly being made which are more economical
and thus throw men out Of employment,
Every working man knows that he is liable to
learn any day that his strength or skill has
been made useless by new machine,
Increase of agricultural products, mortgages
NOiI
The times are too fast They require toe
much money, The rich set the pace, the middle
classes follow The poor have TO struggle hard
to live. A human man can not consider this state
of affairs patiently, hence discomfort follows.
The prevailing principles Of commerce are
identical with that instinct which impels 0
tiger TO eat man, Such system founded
upon the so-called natural laws is the preva'
lence OF brute instinct over mans moral
nature,
Social justice consists In recognizing what is
due each individual, and universal love should
be the keystone OF the arch OF social science
equal rights to all, special privileges to none
In the solution of the present discomfort the
church holds the keynote to the situation. II
should be as the good Samaritan. First OF al
let her set the example for all the world OF as
Sociation rather than competition. Let The
various branches of the church show to ont
another genuine love and friendship, and theI
they will be in position to teach men a uni
versal love. When the Golden Rule is adopted
as rule of life by all classes, all friction will
pass away. The rich will not Cypress the poor
the poor will not envy and hate the rich. TheI
no business will be carried on which does in
jury to the race All people will learn that they
belong to a mighty brotherhood and injury Il
the least is injury to all
In the meantime, the state must make nont
but just laws and administer them without feal
= or favor The professional politician must bt
eliminated, for he seeks his own good rather
than the good of the whole people, Able men
men Of truth, who fear God and hate coVetous
ness, must come forward and become GU
rulers, for when the righteous rule the peopl,
rejoice
The present discomfort will give away In tim,
to the eternal principle Of right, and men will
learn in whatsoever state they are Herewith II
be content.