The record-union., 1896-04-13

vorce. Labor and Capital. the Bene-
fit of Peopling the Prafries With
Homes Instead OF Tenants, and
Treatment of Criminals-Need of
Reform in the Education of Chill
dren.
CHICAGO, April 12.-With a prelude
that included the pronouncing of an in
vocation, the repeating Of the Lords
Prayer in unison, the reading Of the
tenth chapter of Luke, commencing
with the twenty-fifth verse, the sing
ing of an hosanna of Nearer, My God,
to Thee" and America" the greatest
living agnostic of the age stepped to
the rostrum Of the Church Militant this
morning and for nearly two hours ex-
pounded to the congregation his views
upon How Mankind Could be Re-
formed" The Church Militant is COM
posed of the major portion Of the former
adherents of the Fullerton-avenue
Presbyterian Church, one Of the strong
est parishes of that denomination in
the city, and who, with their pastor,
Rev. DR.. John Rusk, branched off into
an Independent organization some
months since as a result of opposition
OF the minority Of the congregation to
the introduction of radical changes In
the conduct of the services, including
the use of an instrumental orchestra
and the attachment to the parish Of
employment, hospital, clubhouse and
other guilds. Some time ago an invita-
tion was extended to Colonel Robert G.
Ingersoll to deliver an address under
the auspices of the congregation, and it
was in response that he found himself
in it's rostrum to-day. At the time the
invitation was extended the congrega-
tion held it's services in the Women's s
Christian Temple, but SO much feeling
was manifested by the mana ging board
of that structure over the idea of an
agnostic speaking within it's precincts
that Columbia Theater was secured for
a term of years, and it therefore fell to
Colonel Ingersoll to inaugurate the
services in the new meeting place.
Although admission was strictly con-
fined to ticket-holders, the street in
front of the theater was blocked with
people long before the opening of the
doors, and even after the interior had
been packed to suffocation over a
entrance On the stage were 400 or
more representative citizens, including
every member of the Appellate and su-
perior judiciary, several Federal and
county officials, delegations from every
medical and law college and inetitu-
ton of learning in the city and suburbs.
and a number of retired divines. Every
sect and denomination, without an ex-
ception, had it's representative. When
Colonel Ingersoll made his appearance
arm in arm with DR.. Rusk, there was
loud applause mingled with murmurs
from some who seemed to regard such
a demonstration as foreign to a re-
ligious service In the prayer that fol-
lowed the musical exercises, DR.. Rusk
asked for a special blessing on their
guest of the day, who was endeavoring
to show the world how this life might
be made one of usefulness and joy, and
also invoked dispensation for his wife
and children while in his Introductory
remarks DR.. Rusk characterized Col
onel Ingersoll as ''the man who is en-
deavoring to do this world good and
make it better"
This he said was no time to reason,
no time TO disagree with the faiths of
men or beliefs of men, when they were
trying to make the world better than
they found it. No matter, he said
whether a man believed in God or not
if he expounded the truth then the
truth was there and God was there.
AS Colonel Ingersoll stepped to the
rostrum he was received with applause
that lasted for over a minute. With
the suggestion that while his hearers
and himself might be travelling differ
ent roads, they were all trying to add
TO human joy and happiness. he took
as his text the quotation from Shake
speare. whom he characterized as "the
greatest of human beings" There is
10 darkness but ignorance" and for
two hours spoke upon the necessity Of
arbitration as substitute for war, the
need for new methods in the treatment
OF criminals the desirability of the oc-
cupancy of the prairies Of the West for
homes as a panacea for the tenament
system, the question of divorce, the re-
lations of capital and labor, and the
need of reform in the education Of chill
dren.
Amongst other things regarding la
bor he said:
There has been for many years
ceaseleSs discussion upon what is called
the labor questionable conflict between
the workingman and the capitalist
Many ways have been devised, some ex-
periments have been tried for the pur-
pose of solving this question. Profit
sharing would not work because 1t is
impossible to share profits with those
who are incapable of sharing losses
Communities have been formed, the OBJ
Ject being to pay the expenses and share
the profits among all the persons be-
longing to the society. For the most
part these have failed.
Others have advocated arbitration,
and while it may be that the employers
could be bound by the decision of the
arbitrators there has teen no way dis
covered by which the employees could be
held by such decision. In other words,
the question has not been solved.
For my own part, see no final and
satisfactory solution except through the
civilization of employers and employed
The question is so complicated, the ram
lfcations are so countless, that solu-
tion by law or by force seems at least
improbable. Employers are supposed
TO pay according to their profits. They
may or may not. Profits may be de-
stroyed by competition The employer
is at the mercy of other employers and
IS much so as his employees are at his
mercy. The employers cannot govern
prices. they cannot fix demand, they
cannot control supply. and at present.
in the world Of trade, the laws of supply