The San Francisco call., 1896-05-01
THE SCREWS ARE LOOSE,
Lecturer Easton's Structure on
the Machinery Of Eco
.. nomicS. s.~
peace on Earth, Good Will Toward
: Men," to Come With Individual
u + =. Responsibility.

Plymouth Congregational Church was
well filled last night to hear a lecture on
: "rLoose Screws" by r. A. Easton, one of
the church's members.
b: The lecture was devoted to a discussion
OF: prevailing political and economic
ISSUES, and, as the title indicates, the con-
dition OF the body polite was compared to
machinery in which a loose screw renders
harmonious action impossible. .
= .Those who are familiar with machinery,
whether it be q: sewing machine, now
machine or a steam engine" said the
lecturer, 'know that loose screw affects
the running of the machine, causes un-
steady motion or a pounding of the loose
Joints, and sometimes makes so much
noise that the loose point is plainly dis
cerned. Again, the screw may be so hid
den in fireworks that only practiced ear
can detect the exa ct point where lies the
mi ury.- !: Z: -: - =:
: -'.ln the social world and the body polite
there are some screws so loose as to attract
attention to the::condition of the ma
chinery. All the experts of all the parties
are busily tinkering with that part of the
machin cry which seems the most defec-
tive. = ::'-::..::. ;::'s
IN ow it seems to NE that this loose
screw of so-called capital and labor, while
ii is SO plainly seen, and the humping and
jarring of the machinery are heavy tnat
"a. blind: man would know that the ma
'chinery is undergoing: a'.#strain, would
draw our attention to the fact that there is
also something the matter with the
oundationon which it is placed. - -
1.-The real loose screw that is causin g all
+ this trouble is. the lack of indiyid ual re-
sponsi bility to God and TO man that per-
meates the W orid to-day: ~. :: :.
:. t.I 1t is noticeable fact that men who are
:loudestin their cries against the moneyed
rich do not use the wealth W hich is at
their hand and is their s by title. =. ).
The fact that the moneyed men are
grinding the life out of the poor man
driving him to the wallis not more true
than the fact that the poor are grinding
themselves and each other. -:
The practices of the great corporations
are not different from the practices OF men
the whole length of the line. The labor
organizations say to. a man, Come and
|; JOIN us, and if he refuses: they will not
work nor let him work. And while they
are: crying against the. oppression of the
rich with one breath, with the next they
ale beating down the hire of him VINO
stands with them in enduring the burdens
and the heat of the day." -.
! TAe lecturer then entered into an ex-
/ haustive discussion to prove that it is not
1.-THE rich that are depressing the poor, put
| the poor that are depressing themselves.
| Lecturer Easton illustrated this ty giving
the case of builder who wished to cut the
wages of the men he had hired to construct
house. One of the carpenters rallied.
| loudly at this. The. builder ,afterward
changed his mind and let the construc-
l'tion of the house: to q contractor. The
carpenter that rallied at the builder so
| loudly because he wished to hire men for
+ less than regular wages got the contract.
His tirst;act was to cut the wages of: his
Elabofers:z by the same" sum .sthe builder
wished touo. -,
..:"Take the instance of the recent police
corruption. troublein in New York., said the
| speaker; there was a loud cfamor over
| the tact that screw was loose somewhere.
How about the merchants wAo put money
into the pockets OF the policemen TO get
+ the boxes they. had piled on. the side
walks !? j: This was a case of the citizens
i. .debauching. the: very officers they had
| hired: to protect them: And 80 itgOes."
! He gave number of III ustratlons.trea
ing on tte subject Of organized and unor-
+ ganized labor. - -: -: -.
9Th he: coming conflict said the Lee
.turer in conclusion, sis not of swords, but
| OF brains; lot of men,, but: of thought.
+ The: college professor, the preacher; the
/ layrnan, The: striker and the:teache er are
thinking out problems as. men never
i thought before. =. H.:
-" " hen:men get an idea of their in di-
j yldual responsibility and attend to the
wants OF their spiritual being instead OF
| their grosser natures a happier co ndition
of affairs will arrive, and there will truly
be .Peace~ on earth, good will toward
+ men,