The herald., 1896-06-14

authority and influence, privileged, pa
tented. official and legal, and even when
II proceeds from universal suffrage, con-
vinced that It must always turn to the
profit of domineering and exploiting
minority against the immense majority
enslaved
kidd resumes, treason may moder-
ate the terms in which this conception
Is expressed, but 1t would be difncult
to show any advancing cause to an ab-
solutely unprejudiced mind for otherwise
Withholding its assent to even this ex-
treme view Of society,""
Other less radical economists, OF whom
Mr.. George Is perhaps the most logi-
cal, claim that injustice and Its result
ants of poverty and crime do not neces-
sarily lie in the nature of government,
but in its non-adjustment to those eco
nomic laws upon which prosperity and
social health depend. While many OF
our pseudo political writer's base all
their claims upon precedent. upholding
what Prof. Draper calls the static ten
dency of government and enriching con-
servatism with power. AS no exposition
Of political philosophy Is intended in this
paper will leave to you the formulation
of such from the facts have given, or
from these disagreed doctors.
The study OF economics would rid wo-
man of many impracticable ideas they
now hold In reference to the improve
ment of society and the functions of
government. 1t would rid them of the
idea that the salvation of the world de-
pends upon the church. More than one
fair-minded clergyman has admitted
that it Is useless to preach the gospel to
men whose primary needs were homes
and warmth and bread. ] speak of this
because 1t is said that two-thirds of the
church membership are women and we
fo ~ ho
clergy for knowledge and ethics and an
understanding Of our relations to So
ciety. This Is a great mistake. They
are ordinary human beings like our
selves, with generally very one-sided
educa tion, and I wish to call your at
tention to their limitations as well. This
cannot better be done than by figures.
l have no statistical sheet for these fig
ures, but they are taken from church
paper and I suppose they are correct.
There are in this country seven million
young men; five million of them never
darken q church door. Can you not see
that the social and moral conditions Of
the future cannot in any large degree
depend upon the church?
1t Is matter of Importance to women
whether our method of taxation Is an
equitable and economical one. whether
1t hampers or stimulates production
and exchange; whether 1t operates to
favor the few to the detriment of the
many; whether the claim of indirect
taxation has its foundation in logic and
justice or whether 1t be a delusion or
snare to catch unwary feet.
Women are asking for the ballot. With
out knowledge of the fundamental prin-
ciples of economic freedom and social
health our ballots will but serve to fix
our ignorance into law to react upon So
ciety with its blighting curse. They
may cause our children's feet to walk
in weary paths, give cadence to the temp
ter's voice, or shoal the ship of state In
the narrow channel Of religious bigotry.
Possessing such knowledge they may
give an impulse to education and the
cause of justice, hope to weary mother
hood. care to neglected childhood, and a
truer helpfulness to the manhood of out
nation.