The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-02-01


 ritoriai Expansion-Immigratio and
 the Church of fRome-Education.M Morali-
 ty and Religion Our safeguards-Prof.
 Hadiey Points Out Dangers.
 Professor George P. Fisher and Pro- lessor A. T. Hadley addressed the Mems club at the United church last evening on the Dangers and Safe guards of Our Free Institutions" The addresses were listened to with the greatest interest by the large audience which was present.
 Professor Fisher said:
 Our free institutions, in my judg ment, are not endangered by the great extent of our territory. Our territory, it is true, has been greatly extended from that of. the original territory, so that we have spread from the Allan tic to the Pacific.
 Tt is, however, smaller than it was at the formation of our government in the matter of time, of travelling from place to place; and again, the ties which blnd us together are much stronger now than then. Then, too, our government is better adapted to the needs of so large territory. The ancient nations did not have the idea of representation. like our national federal system, which is capable of unlimited extension. The revolution of this local representation that could happen
 IL, 4l,.z government of homogeneous people in so wide an extent of territory, though the bringing in of islands and lands whose population is not homogeneous arouses another question. The next question is as to the immense emigra- ton. It is not to be supposed that God ever intended this vast country to be sparsely inhabited. I call your atten- tion to the varied character of the races represented here. In my opinion these different characteristics, as of the Celts, Teutons and other races. serve to off, set whatever of mischief there may be in the races and, in my judgement, the danger from emigration is not great. All the great nations of antiquity were composed of the peoples of many races
 T do not think. in the third place. that there is any danger to be antici- pated from the Roman Catholic church, and it's idea of papal infallibility. In all cases the Catholics of England and of this country have always rallied to the support of the government in times of peril Again the Roman Catholic church is a great conservative force in the community, especially in certain Protestant communities like Prussia and Connecticut, where there is a lax sentimentaas to the sacredness of the family tie and divorces are readily granted.
 Another cause of fear to many is the periodic excitement in elections. but this condition of affairs I consider one of the safeguards. Our system of gov ernment provides for a peaceable revo- lution and the people can have different rulers or different policy by saying so and the minority submits.
 'It is at small cost that we main tain this great institution without a soldier, and how important it is that we have frequent peaceable revolu- tions I saw while ago a petition of the chamber of commerce asking that the term of the president be lengthen- ed to six years. With all due respect for the gentleman who drew the reso- lution, it seems to me that it would be about the worst thing that could be done, as it would retain an unfit man man in office for so much greater length of time.
 Another danger apprehended is that of universal suffrage as applied here. Now, you have to take your choice be- tween giving to every man some share in the power of the government or have a class of proletariats, a sort of sleep ing volcano beneath your institu- tions.
 "The great safeguard of our country must be the spirit of patriotism among its people. There has been lamenta- ble decline in patriotism as to the puri- ty of our government in recent years You know that our cities and towns have been misgoverned, the evils of party politics and ring rule; but do you realize how wrong and how dan- gerous these things are.
 "We must finally perceive that our system must depend on the education, the morality and religion of the people on whom this great power rests. 'EOuCdIlOH CdlllOl uo IL dlOle, DoI h sense of moral and religious responsi- bility is needed to provide a safeguard to the institutions which we have re- ceived from our fathers.
 Democracy is on trial in this coun- try. Other systems of government have not been able to ensure their own 2 stability or the happiness of their peo- ple We must encourage education s and promote morality and religion as the greatest safeguards of our free in- stitutions."
 Professor Hadley followed. He spoke as follows:
 "We can all appreciate what the pre- vious speaker has said, but there is, it I appears to me, a half truth in the quo tation from Bryce as to the decay of s public spirit and patriotism. The ques- { ton naturally is, What is the cause of this decay?
 Let us see what it is that makes it [ more difficult for public sentiment to 5 make itself felt in politics than in oth- CT moral questions of to-day. l would { not attack or seem to attack the con- E stitution, but I am a believer in the modern view of inspiration rather than In the ancient. I believe in the inspir