The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-12-18
A VERY INTERESTING ADDRESS!
Author of Progress and Poyer--
ty" Was a Benefactor.
THE POWER OF THE PRESS.
All Good Men Must Work Together
in This Country.

ut the recent mcmormlal in Chicago
in honor of the late Henry George
among the speakers was ut. Rev. John
Lancaster Spading, the bishop of Pc
ora, who read no manuscript or notes
nut spoke In part us follows:
"lhcrc is hero in America n kindli-
ness and good Will, Il sense of RESPONSE
hlllty OF one to another which is not
found In an equal degree in any other
part Of the world Our institutions arc
based upon the great principle of tho
equality OF men. Tho spirit of our laws
prompts to the securing of equal rights
and equal opportunities to all. So dccp
ana so broad was our sympathy that
We were impellcd to Invite the poor ana
the oppressed Of all the earth to our
shores. No other people have ever Of
fercd such a noble example OF human
love, of genuine sympathy. 1t ia in our
blood. 1t Is part of our inheritance. and
yet when wo listen to such dlscourscs
as wo have been hnuring, when wo
follow the trend OF events In our coun-
try, wc fell that this kindliness, this
good Will, this sense of responsibility of
ono to another is diminishing. What
is tho cause? The cause, my dear
friends. lies deep Certainly the fault
Is not primarily with rich men. II ia
tho outcome of the modern industrial
and commercial progress as the
s"p'l"ntly seeks ever more and more
tho equivalent of material progress-
money. 1t Is not confined to people
this life; II is the universal life of Tho
civilized world 1t is international.
Each manufacturers each merchant has
to stand his ground against an army OF
manufacturers and merchants, and each
nation completes In the markets of the
world with nll other nations
This is n real warfare We talk
about the coming of an era of peace
when tho battle flags shall be furlcd.
wllcn the cunnons shall be turned into
ploWshnrcR; we are wagiIg II more tcr-
rlblo and more rcmorsclcss and moro
destructive bnttlc than was ever wagcd
by men who barred their breasts on tho
fields of conflict to the deadly shot and
the thrusts of snhrcs. 1t is all the moro
deadly because none of us is able who'll
| ly to realize It's true nature and pur-
port. 1t has come to be considered as a
part of the natural law. The results OF
this economic condition work with tho
incVitnblenehs of natural law; it is q
part of that great theory Of evolution
which is itself phase of the wider
theory of Il mechanical universe, be-
ginning with star dust and atoms ard
involving in It all that we are and all
that we hope to be, tlrusting out Cod
and tho soul. Fatal Is this evolution it
the soul OF man cannot lift itself lhovo
the matcrial fatally II grinds down tho
weak and the helpless. 1t is the sur
vival OF tho strongest. Nature knows
no pity, nature has no sympathy, nature
destroys the weak and upifts the strong
and tho mighty. Society founded on a
purely natural basis will t.ll1c the same
course. Nothing can stay it's onward
march. The old pagan said, The hu
man race lives for few Unfortunately,
this is largely true. The great merit
Of Horny George, as look at his life
and work. is not any special theory that
he advocated. nor special measures he
sought to have adopted. 1t Is in his
spirit, in the spirit in which he worked,
in his honesty, In his unsclfishncss, in
his love of the people. In his love OF
justice, in his heroic and fearless de-
fcnsc of what he believed to be right.
We need not accept Il mans peculiar
views or theories In order to admire and
honor him. 1t Is to the spirit of the
man VIC ought to look, and the mere fact
that Henry George has been able to win
sympathy with himself and his life from
the hearts of men OF 80 many and d.
verging opinions has taught us u great
lesson.
Here in America all the good must
work together Let US put aside our
differences, put aside those things upon
which we cannot agree; find where we
can stand together, and stand there for
justice and sweetness and goodness and
charity, and all high and enObling in
fluences.
"Henry George, as I understand him,
did not believe in the efficacy of his sim
gle tax taken singly. The great motive
in him was religious, was moral; he was
of devout nature. The thrill Of awe,
which Goethe says is the noblest thing
in man, was deep in his nature. He
worked in this spirit, and It was be-
cause of this reverent and devout spirit