The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-31
ON SOCIAL REFORM.
INTERESTING LECTURE AT THE
UNIVERSITY LAST EVENING.
Prof. George @. Coray Was the
Speaker = A Large Audience
Present.

Social Reform" was the subject of
Professor George Q. Coray's lecture at
the lecture room of the University of
Utah last evening. The lecturer was
followed with great interest by his
audience. In opening, the speaker ex-
planned that the title announced was
originally designed to cover at least
three lectures. and what he should say
would, therefore, be somewhat in the
nature of an Introduction to the Social
| Reform treating of certain conditions
which had called the movement into
existence, rather than of the movement
itself. Social reform and socialism"
said he, somewhat to the detriment
OF both, are not as perfectly distin-
gulshable in the public mind as they
should be- Upon questions of both prin-
clple and method the social reformer
is quite as far from the socialist as he
is from the monopolist. which is a very
long way upon the scale of human phil
osophy. The distinguishing notions of
socialism are revolutionary in the ex-
IRENE Against revolution the social
reformer protests as strongly as against
monopolism. While admitting the ex-
istence of social wrongs, he consents
only to such remedial legislation as
may be applied without violently dis
turbing the social structure. In brief.
he adhereS to evolutionary, as opposed
TO revolutionary reforms" The lecture
covered too wide a range to be ade-
quately reported in a synopsis
To speak plainly, or at all, said he,
of conditions which reflect discredit
upon the controlling forces of society.
is, under all circumstances, a delicate
task The haste with which persons
who fail to see eye to eye with the ma
jority of their neighbors may become
peace-disturbers or anarchists in the
popular idea, is by no means a pleasant
thought to one whose duty exacts a
public avowal of his opinions What
ever may be the imperfections of a self
governing society, there is communal !
consciousness within it, which. like the |
individual consciousness of it's mem
bers, rarely accepts with good nature a |
deliberate exposure of it's shortcomings.
Taking UP this thread in another |
part of the discourse. the professor |
said: THE mind and conscience of So !
ciety are not so very different in point |
of analogy from the mind and con- |
science of the individual, and society /
has its physical functions, which, no |
less than the physical functions of |
man, have their periods of abnormal |
activity, their fits, their spasms and |
their prostrations. A diseased organ /
in the human anatomy. if treated at
once, may return to a normal action.
but if neglected it infects the whole
system, and finally the brain collapses
and a once useful life is precipitated
through devOuring insanity to a hor-
rible dissolution. So a diseased func-
ton of society, left to run it's destruc-
tive course, soon makes way for its
infection to the heart of the common
wealth: then follows an enervated
commerce. timorous and panicky
finance. sickly production, delirium in
trade, idleness and want among the
masses, restitution, hunger. despera-
ton, violence and chaos. This is no
fancy picture; it is what civilization
has witnessed and may witness again
under similar conditions
Speaking of the manner in which the
news of the death of the late Albert
Victor was received by the English
labor congress. the speaker said:
While not taking time to explain in
detail the causes of this eruption of
1 believe that traced to its
it's foundation will be dis
covered in discomfort its stimulus in
poverty and its vitality in hate. Hat
red of monopolism is a growing cancer
at the vitals of the laboring world. Its
symptoms are the
spasms and heart failures of our in :
1uStrial system.
"Still avoiding details. let US return
10 our own country. Brave and cheer
'ul as it would seem in the midst of it's
cares, has it indeed so far {
this awful Infection that it
nay safely shuttle on in its old mood
IF ecstatic Indifference? Who can
ook into this writhing, struggling sag- t
of human interest and dis
:ern no anger in the waves p In the
language of one of our great dailfes,
Must we have an earthquake to reveal ,
he turbulence of the elements? !" |