Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-15
.ELOQUENCE AND WITIcSM.
Were the Prevailing Factors in
the Lecture
OF HON. JOHN J. INGALLS,.
At the South Side Baptist Church Last Night
",The Crisis His Subject. Was Well
Chosen and Ably Discussed.

The audience that gathered at the
South Side Baptist church last might to-
hear ex-senator Ingalls, was not 50 large
as that In the opera house the night be-
fore. When the speakersof the eve1ing
entered with DIR. Hale he was applauded.
DIR. Hale took the Bible carefully out of
Mr.. ingalls, way, and introduced Hon. o.
w. Underwood. who, in turn, introduced
the lecturer by saying that Birmingham
was now coping with the nations of the
earth in material way and by bringing
such distinguished men to our midst we
would develop in mental way.
John J. ingalls, advanced to the front
and his tall, spare form and eye glasses
seemed perfectly at home. He thanked
his friend, Mr. Underwood, for the fiat
tering introduction and said that while
he Qngalls) was in the senate he was
afraid his course had not been such as to
endear him to the south. One of the in
felicities of public life is that its antagon-
isms are remembered and a mans repu-
tation precedes him, while no allowance
is made for the heat of debate or the pas
sions of the hour.
Our people, he said are now passing
through a revolution, the consequences of
which will be momentous THE Crisis
was the subject of his lecture, and there
is a religious crisis that threatens the
foundations of religious belief. This
crisis he would leave to theologians.
There was moral crisis, marked by its
foul literature and Objectionable pictures
and detestable practices. This he would
leave to moralists.
There is a political crisis that threatens
to obliterate party lines and put new
men in power. This he would leave to
statesmen.
There was a social, economic and in
dustrial crisis, and with this he would
deal. There was great discomfort, and
a conflict between the rich and the poor,
due to supposed inequality of burdens.
The history of the Anglo-Saxon race is
embraced in struggle for two things
equal rights and equal opportunities.
There are no volunteers in the battle of
life-we are all conscripts. This govern.
ment is based on the brotherhood of
man. We must have an equal chance.
We must have equal rights Lincoln's
speech at Gettysburg was one of the
grandest orations ever delivered, and
embraces the ideas upon which our gov
eminent is founded. Equal rights does
not mean equality in mind or body.
have the right to enter the prize ring
with Corbett, but he would knock me out
at blow. The doctrine of the equality
of opportunity is now denied. Our fore
fathers landed at jamestown in search
of religious freedom, and it has been said
this was the only freedom they sought.
When they landed they fell on
the aboriginees and since on the
Chinese. The north is as much
south. Slavery disappeared from the
north not because of superior civiliza-
ton, but because it was not profitable.
Our forefathers kept the Sabbath and
kept everything else they could lay their
hands on. We are opposed to the pow
ers of the old world taking the territory
of South America because we want that
territory ourselves. The Dutch settled
New York and the Yankees settled the
Dutch. The Anglo-Saxo race is pro-
gressive 1t believes in the greatest good
to the greatest number, and the great
est number Is No. /.
Mr.. ingalls, compared the past to the
present, showing the wonderful progress
we had made in a material way. We
have made greater progress in the past
100 years than in the previous fifteen
centuries. Morrill,, Gladstone and Bis
marck can remember when there was no
telegraph, railroad, telephone, matches,
nor reaping machines. Farming is now
carried on with machinery Farming has
become a sedentary occupation. If a
farmer needs exercise he must go on the
lecture platform. The poorest man now
enjoys Injuries that a century ago a
king couldn't get. There is a feeling that
all this has been purchased at the ex-
pense of liberty. Machinery has thrown
many men out of work. There is but lit
tie demand for unskilled labor. Every
thing was once made by hand-even pins,
and they were very expensive. wo-
mans pin-money was so-called, because
1t was a considerable sum. My grand
father was a blacksmith At home we
have the anvil he used. He made the i'm
PIGMENTS now made by machinery. My
father was a manufacturer of shoes in
Massachusetts,. The workman Who
makes the heel of a shoe in big manu-
factory never sees the toe. When such
a mandatory shuts down the men are
not able to do anything else. The ma
chinery in the United States does the
work of 100000 men,. Machinery does
not eat, nor wear clothes. nor vote. The
problem is, how shall we take care of
unskilled labor?
The ladies have shared in this revolu-
ton. The sexes are now equal in every
respect except politically. And / think
this difference will be removed, and 1t
will be a good thing. In Kansas we
tested the question of woman suffrage
and 1t failed on account of the indiffer-
ence of the women. When woman wants
it she will get it. Woman has invaded
mans domain, and the responsibility
rests upon her to help us solve these
problems.
Maccauly said our civilization would
fail when our public domain was ex-
hausted. We have nearly exhausted it.
There Is not now single acre of public
land on which corn and wheat can be
raised without irrigation that is open
to homestead entry. The American peo-
pie have adopted the policy of protection.
Our laborers must be protected. Liberty
and poverty are incompatible. We must
support our home industries. Immigra-
ton must be restricted Men must be
able to read and write before being al
lowed to vote. The trusts are crushing
out individual enterprise. The American
people don't find fault with man who
has won wealth by his own efforts, but
object to his making fortune through
trusts.
The removal of these obstacles will
give us equal opportunities. With the
exceptions mentioned, we have greater
opportunities than ever
We shall soon be able to fly from New
York to San Francisco in day. Sen
ator Morgan will still be in the senate.
when he will be able to- attend to his
duties in Washington and fly back home
to Alabama to spend the night.
The streets of Jerusalem were kept
clean by every man sweeping in front
of his door. The true solution of these
problems is not in legisla ton, but in in
dividual, elevation. The law of COM
pensatiou prevails.