The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-08-12
TALKED SOCIAL SCIENCE.
Rev. F. Emory Lyons Lecture in the Meth
odist Church, Bristol, Friday Afternoon.

z
odist Church, Bristol, Friday Afternoon.
A moderate sized audience gathered
in the Methodist church, Bristol, Fri
day afternoon to listen to lecture on
/" Social Science" by Rev. Mr.. Lyon, of
Madison, which he entitled Pente-
costal Democracy" He was presented
to the audience by Rev. W. j. Corr,
pastor of the church. The lecture was
largely devoted to the discussion of the
subject of the accumulation of wealth,
the uses of wealth and its distribution.
Labor troubles, the conflict Of capital
and labor, the present miners strike,
were given good share of attention.
He took issue with the principle that
self interest is the chief law of progress
and that the only adequate motive
prompting people to acquire wealth is
their own selfshness; and that compe-
tition is the vital law of business and
commerce. He contended that CO.
operation was wiser and better prln-
ciple on which to base the business and
commerce of the present day. Com
petition is expensive, cruel, destructive
and relentless. The numerous exam
Piles of successful cooperation have
demonstrated it's practicability, and it's
good results have demonstrated it's
desirability. Competition and self
interest has not brought about the
welfare Of all classes. We have in
creased national wealth, but the in
crease is largely in the hands of the few
whom we call rich. Labor has been
denied It's fair share of the increased
profits of production.
Machinery has 50 largely supplanted
manual labor that tens of thousands of
workingmen are denied the privilege of
work and are without the means of
supplying their daily bread by their
daily labor. The excessively unequal
distribution of wealth and the profits Of
industry, the fact that thousands are
working for wages insufficient to secure
a decent existence, and thousands more
cannot secure work, demonstrate that
there is something radically wrong in
our present social system. A writer
was quoted who said: "The unequal
distribution of wealth and power has,
in the past destroyed every ci7iliza-
ton" The principle OF cooperation is
extending as the sel1shness Of business
men recedes and all citizens should
rejoice at every honest effort for i'm
provement.
The speaker said; :" make no plea
for a redistribution or an equal distri-
button of wealth. We all recognize the
difference in mems industry and
thrift. 1t is certainly the
responsibility of honest statesman
ship to grapple with the wrongs
and iniustices of our social system and
find the remedies. Not only political
forces, but moral and educational forces
must be marshalled to aid in the re-
form. Every man must be provided
the opportunity to work, and further
should be taught to use wisely the
dollar that he earns. To spend in the
saloon the earnings of his labor, brings
only misery and poverty to his family.
1t is sad sight, indeed, to see man
seeking for work and unable to find it.
But it is sadder thing when he be-
comes demoralized and ceases to look
| for work, and is satisfied without the
decencies and comforts of life.
In discussing the subject of wealth
r n q hof n
love of money is the root of all evil,
and so it may be. But money itself is
the root of much that is good. Nam
mon is king. Money runs the machin-
cry of government, drives the wheels
of commerce, builds hospitals, schools
and churches, fosters art, music and
poetry. Parks are provided for the
enjoyment of rich and poor, libraries
for the intelligent reader and student,
sanitariums for the sick, and asylums
for the unfortunate"
At the close of the lecture the speaker
invited questions and free discussion,
and the privilege was literally used,
and a lively discussion ensued Con-
siderable opposition to some of the
positions taken by the speaker was
shown. An auditor contended that
the displacement of competition by
cooperation would retire us to a state
of barbarism. Others contended that
the thousands seeking for work only
wanted to find it that they might go in
the opposite direction. The three
lectures given at this time set many to
thinking on the problems presented,
and will furnish substantial aliment for
future thought.