The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-09-30
and the People" The following is sum-
mary Of the speakers remarks:

| anu the 1eOpIe. Inc 1OllOWlUS - q 81 III
mary OF the speakers remarks:
l believe, ladies and gentlemen, that we are
living in new conditions that have never con-
fronted a people as they do to-day. and thai
demand not study alone, but q settlement or a
solution, and naturally believe that those
conditions, though affecting us IN the Tempo
raj concerns of life, must be properly ana per
manentiy adjusted, if adjusted at all, by the
application OF a religious principle. l belleye
somebody has said that no ques ton can be
called settled until settled right That means
lust and human affairs can never be deter
mined IN Il manner that Is just except along
tie lines OF Goq'S eternal justice, and that
carries US at once into the domain OF the theo-
logical.
Ladies and gentlemen, for 121 years we have
made the boast that We are a government OF
! the people, by the people for the people. II
that be true, and believe that for a long tlme
at least it true, every citizen should
esteem himself an integral factor OF that gov
eminent, and hence should regard II as duty
TO himself as an individual and 10 his co ntry
at large to understand well whatever affects
the welfare OF his country, whether for good
or for i'll. l consider this duty az especially
weighty at the present time, because be lieve
we are passing through n crisis that affects
our very form OF government
/ know there are those who proclaim those
to be "ca amity howIerS" who are not willing
TO swear that everything Is not going smoothly
ana well. For one, do not care al all II
should be called So provided l am ghC / be-
lieve that man is deaf and DUMB and blind 10
such fears.
What IS the meaning of our claim that we
are government of the people, by the people.
Tor the people? Is it a mere jingle OF words?
Is II merely q catch phrase that means any
thing OF nothing? | take II TO have very
Specific meaning, and that meaning can be no
other than the literal construction OF tie
words thcmseiVes-that II cannot be better eX-
pressed by any paraphraSe that we might put
upon il.
Il plain, simple intelligent Eng ish that
anybody can understand who understands
English, and that 1t can have but one mean
II 8, and l say that Tor Il long time OF that III
years it was a government OF the peopIc, by
the people, Tor the people, which simply
means the equality OF all men before the law
but believe just as firmly that the prac tical
result OF our politics for years past Is tina II IS
III danger OF becoming a government OF the
people by class Tor q class.
Class legislation Is not Repub Ican nor
Democratic cessation. 1t is a contradiction
in the very terms, and let 1t be understood
once and for all that l use the word class
mere with no demagoGlc desire OF arraylng
class against class. God knows there is TOO
much OF that, but his religion Is to bring
CLASSES together ana make them one, and II IS
only in those principles OF religion that
passions and prejudiceS OF men can be allayed.
l think 10 man can object TINS lar 10 10Y IN
terpretation OF our motto. That u means
equality OF all men before the law. and 20 Sc
cure that equality we have been taught from
the infancy of our republic nat the remedy
for ali our ills in civil government and to Sc
cure that equality OF ali men before the law IS
III Legislation we have constitution That
proclatms and guarantees this right to man,
and the leGis alton spoken OF IS legislation on
the lines OF that cons tltutiOn. But, ladies ana
gentlemen, there IS something anterior 10 tnat
constitution and consequently anterior 10
legislation. which both the constitution
and The Legislation take Tor granted as exist
ing, namely, conscience.
Conscience at once carries US into the do
main OF religion, ana hence l assert that our
only hope for republican government is an
appeal 10 conscience. 1t is the only ultimate
check that a republic has upon those In whose
hands 1t eEtrustS lis very lie By lis nature
OF surrenders The people surrender into the
hands OF their representatives all they are or
have or can hope for. II these representatives
are men strong enough to resist the lempta-
ton powerful classes Will surely throw In
their way the equality OF all men before the
law IS IL safe Keeping.
II they are not then those representatives,
who are servants OF the people, made so by the
suffrage OF the people, become the slaves OF
those who have purchased than, aud il be-
comes g. government OF the people by a class
fer a class Have we IN this country any
other redress? No. Not only we have none,
bur no republican government can have any,
sud This IS then question that interests al
most nj civilized nations, Tor every opserTau
man knows that civilized nations are rapid V
coming 10 q democratic or republican form OF
government, and other nations have long been
looking to Us Tor examples
God has gwen US a country which in every
respect is admirably adapted to working out
Of the principle. We owe it to mankind to
furnish the realization Of their hopes What
they ana we have to fear Is the undue
influence of material wealth. l do not say the
growth of wealth; the growth OF wealth is one
o heavens gifts. Nor do l say The aCcumula-
tons of wealth in the hands OF the lew. This
is 4 natural result, it must be so, we cannot
change natural avs. There must be no war
OH wealth q, such. That would be class war
again. Nor do l say eliher the cOmoina tons
OF wealth; combinations of wealth are neces-
sary :or the tn ousand public necessities which
arise fromlhe demands of society ;com blnations
OF wealth are needed for the development OF
OF commerce and to facilitate travel
and create and promote thousand industries
TOT tle comfort and haT piness OF men But all
those things must be regulated by law, in
such manner that the equality OF all men is
still preserved.
Combinations of wealth must not take the
form Of monopoly or trusts ms now under
stood. combinations must be legal creations,
and as they are created by law they must be
controlled by law.
The Bishops lecture closed the literary
exel cises OF the day, after which those dis
posed proceeded to enjoy the evening in
the dance. Two of tue towns largest
halls are packed tonight with lovers of
the dance, who will doubtless only close
the second day s festivities when the third
and last has com menced.