Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-03-31
THE SOCIAL REFORM.
Lecture by Prof. George Q. COray
Last Evening.
one Of the Regular Course of Popular
lectures Delivered Under the Aug
pie = OF tho Faculty of the Univer.
sity of Utah.


thoughtful and timely lecture dellv.
cred last evening by Prof. q. O..
Coray at the University Lecture Hall
On Firat North street:
To speak plainly or at all OF con-
ditions which reflect disoreuit upon
the controlling forces OF society is
unuer all circumstances a delicate
task. The haste with which persons
whe fail to tee eye to eye with the
maiority OF their neigh bors many be-
come peace-uielurbera or anarchists In
the popular print is by no means q
pleasant thought to one whose duty
exacts public avowal OF his opinions.
Whatever may be the imperfections OF
selfR0vefDing society, there is a
communal consciousness Within it,,
which, like the Individual conscious
meas OF its members, rarely accepts
with good nature q deliberate exposure
OF Its shortcomings. Besides this
communal self respect which none
would wish TO curtaiI, there exists
innate In all aggregaiions OF human
Ivy the egotlsm OF aell.cous,i.
tuted leadership, which, regarding
itself as the maker anu sle
regulator OF the social machine within
Its realm OF activity, slanus, OF course,
ever ready to defend the product Of lis
genius and 10 challenge or annihilste
the spirit OF progress whenever and
wher yer Vt may appear; by this means
are perpelusteu, us al alleged social
blessing, relics Of human error or Of
corrupted ambition which might
otherwise sink into public contempt
through a natural and peaceful course
nf anIiubtnnnaut Ibta nseudn inf
exploits his assumed virtues uuder
disguists W hlch are well calculated
10 deceive. Though mis- every act
might be at heart an intrigue to turn
tue government anu the people into
private capital, his every word Of
mouth IL sure to be careful y luhricat.
Ell with sighs Of love lor tue public.
Tho everyday citizen could MOI be
presumed to detect any except the
very unskillful OF thess social para
sizes. The smarter once ere tute to b.
ftund among the puOlic's pets upon
whom II deiights to lavish the beat IL
has to give. In The mind OF such q
person, in the midst OF such surround.
Iugs, there can be no Hnch thing as a
need of reform.
From his poiut Of view tho prevail
ing methods OF PUBIC administration
must always BIS rignt and tue sugges'
tion OF a change always wrong; and
when 10 the word OF such an authOu-
ty the advocate OF a reform IL men.
ace to society, menace he must be.
unless lis lung power happens to be
greater and his fighting genius OF u
more staying quality than arc pos
aessed by the Deneficiaries OF nom
action. This condition OF Things makes
the path OF reform Anything but al
Turing, especially to the politically
ambitious or the selfishly cautious. 1t
IL only the desperately conscientio us
who have the hardihOOd to avow n
policy infested with 80 much that IL
repellant to the finer rs we'll as the
cosfser instincts OF MANKIND, and
beset with such hazards to the peace
VI him VINO dsres to bo thus identified.
Under such conditions 1t Is an easy
anu sale procedure, once, perhaps sew
eral times, TO dispose of an ugly econ
omic question by crying "anarchislo
anu setting the minions OF idleness at
The heels OF the forlorn hope OF any
new iuea that mskes lite appearance.
But there have been times and may be
again, when that infamous amu1e-
ment is dangerous game. Where,
In spite OF industrious and frugal
habits. men are forced into protracIeI
insotion and the wolf appears at the
threshold, with no hope of rescue for
the victims, these eervile taunts which
had previously held public opinions
under u spell, suddenly lose their
magic power and become the signals
Tor The adventurous and the reckless to
cUme out OF their hiding places. For
the couDtry's anguish Is the NOR u ier's
license, and in the regulsr course OF
nature the very crowd that had
been trained to echo the cry
against reform are now in the
field as leaders Of riot and devastation.
Their coaree jeers, practioed in
eiihiug the hope OF bettsTment OF
society through the peaceful adjust
ment Of social wrongs IL now. trans
formed to an insane shrek for revolu.
lion. The thought Of euch a
transformation 10 shOckiog to an
enlightened public mind, but 1t ia as
natural as II is inevitable.
Whether through the influences
here decribed our republic Is threat.
ened with social alteration which
will imperil Its future, timo alone
must determine. Albeit, to the man
who loves liberty. govern.
ment and the principles OF humanity,
there ia D great deal OF human svi.
dence manifesting itself in theee days
OF a molt Distressing character. The
omens OF danger are, TO ssy the least,
unusually persistent. OF couree there
are those who do not credit these
signals. AS / have already averted,
the country to them is pretty good as
it AZ. They have accumulated, by hook
or crook, vast anu valuable Interests,
and they do not want their securities
disturbed, which Ia q most natural
feeling.
A valuable curio In social phi llosophy
has recently Issued from the ofiice OF
one o the eastern monthlits, which
viii be interesting at this point. II
announces plan for establishing an
srmislice looking to hual pence be-
tween tpe American lab rer snd the
Anglo.Ameriean millionaire.
Amendment doctor Of politics has been
engaged to prove to the lsborer the
ial.ucy OF his dltcOntent. With the
other factor In the drama 1 mean the
paillionsire) they seem to be well sat
isfied; at least 10 Intention Is mani
tested OF doing anything TO him 10
particular. 1t Is jast the lsoorer that
nee1s attention, and he is to be put
through course OF logic prepared
especially for his case; at the close Of
which, as announced In the program,
he is to be (in his mind), happy AMI
urost eroua ritigsu As TO the million.