The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-09-15

UAnEle hettasiileH, 80 AhI ron NEApr
ing appease the worlds hunger are
those whom Isaiah describes as
grinding the faces Of the poor. You
have seen a farmer or q mechanic put
a scythe or an ak on q griudstoue,
while some one was turning 10 round
and round and the man holding the
ak bore ON It harder and harder, while
the water dropped from the grind
stone and the edge OF the AK from be-
ing round and dull got keeaer and
keener. So IEaye seen men who we're
put against the grindstoue Of hard
ship, and while one turned the crank
another WOULD press the unfortunate
harder down and harder down until he
was ground away thinner and thinner
his comforts thinner, his prospects
thinner and his face thinner. And
Isaiah shrieks out: "What mean ye,
that ye grind the faces Of the poor2'
Let us take another look around to
see how we may serve our generation,
Let Us see as far as possible that they
have enough to wear, God looks upon
the human race and knows just how
many inhabitants the world has. The
statistics of the worlds population are
carefully taken in civilized lands, and
every few years officers OF government
| 60 through the land and count how
many people there are In the United
States or England, and great accuracy
is reached, But when people tell us
how many inhabitants there are in
Asia OF Africa at best It must be a
wild guess. Yet God knows the exact
number of people on our planet, and
He has made enough apparel for each,
and if there be fifteen hundred million,
fifteen thousand, fifteen hundred and
fifteen people then there is enough D
parel for fifteen hundred million, ff-
teen thousand, fifteen hundred and IF
teen. Not slouehy apparel, not ragged
apparel, not insufficient apparel, but
appropriate apparel. At least two
suits for every being on earth, a sum
mer suit and a winter suit. A good
pair Of shoes for every living mortal
A good coat, a good hat or a good bon
net, and a good shawl and a complete
masculine or feminine outfit of APP
parel. A wardrobe for all nations.
adapted to all climes, and not a string
or a button or a pin or a hook or an
eye wanting.
But. alas, where are the good clothes
for three-fourths of the human race?
The other on]e-fourth have appropri-
ated them, The fact is, there needs to
be and viii be a redistribution. Not
by anarchistic violence. II outIawry
had its way, Il would rend and tear
and diminish until, instead Of three
fourths Of the world not properly at
tired, ~four-fourths would be in rag
l will let you know how the redis-
tribution viii take place: by generosi-
ty on the part Of those who have a sur
plus and increased industry on the part
of those suffering from deficit. Not all,
but the large majority Of cases of pow
erty in this country are a result Of
idleness or drunkenness, either on the
part Of the present sufferers or their
ancestors. In most cases the rum Jug
Is the maelstrom that has swallowed
down the livelihood Of those who are
in rage. But things will change, and
by generosity on the part of the crowd
ed wardrobes and industry and sobriety
on the part Of the empty w~ardrobes
there will be enough for all to wear,
Again, let us look around and see
how we may serve our generation.
What shortsighted mortals we would
be If we were anxious to cIothe and
feed only the most insignificant part OF
Il man-namely, his body-while we
put forth no effort to clothe and feed
and save his soul. Time is a little piece
broken off q great eternity. What are
we doing for the souls OF this present
"generation2 Let me say II is a genera
tion worth saving, Most magnificent
men and women are in II. We make a
great ado about the improvements in
navigation and in locomotion, and in
art and machinery. We remark what
wonders Of telegraph and telephone
and the stethoscope. What improve
ment is electric light over a tallow
candle. But all these improvements
are Insignificant compared with the
improvement In the human race. In
olden time once in awhile a great and
good man or woman would come up,
and the world has made a great fuss
about it ever sincei but now they are
so numerous we scarcely speak about
them. We put a halo about the people |
Of the past, but / think Il the times de-
manded them ii would be found we
have now living in this year 1898 so
Martin Luthers, 50 George Washing
tons, 50 Lady Huntingdons, so Eliza
beth Frys. During our civi! war more
splendid warriors in north and south
were developed 10 four years than the
whole world developed in the pre-
vious 20 years. j challenge the 1000
years before Christ aud also the is
centuries after Christ to show me the
equal OF charity on a large scale Of
George Peabody, This generation Of
men and women Is more worth saving
than any one Of the $50 generations
that have passed of. Where shall we
With ourselves. That IS the
from which we must start. Pres
colt, the blind historian, tells us how
Pizarro saved his army for the right
when they were about DESERVING him.
With his sword BE made a long mark
On the ground. He said. "Nv men. on