The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-01
PROFESSOR SMALL.
lie Outlines PeriIs That Are Imminent
Because OF On Sanization of Capital.

DR.. Albion Woodbury. Small, head pro-
lessor of sociology In the University of
Chicago, startled and delighted an audi
ence of ministers, bishops and laymen.
SAYS the Chicago Record by paper
which he read at the session of the board
of examination of Rock river conference
held at the Euglewood First Methodist
church. Some remarked that the speak,
er's views smacked of socialism and SO =
calistic propaganda but his words were
moderate and the churchmen frequently
interrupted him with bursts of applause.
At the end of the paper his auditors gave
him prolonged denomination of ap-
prevail.
The subject on which Prof. Small
smoke was How Sociology Can Help a
Working Pastor" After declaring that
his views were not intended to be sensa.
tional, but were the result OF convictions,
he plunged boldly into the theme saying
In part:
1.-The social system in which we live
and move and have our being is so Dad
nobody can tell the full measure OF Its
iniquity. In this age of so-called 'democ-
racy' we are getting to be the thralls OF
the most relentless system of economic
olignrchy that history has SO far recorded
That capital from which most of us d.
rectly CT indirectly get our bread and
butter is become the most undemocratic,
inhuman and atheistic of all the heather
divinities. it breeds children but to de-
your the bodies of some. the souls of 9th
ers and to put out the spiritual eyes1ght OF
the rsst. The socialistic indictments OF
our civilization are essentially sound.
Mind ! do not say the remedies are
sound, but the indictments are true
Following this, Prof. Small outlined
the science of sociology and commented
on its power for good, while holding that
1t is yet in its infancy as "a science,
though of world-long age In practice;
then he continued:
''Ihers are clouds on the social horizon
already bigger than mans hand, fore
telling changes of which no one is wise
enough to predict the end. II present
tendencies continue 1t will not tie long
before the men whose business is to com
municete ideas will be gagged by those
who publish ideas, ami the publishers
will be shackled by the II akers OF paper,
and the paper manufacturers will be held
up by the transportatlons lines and the
transportation corporations by the produe-
ers of steal, and the steel Industries by
tie coal operators, and the coal miners
by the stove makers, and the cook stove
tete.ts by Wall street, and the stock
brokers by the labor unions, and they by
the farmers. and the farmers, God help
tkem, by everybody.
II am not throwing the dust of my Ii
brary in your faces, but II you heed the
symptoms from hank and office, factory
aud railroad headquarters aud daily press
you have discovered that the very men
who made these combinations are begin
ming to be frightened at their shadows.
these very business men who claim a
monopoly of practical horse sense have
involved themselves ssand allIof us in II
grim tragedy. They are asking in u quiet
way how 1t is all going to end.
whether they realize 1t or not. our
vision of freedom is passing into the
eclipse of universal corporate compul-
zion In the interest OF capital The march
of hu man progress is getting reduced TO
marking time in the lock step of capital 3
chain gang. 1t would mako infinitely
more for human veal II every dollar OF
wealth was cleaned of the earth, If we
could have instead of it industry and
homes and justice and love and faith.
than to be led much further into the dew
IFS dance of capitalism.