The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-05

freedom and leisure lend TO culture and
improvement. It was as much the man
in the sweat.shop in New York. or the
woman with her needle OF sewing!ma-
chine in the garret. as the French peas
ant on his bleak glebe. with the sllsnce
OF nothIngness around and within, that
had revealed to him In the terrible pic
ture.
When he came to deal with THE
problem" and the remedies. Mr.. Mark
ham rose to the height Of his great
theme. How to organize, or reorganise.
social ana industrial conditions SO that
all should have a fair chance to live the
lie that God had designed for mana
happy lnhcrItor of the earth nwhlehhe
had been placed and which was meant
for his endowment; not TO be the slave
of endless and hopeless toll; but to be
served. enlarged and exalted by labor in
fitting degree and under fitting condI-
tons; not that few should have
monopoly Of the earth and all its riches
for THE earth was the Lords. not the
landlord's'-or have all the products
of industry, all the profits Of machinery,
all the fruits Of science and invention;
but that these be equItably dlffused
and distributed, SO that mankind should
be brotherhood on a general plane of
equality and happiness and not strng-
gle In the dark for an agOnIzIng exist
ence on the part OF the millions and
the triumph of rapaclty with security.
with everything God had intended for
all, on the part of the few.
He glanced at the problem Of mono
poles, more particularly the trusts. In
them he saw the memorable trend to-
wards further concentration, but to-
wards an ultimate goal of progress.
However grIevous the hardships they
impose on labor and consumption, they
were moving towards the ultimate tri-
umph of social regeneration, which lay.
as the speaker believed. in cooperation.
in public and possibly general govern
ment ownership OF the great servants
Of the people. like the railroads, which
are now being exploited by private
operation for prIvate,aggrandizement.
The lecturer spoke for an hour. Your
correspondent can do no more than
glance at the salient thought that per-
vaded the discourse. He explored
acutely and profoundly the heights and
depths OF the great problem OF read
iustlng the burdens and rewards of
labor, of the consequent REIMBURSEMENT
and rectiRcatIon OF the higher social re-
lations that must follow. He declared
that the burden of Improving human
conditions must rest on humanity IT.
self, The providence of God was the
providence OF men; It was only through
men that Gods providence could work.
and the responsibility for results rest
ed at last on ourselves. In word,
though he did not express 1t in that
phrase, the lecturer said providence
helps those only who help themselves.
The general tone of the lecture was
hopeful. The lecturer did not despair.
The march OF the world was not to-
wards destruction, but in the direction
of progress and regeneration. He In
dulgedin no denunciationof capitalism"
and the word was used but once. Even
the monopolies. like John Rockefeller's,
came in for only little gentle sarcasm.
The trust evil could not be reached by
legislation: 1t must run its course, and
would result In solutions and in steps
towards social improvements Of which
the trust promoters-who were but
making hay while the sun shines, Ike
the rest of average humanity-had
themselves no conception. The whole
discourse vas in lofty vein. many
passages eloquent. and once or twice
the audience seemed on the point of
breaking out into ringing applause But
either under restraint OF the surround
ings, or because Evanston would not
think 1t consistent with Its intellectual
dignity to be carried of its feet by n
wave Of enthusiasm. the sympathy with
the speaker was not permitted any but
the most decorous expression. Mr..
Markham was fairly applauded at the
close. He had given his hearers a
great deal to think about and they went
home in a thoughtful mood.
Modern ethics has found new cham
plon and exponent in this man. and
am mistaken II he does not take high
rank and be heard from In the future.
G. D. H.