The times., 1899-11-27

IhS blitot - alue OF Education
The regular Sunday services of the Peo-
pies Church were held yesterday in
Smiths Hall. 516 Ninth Street instead of
the Typographical Temple their usual
place of meeting, which at present is oc-
cupied for other purposes. DR.. Kent's
| discourse was on individual Rights and
Duties in Relation to the Government OF
| Others"
| He said in the course of his sermon
that the Government has a natural right
/ to all the powers essential to the proper
/ performance of its functions. and no ma
! jority. however large, can ever confer upon
| it any right to use these powers in such
manner as 10 defeat the ends for which
/ governments have right to be. The
/ trainers" ," said the minister. ''of our Gov
ernment had more or less clear concep-
! ton of this truth when they declared that
! governments are instituted among men to
assure them in their inalienable rights
! life liberty. and the pursuit Of happiness;
| that whenever any form of government be-
/ comes destructive of these ends. it is the
right and duty of the people to alter or
/ abolish it, and TO institute a government
/ which viii serve these ends. The right OF
1 any Government TO be then depends upon
/ its loyalty to human rights ana inteTe t5.
The right of a people to overthrow or ter
/ il depends upon its treachery to human
rights and interests. The right and duJy
of each individual to govern himself-to
make the best possible use, and secure the
| largest possible development OF all his
powers is the ground Of his right and duty
| TO demand of government whatever dsgree
of freedom is essential to this end. ana 10
| take whatever measures may be needful,
even that of revolution, to secure this free
dom for himself and others. Just govern
meut is no respecter of persons, 1t does
not mean license for one class and slavery
for another. It means equal freedom and
opportunity for all-that is freedom and
opportunity to ct themselves for the
largest usefulness and the highest enjoy
ments Of which they are capable. 1t does
not mean freedom to exploit or defTaud the
public, whether in business or politics, b4t
freedom for the compIetest development
and fullest employment of gifts in q COM
munity of mutual service.
A voters Moral Attitude.
"The moment man drops below the
level and seeks 70 make government an
instrument of self-sertice and of injury
to others, that moment be becomes a traitor
10 his country and his kind and forfeits all
right to participate in the shaping of gov
eTnment Since, however it is not possible
to know when others thus abuse their trust,
society cannot base its suffrage regulations
upon the moral attitude of the voter ex-
cept when this attitude betrays itself in
{ some overt act. IT, for instance, it be-
comes known that a fraudulent ballot has
been cast, then the law can deal with the
voter Morally, the crime is no greater
than that committed by another who cast q
| legally honest ballot but ballot tainted
with murderous greed and foul with trea-
son TO the best interests of his country
{ The men who, of all others. have least
moral right to share in the government
cf this country today are undoubtedly mos
/ influential in the council of the nation. MeI
Of great intelligence, in the ordinary sense
Of the word they are deliberately using this
intelligence merely to the interest of per
. sonal financial gain, and doing t1is with
definite knowledge that il means a de
creasing income with increasing poverty
and misery for the masses.
1T is not the kind OF ignorance tha
comes from want of school learning tina
constitutes the greatest peril OF this countr!
( today 1t is ignorance that lives, and j.
often most conspicuous. in so-callsd cul
tured and religious circles; ignorance tina
neither our colleges nor our churches ar
- doing much TO dispel; Ignorance of th'
y. law that binds for time and for eternity
o in one bundle of interests the high and tn
= low, the rich and the poor, the civilized
and the savage. 1t was this sort of ignor
a ance, not want Of school learning. that let
men of official standing, men holding re
+ sponsible positions in the service of thi
aY1 of fba tn tad
phia, on the occasion OF the recent election
n and stuff the ballot boxes of that city
: They thought 10 promote their own interes
n / by promoting the success Of their party
The crime Of which they are accused i
p as common to both parties in this country
q and in certain cases Presidents have he'll
e their high offices in consequence of sucI
Q fraud.
: Human life in the world of industr
a counts for less and less property for NOR
and more. And the estimate of the factor
a is becoming the estimate of the courts
We do not want any property qualifications
Great property and public spirit rarely g
g together. The milHonaires of the cOuntr
$ are better known by their possessions tha
e by their patriotism.
o Sacredness of the Ballot.
!, Men must be made to feel the sacred
+ lie service, and to look upon all trading il
j votes, whether for place or pelf, with alb
K hOrrence. 1t cannot be expected that tn
= motives which control men in politics vii
IS be any higher than those which cOntrc
IS them in business. We can Gnly hope fO
"a justice in political relations as we are abl
= to secure it in industrial relations. Jus
o. tice in government can only come throug
- justice in business. Perhaps | should sa
only as it aims at justice in business.
n THE main work to be done in bringin
" about change for the better is work c
Observation-Disclosures in the direction c
justice. education in ethics, the science
: human relations. and as ethics can have n
/ other foundation than the facts of mora
order and moral government, the facts tina
"a call for and justify the religious sentimen
ie education in the truths of verities of nat
p ural religion. In saying natural religion
d, | do not mean TO exclude all that has gon
le under the name of revealed religion.
p mean rather to include all that has bee
IN revealed, for all that has been reveale
to must be natural.
ty Rights of the Citizen.
MANS right to share in the shaping
- human government must depend ethicall
be- speaking, upon his fitness to shape it wise
TO ly and well for the ones it is meant
IN serve. The people who most need govern
er ing in this country today are not the pee
y pie in the mines and factories. nor the pee
IN pie in the slums and tenement houses, nC
Sc the people who build the railroads an
S work the farms, but the people who al
tn organizing and controlling all the grei
a. industries Of the country for personal an