The times., 1899-12-18
MAN,s DUTY TO MAN.
sermon Of the Rev. Or. Kent at the
PeonIe's Church.

Peoples Church
Rev Alexander Kent. pastor Of the Peo-
pies Church. 423 G. Street northwest, de-
Iivered an address yesterday morning TAX
ing as his subject The world owes no
man a living but every man owes the
world a life. Dr. Kent said that the
expression he used for his text had been
uttered by an eminent professor Of soc
iOIogy. while lee,uring at Columbian Uni
versity several years ago The same
thought had also been expressed since
then by another prominent sOciolcgist. lie
said also that ii was popular belief
among weIl-tc-do people that the world
owes no man anything except as he earns
il.
The speaker said that the world owes
something 10 every one born in It. The
child" he said has a right to be we'll
born, and it is the duty Of society TO see
that children are well fed well clothed,
well housed and well educated To let
children grow up in poverty and crime
is serious wrong. The State can better
afford to see that these children are rear
ed right thaB ia later years to care for
them as paupers and criminals.
Every man undoubtedly owes the world
a iife-a life Of earnest devotion 10 the
worlds welfare. No man owes the world a
life devoted TO crime or to gathering by
shrewdness and trickery the products of
the labor OF others.
While everyone owes the world life
the world owes 70 man the opportunity TO
pay the debt You cannot hold the man
TO an obligation and deny him the oppor-
tunity to fulfill it. The obligations are
mutual What applies 10 the world applies
10 country and State"
The speaker outlined the duty of the
State 10 the individual, and the individual
to the State If it is the duty Of the
individual 10 preserve the laws Of the
State he said "it is certainly the duty
! Of the State TO furnish the individual with
the opportunity 70 earn living and pro-
/ vide for his comforts and thus be enable I
/ 10 preserve the laws
He said thar the individual who preyed
upon the world through the manipulation
| OF the stock market is as bad as the man
/ who preys on society at the gaming table,
/ and that the slothful man in the gilded
| club was no better than the idle man in
/ the slums of the great cities. Princip es
/ have no regard for class or rank high or
I low, rich or poor. They are meant for all.
/ Regarding the condition of the masses, he
] said that doubtless they were improrident
| and spent millions for unnecessary, and
! often Injurious, things but they had the
/ example Of the classes before them Per
manent work he said would be the sal
! walton Of the masses; that, while strong
| drink caused misery, lack of employment
! and misery drove men TO drink. Mr.. Kent
| thought that dishonesty in business life
was not contemplated IN the text. 1T does
I not proceed upon the equitable principle
/ Of faiE exchange Of service he added.
/ Success consists only in getting more than
! you give. The sentiment, every man owes
the world a life is on an altogether DIFF
/ ferput plaue-tDe plane of justice and
| equity"
On the opportunities Of the individual to
| pay his debt to the world he said that The
Government was bound TO keep open the
| avenues of profitable employment to the
| individual. TO see that the industries OF
4 the country were not controlled by any
class Of men TO the detriment OF the in
diyidual He suggested that the Govern
meut could greatly aid the people by spend
ing money TO build plants TO irrigate the
great deserts Of the West and renting OF
selling the land, free from taxation, 10 the
individual. From this he drew the moral
that the Government, In doing this, would
obligate itself 10 maintain these plants Sc
that the people would not suffer from the
want OF irrigation, and that II the Gov
I ernment was thus bound 10 protect the
people whom il had entered into contracts
with. why were not the corporations tc
which the State and Government granted
charters equally bound 10 maintain theii
plants for the employment Of the subject.
Of the Stste2
Regarding the gifts of libraries. schools
and public buildings by the rich TO tn,
people he said that II the people wer,
given steady employment with good wage:
they would build their own libraries
and schools and DE glad TO do, so. In con.
clusion Mr. Kent said: We believe in th'