The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-02-05
TWENTIETH CENTURY.
Lecture by Henry Austin Adams in
the Empire Theatre.
II Was Given Under the Auspices Of The
BLESSED Sacrament Church

Henry Austin Adams spoke to
large audience in the Empire theatre
last evening, his subject being "The
Twentieth Century" and ii was a most
interesting discourse. The lecture was
given under the auspices of the Blessed
Sacrament church, Academy avenue,
and the proceeds will be devoted TO the
building fund OF that church.
When Mr., Adams stepped upon the
stage last e. ming. he was accompanied
by Mayor Baker, Hen. Charles T.. Cor
man, Prof Munro OF Brown university
ex-secretary of State Josl.ua NJ. Adde-
man, ex-Mayor L., ID. McGuinness, Rev.
Thomas r. Grace, pastor of ST. Mary's
church. Col. James II. McGann, Rev.
w. l. simmons and ID. ID, Donovan. The
distinguished SPEAK was introduced
by Hon. Charles Il. German, and his
lecture was in substance as follows:
Il want 20 prove the 2Oth century
from the facts that have made up the
last decade or two of our own century.
You know that there Is Lothing n his
tory that has eNr simply happened to-
day lay in the womb of yesterday and
tNNA9 ANaAhi q pll lAS AdNt WIS tllDl hlltI
In the forces Of yesterday. He who
would prophesy must reason. ana | say
that because we are rapidly approaching
a time when nearly everyone has "A
contempt for a prophet. / am going TO
be a crowd tonight in one respect, in
that | am not going to say whether
we are i'm the 10Th or the 20th cent. V.
/ don't want half of the aud ence to
get up and leave the house. / am sim
ply going to say that We are on the
threshold, not in. but about 10 enter.
We are living in great times, you and
l.
Let us try TO understand what the
century Will contain. Let US try. con-
temporaries as we are to consider this
subject. and let us hang our arguments
on three pegs. considering 70 from the
social. intellectual and spritual move
ments OF our times. We viii fix the
date from which 20 reckon our ohserva-
tons as the Centennial exposition I'm
1876. Since that time we have become
used To sudden social reH eious. .econom-
ical polit cal and all other kinds OF
changes. Nothing surprises us. Since
that exposition We have become cosmo-
politan instead OF remaining provincial
since then we have progressed socially.
until now we have reached the point OF
nervous prostrat on and bankruptcy.
We have reached that point where we
exclaim, we must keep up appear
ances' and so our social evolution has
gone on until we have become the
laughing stock ~ gods and men.
"Now we must keep up realities i'm
stead Of appearances. Then viii come
the intellectual problem. The sweep
and change In the intellectual forces ~
the time have been tremendous Every
things tends toward specialization. /
think tha, the catalogue OF Harvard
college must cause the angels I'm
heaven to laugh as they see the numer-
Gus "ologies' that II coniains. We nc
longer have the broad education that
we once had Thar an cducated man
can come out from Harvard I denv;
that n specialist can come out. admit;
but the hroadlv cducated man cannot
come out. Already the CRY has gone
up and fhe intellectual world sees that
some chang must ~ made in tho
present conditions. What we Mood ia
synthetic philosophy and KNOWLEDGE.
"Then comes tho Question NJ sp'ritunl
advancement. The Catholic church
hasn't chanre1A hut che pe0plo in 40
have And outside he church there
has heen 2 new movement. We havo
the hrca1-gau~o u,iniqfo~ who viii
preach nevt Sundav on fba pNlosonhv
~ Tho question shall We Keen the
PhliDU'nnr'i and who rcalizee that we
have outo>,'"n Thriet fhnt the~o ave
nurnorous ecienfieo rna cove v.@v Moses
ssonif MI hove Zone what DO is qe..o-
dted With havfr~ acconuitqhcd w-,'-e
~oinr vn~v rpuidiv at,a vq,'re artrtiro
frorn eirnnMcitv % c0u1~iovtiv rut cod
who toenofh Israel eirr,ho~ofh not
The 20fh oenfurv ~ indfrsfto~e oo 90
show T'-iii COO two r~arf dt,-fetOre ~
80 world Orn ei1a VIII b. fru ~ Nha
fo'f@--s~e ~ Chrirs ,.bo etand i~ ~
uni.roken bod ord tho otho- ,,-iU bo
-nefa ~ - - -r~ IN go outside. tho
Devil and his followers"