The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-07

emily to be peers of the realm. With
us the scholar, the man of science, the
inventor, the pioneer in commerce or the
arts, soil; delve and discover and en-
rich their age, and we distinguish them
too often only by disputing their
achievements or by appropriating with
out reWarding them for the products of
their genius Is it any wonder under
such circumstances that the average
man in America turns to the business
of accumulation and makes mere wealth
the final standard of achievement, since
he finds that everybody else does so?
And this popular impression as to
what it is ones worth to be is height
ened by our prevalent standard of per-
sonal value. You have in your city
citizen who has devoted himself with
heroic consistency to the publication
of our national and municipal methods
and agencies of government and whose
nobility of aim and fearlessness of ac-
ton make this modest layman an exam
pie to all the world
And out of situation such as this,
in such republic as ours, which is
greatest and gravest of all, If material
wealth be the end of being, If accumu-
lation be the worthiest aim of human
ambition, If the palaces or the buying
of legislatures be the final and highest
distinction possible to modern manhood,
then we must needs look in the face of
the perils that in our time and in our
land they increasingly involve. In the
country in which you and l live what
we call civilization has undergone what
;t. Ii, rricr1 Mi
ton, the utter disappearance under the
influence of modern invention and the
transformation of the mechanical con-
dition of the workingman's life as it eX-
listed in our earlier social condition. the
huge aggregations of capital which have
practically taken out of the hands OF
the individual the independent DISPOSE
ton of his labor and have introduced
into his existence paralyzing uncertain
ty as to both his circumstances and his
future, the gradual widening of the
breaches that separate classes from
classes and the competitions that while
they cheaper the necessities of life in
crease the elements of perplexity and
uncertainty as to how great multitudes
may obtain them-all these are feat
ures of our modern situation full of
danger.
For one I have no smallest hope that
any mechanism of legislation, and sys-
tenn of socialism, any scheme of agra
rian distribution or taxation will in the
remotest degree remove them. The
Church of God must go up, must stay
up, upon much higher plane than that.
There is no one of us, 1 presume, who
has thought at all who has not had his
dream of how, if he could reconstruct
human society or create some guild or
brotherhood of human fellowship with
which to do it, he would go to work.
One thing is certain-that the thing
which we call the social order, what
ever we may deem it, has never been
greatly Influenced save by some organ
lied endeavor
The pre-eminent danger to our social
order in this day is, first. the growth of
wealth and then the abuse of it. You
remember what were called the sump-
tuary laws which undertook from the
time of the Dorians in Greece down to
the time of Edward in England and
James H. in Scotland to regulate peo-
pies expenditure and to restrict indi-
vidual luxury with very austere bounds;
and yet has it ever occurred to any one
to consider what sooner or later would
be the effect upon the mass of their fell
low beings if company of men and
women of recognized social leadership
should bind themselves together to illus
trate in their habit of life simplicity Of |
attire, inexpensiveness in their appoint |
ments and chasteness in the aspect, |
furniture and decorations |
of their dwellings,; should further bind |
themselves to discourage the habit of !
excessive accumulation; to employ for |
art science, philanthropy and religion |
all beyond a certain proportion Of their |
income; should devote certain part of |
their time to other human interests than |
their own; should devise and cooperate
in plans for the softening of the rigors |
of life to the less fortunate, and bring |
ing into the dull monotony of the mod
srn conditions of manual labor bright
ness and cheer--in one word, seeking to
redeem our modern life from the tawdry
sordid aspect which is too often at what
we call the top, its dominant and pre-
vailing note? For myself believe that
such a suggestion would attract far
greater numbers than most of us be-
ieve.
After the speech of Bishop Potter, |
Professor Fisher of the Yale Theologi-
cal seminary was called upon and
spoke briefly on the change in this age
Of the churches away from abstract
discussions to considering
practical social issues. Professor Fish
9r in speaking Of Bishop Potter's work
n New York, said that the bishop had
proved his worthiness for a place in the
apostolic succession by being engaged
ately in casting out devils.
The guests of the club were as fol-
ows:
Head table-Bishop Potter, Professor
George P. Fisher, Rev. e. Rowland, d.
D., Rev. Arson z. Stokes, Professor A.
W. Phillips, Rev. J. W. Bradin, B.
Hon. A. A. Robertson, C. C.
1raves, General W. W. Skddy Charles l.
T. Chase. ii
Center table-Rev. George H Buck. |
Rev. A. P Guist, Rev. l.. w. Salton-
tall, Rev. George w. Phillips, D. d.,
Rev. T. D. Buckley Rev. H. l. Bod {
ey, Rev. G. Fl. Sharpley Rev. William
,. Downes, Rev. F. M. Burgess, Charles
T. Nettleton, John H. Sage, DR.. Linds-
ey f. w. Potter. N. j. Wilton c.