The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-01
POSSIBILITIES
OF THE CENTURY
What the Next Hundred Years
May Soc In Economics.
IN TIE INDUSTRIAL LIFE
lndITduaAsm AMI III, COMPETITIVE Syst en-,
With Cu.-ihro,i Principles
Isa Failure.
IN TIE INDUSTRIAL LIFE

of keen interest TO every listener Rev
Geo. 8. Wheeler. pastor OF the church
delivered the third lecture in the course
last evening upon Economic and IndGs-
trial Possibilities OF the. Century" Evi-
dently the New church has distinct
message upon this subject. and 1t was
placed before the hearers with such de-
cided earnestness and ciearness last night
as to hold the closest attention. In sub
stance the speaker said:
Briefly put, economics treats Of ma
terlal wealth-all classes of material
wealtn--in its relation to public welfare.
And economic possibilities include the
possible development and outcome OF ma
terial wealth as IL shall express Itself for
the good Of the public during the Decades
before us.
But while this Is subject on the
lower Material plane OF life. II is never
theless-because OF Spiritual law-the
field of activity OF the highest moral and
Spiritual forces. That Spiritual law is
that all truth finds Its complete power
and expression in ultimates. and the in
or outmost plane on which all Christian
principles must rest for permanence OF
foundation.
The old competitive system, nov a
failure was individualism run rank with
cut-throat principles which denied the
larger obligation to the neighbor. Gods
law OF love to the neighbor was held In
force on the plane OF religious senti-
ment and denied existence on the practi-
cal industrial plane OF the peoples life.
over a century ago the great seer
-SwedeHborg- -aHHeuHeed-4H-A -Ais-teaeA4Hs
OF tho larger man. that each COM
munity, each state and each nation Is an
individual in successfully larger senses,
and the world an individual In the largest
sense; that the Divine law of love TO the
neighbor would find It's true expression,
as the first regard was paid not TO the
individual man, but to man I'm the col
lective sense of the body polite or the
community, where. In the welfare of all.
the welfare OF each Is most truly con-
ceived
ONENESS OF THE RACE.
This recognition Of the oneness of the
human race Is now taking place In the
Irresistible movement whereby the legal
lied privileges OF individuals and corpora
tions TO exploit the public for their own
advantage are being curtailed, and the
trend for municipal state and national
control of public utilities.
This is an ultima ton of the law OF
love into the economic and Industrial
planes of life. The first attempts at this
met with little encouragement even from
the Christian church. But the Socialists
claim, and still more the abuse by capital
OF legalized privileges whereby million
aire aristocracy Is created and the masses
of the people are robbed and enslavcd.
has reused the public to n recognition OF
the inequality and injustice that prevails,
and TO the methods for readjustment
THE acton OF President Roosevelt In
making clear 10 the operators and miners
at the late conference in Washington
controversy-the public--and that the pub
lie had the first and highest rights in he
matter, placed this country upon an
economic and Industrial recognition OF
the spiritual force Of the law OF love 10
the neighbor that can never again be
ignored
THE public is the larger Individual
with the frs; rights I'm the exploitation
OF the wealth nature has given impartial-
ly to ALL And one OF the economic possi-
bilities OF the century Is the full recog-
milton that each man is but a part of the
larger man-the public-wth obliga ions
which he cannot shirk with implDity.
Inc Heeus OF the cnlid or the labOrer
are exactly the same as those OF the
hid OF the millionaire. Those needs are
not equality OF things but equality of
opportunity for the full development of
latent human capacities to their highest
efficiency for citizenship use.
MUTUAL COOPERATION.
The assent OF self-interes;ed and emo
tional legislation to the privileged evils OF
combination and monopoly are quite like
ly 10 continue until those evils so ac-
centuate and Intensity the Injustice OF
economic conditions as 90 thoroughly
arouse the public conscience.
''Thosc evils because they are evil are
N the most subtle way kept from the
light OF the public knowledge and they
will exist just so long as they can hide
under The cover ~ legislation. Political
conscience is rapidly growing: that Is.
the consciousness that office and leg sla-
tive power Is a sacred trust to he used
for the highest benefit of the people as
whole-even at the expense OF benefit
TO some one class