The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-04-22
ADDRESS BY BISHOP POTTER
SOLUTION OF SOCIAL PROBLEMs
 EXPLAINED TO TALE MEN.

Development of Social Conditions
 Traced from tho Roman Era to Our
 Own-worid-spirito of-Gain Must Give
 Way to Christ-spiiit of Brotherly
 Love to Effect the Needed Re-Adjust-
 ment.
 The first of this years series of lec- lures on the "Responsibilities of Citi- zenship' was delivered last evening in Hendrie hall by Bishop Potter of New York. This is the court founded by William F. Dodge last year, of which Associate Justice Brewer of the United States supreme court was the first lec- turer.
 Tn talking with it's founder, said Bishop Potter, MT, Dodge explained the objects of the course to be to offset the present impracticable tendencies of academic education and provide for the student tool wherewith to deal with practical problems. Bishop Potter's topic for this years series of five lec- lures is "The Citizen in His Relation to Industrial Problems"
 The lecturers preliminary remarks traced the development of social condi- tions from the era of old world militar- ism to their present organization. Un- der the system of militarsm ranks and classes were clearly defined. There was recognized and accepted top and bot tom to society. But the condition of the Roman soldier and the serf is by no means to be pitied over-much though it may seem shocking statement the lecturer said he had no doubt that their average happiness was as great as that of the laporing classes to-day, who are housed in the overcroWded tenements of unWholesome sections of the city. There were certain liberties the soldier and serf was denied which the laborer to-day enjoys, but the Roman had no concern for his daily bread because his masters interest demanded his good treatment.
 Following the era of militarism the era of freedom wrought change in the social, fabric. Just as the renaissance movement resulted in literary and po- litical freedom, so it opened for the in- dividual his best chance in industrial activity. But now that all were at 1ib- | erty to engage in whatever craft they chose, many became engaged in the same work and competition was the in- | evitable result. But this hand hand ! and brain- to-brai competition had as | yet no great clements of danger in it. 1 It was with the invention of machinery | that competition commenced to assume | it's present proportions as social men, ace. The machines crush the working mans individuality, and the law of self preservation naturally causes the for nation of labor unions. The good cit izen's duty is to harmonize the relations between combined capital and organiz- ed labor.
 How is this to be affected? The first step is to understand the situation ex- actly as it is, and deal with it without passion or prejudice, but with human sympathy. The best spirit that can actuate those who attempt social read justment to-day is evidenced by Christ's life and parables, and the Lords prayer Our Father who art in heaven" means the fatherhood of God over all of us and this means nothing if it does not also mean the brotherhood of man. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven means that the king dom of heaven can be realized on earth. The Lords prayer with it's wide reach and explicit foreshadowing contains the true solution of the great question
 Indiscriminat te denunciationso of wealth are not only unavaiing but without Biblical founda ton. Christ did not de- nounce wealth, nor rank Money was to Him a thing to use, but not to love. Wherever He saw love of wealth and consequent lust and self-indulgenee this provoked His denunciation as it right fully should ours to-day.
 At present, Bishop Potter concluded, arbitration lengthens into sullen ob- stinacy and class hatred for the reason that the world-spirit of gain is domi- nant. It is the Christ-like spirit of hu- man sympathy and brotherly love which alone can be successful in ward ing off the colossal menace of modern societies.