The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-11-21


"You see. we human beings are mighty
eager to understand that when It is said
that they should be servants OF their
brethren that II meant forever without
the ghost of a chance OF redeeming
themselves for past sins for all eternity.
And then we were still more eager TO
interpret the word servant 10 mean slave.
and the kind Of slave that should be put
down as property like so many hogs,
which meant nothing but serfdom for
those human beings. Well, after time
we began 10 discover that they should
not rise To the heights that their brethren
should but would do the more menal
duties OF life. and thereby suffer punish
ment. Then again we saw that there
wasn't much OF chance for the millen-
MUM while such a state of things exist
ed, and so the black man was set free.
and we felt a mighty sight more like
men than we had ever felt before since
the world was made. But yet, there isn't
much more chance for the millennium
now than there was before. There are
lot more things to be given up and
improved upon / tell you, Deacon. as
long mans principal ambition is the
accumulation OF money and as long as
Uncle Sam keeps on making Krag-Jor-
gensen rifles, there isn't ghost OF a
chance Of Jesus Christ undertaking to
reign upon this earth for thousand
years. No. sir. Not a ghost of a chance.
Or, IN other words. no chances will be
taken with the roaring old lion OF COM
merce enough to allow him to lay down
with the lamb until he's demonstrated
the fact that he can be trusted not 10
devour him. There's where we stand
today"
Everybody won't see things just as
YOU do. Mr.. Wilberforce." says the
Deacon, mot just as you do
mo. of course not" says Tolera ton.
"Of course not. But talking about slav-
cry. here are a few facts that can't be
denied, as uncomfortable as they may
appear: The crowd OF great men that
YOU have been talking about represent
some OF the greatest slaves the world has
ever known. Slaves to society and fash
ion. But they're not serfs. for they have
the power to break away from their
slavery at any time they please. which
the black man didn't have. See them as
they file into the ballroom or the public
reception hall! Like a lot OF clothes
spins. they oil look alike. The men
mean, for the women have got enough
sense 10 have little variety i'm their
makeup. Bat the men, who laugh and
poke fun -at-f4embers OF the regular
army because they wear a reglla ton
are subject 10 other mems orders, will
file I'm one after another like lot OF
criminals, emitting the lock-step every
one wearing the regulation dress suit.
and every one cutting what he thinks
Is tremendous figure | never have
seen anything more military-like than
the men folks at regular swell dinner
OF the four hundred. Raw recruits, and
every darned one of them privates. It's
that sore OF thing. Deacon, that made
, Shakespeare said what he did about NOR
tails being such tarnation fools. But
there's a cause for all OF this foolish
ness and this kind of mans inhumanty
10 man that's cheatin' thousands of
people out OF what really belongs TO them
and that cause is the law It's all wrong
when dealing with certain problems And
as you and had our share in. selecting
the lawmakers, we are az much 10 blame
as anybody"
Cant sees the law has got anything
to do with It," says the Deacon. whats
the law got to do with mans vanity?"
We'll sir says federation. the law
Is 10 blame for this much When the
town, or state, or the nation sells you a
tract of land, you are given a deed of so
many feet on the earth's surface.
bounded on the north by birch
n stake and stone and so on to the
South, and taking bee line Of so many
more rods 20 Otis SINNERS or some
body's henroost and so on around the
whole tract. which reads that this land
shall be yours or your assigns forever.
10 do with as you please. Now common
law doesn't restrict YOU as to how far
YOU shall operate this land below the sur
face. You can go through 10 the bowels
OF the earth II you want TO and nobody
says stop III Il were possible TO dig
through 30 India, then there might arise
complications that would cali for specific |
laws on this matter. I'm order TO show
who owned tho under side OF the land
that you are supposed TO have bought.
But as that IL not likely TO arise. well |
let that pass What I want to get at Is !
this:
You are supposed 20 have bought this !
land TO carry on the farming business |
with. or for the purpose Of cutting it up |
Into house lots and so on. Now. OF |
course, il may have been necessary for /
YOU TO dig wells for water supply. and /
when you found that yau had TO go down |
sixty feet before you reached the under |
currents of supply. and when you finally
struck water. found that II wasn't good
for anything for drinking purposes on ac-
count OF coal deposits, you didn't get !
discouraged. because you claimed under /
the law all OF the coal that your deed
happened To cover i'm so many square feet /
or miles Of the earths surface. There's
where we are 10 blame. for having any
such laws on our statute books"
Nothing wrong about that. says the !
Deacon. ''Of course the coal would be
mine. the same as minerals or oil would
no mine ~ they happened Go be on my /
land. That's only simple Justice. Who
would own Il n didn't7"
Cant blame you. Deacon" says
Toleraton, for trying TO hang on to
the coal It's human nature I know.
But you can't have 10. The coal belongs
10 the United States government. which
was put there by the Almighty provider
Of the universe for the comfort Of mill
lions Of people who need something to
create warmth when the earth takes n
notion 10 obey the law that requires her
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