Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-11

"And 1t will be permanent" said Doc.
tor McFabre who is sort Of a Socialist.
II am not SO sure about that" owen
retorted. "The beneficial effect of It will
be permanent. We shall learn that It is
possible to prevent corners In wheat and
cotton, and that it is possible to bring
about n better distribution of the prod.
ucts Of the country. The effect Of this
will be to reduce prices and make living
easier for the families Of moderate means.
But 1 think that as soon as possible
after peace Is declared the old individ
ualistic system Of conducting business
will be restored, mitigated by such gov
ernmental regulations as the war has
proved to be practicable"
"The situation is particularly inter-
estipg," said I, because it proves again
that economic necessity will do more to
further reforms than can be accom-
plished by all the preaching Of the
theorists. Not all the crusades Of the
past hundred years have done so much
to decrease intemperance as the refusal
of large employers Of labor to hire
men who weaken their nervous forces by
getting drunk. Competition is so fierce
that it Is necessary for every work.
man to give the best there Is in him to
his job. If he gets drunk sober man
will take his place. The operation of the
economic law has done more than the
appeal to the moral law. for the reason
that the penalty for violation Is visited
here and now on the criminal whereas
the vioator of the moral law is to be
punished some time in the future"
you are right" owen admitted. "The
same rule applies to the present attack on
the abuses in business that have made
1t possible for dealers to charge high
prices for food In one part OF the coun.
try while the same kind Of food was
rotting on the ground In another part
Of the country. Necessity is a whip that
will drive us much faster than any
moral precept."
II don't like to believe that" said Doc.
tor McFabre. but I am afraid 1t is
true'
with all due respect to your profes.
clergymen fail to realize that the eco
nomic laws have as high sanction as the
moral laws. When they discover that So
cial conditions are not ideal many of
them jump to the conclusion that all pow
erty and suffering could be abolished II
we could only pass a new tax law or
could abolish private ownership of prop
erty and institute state socialism. And
they think it is their duty as Christian
teachers to use their influence to bring
about these reforms. Bishop Williams. of
Michigan, is such a man. although he Is
saner than some. You know Bishop VIII
liams, don't you, Doctor?"
"Oh, yes. He is one Of the great bish-
ops Of the Episcopal Church"
"And he is a member Of the Golden
Club Of London, and Single Taxer," said
I, land I don't know what else. You
would be interested in his latest book, In
which he discusses the relation of the
clergy to social problems. He dedicates 1t
10 Walter Rauscnenbusch, one Of the
most sincere and devout Of the religious
economists, but also one of the most WIS.,
Ionary. Bishop Williams confesses that
has been his inspiration.
He also quotes Scott Nearing as an
authority on social conditions and their
remedies. have never read Nearing. but
my friend. Raymond Fuller, told me once
that he had tried to read him and gave
il up as a waste Of time for the reason
hat this pseudo do-economist did not know
how to think. gathered that Nearing Is
4 sort Of an economic impressionist or
possibly cubist. Bishop Williams seems
o think that poverty is due to our present
social system and that II the landlord
rlass--he speaks Of the parasite land
ords-was abolished and the idle rich
we're compelled to give up their fortunes
md thsre were an equitable distribu-
ION Of wealth sil poverty would e'pap-
- =. = 81 + (. 4. Z !. 4, y . Z !. l * ..t.t 8 ]