The North Cumberland Reformer. — 1895-12-28 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

THE POOR.  TEXT :-" Thou :•halt sot harden thine heart. nor thine hand frem thy poor brother."—lleut. x v., 7. The Bible has one virtue that distinguishes it from every other book in the world. It never gives you any false and foolish views of life. It never takes you by the hand and leads you straight away to some "fool's paradise," and pictures things that can never be after the fashion of the modern novelist.  How many books you have read about the modern Arcadia —the world that is to be, in the sweet by-andbye. Its fields are always green; its skies are ever bright; its lambs are ever skipping; its children are always laughing; its inhabitants never die, and the world is always young. You read these charming ideals of life until you almost believe in them. But in your sober moments, and in your secret heart, you are bound to confess they have one fatal defect —they are not true. Such things never do happen in real life. Now you can never accuse the Bible of fooling you after that fashion. It never describes an ideal impossible world. Its writers never draw on their imagination, or weave delightful webs of fiction. They stick to facts. And the first ugly fact I have to face just now is THE POOR SHALL NEVER CEASE OUT OF THE LAND (ver. 7).  They have come to stay. And while the world lasts we shall be confronted with the "awful problem of poverty. I know many armchair politicians and social reformers will shake their wise heads ominously over my sweeping assertions. They will talk of preventible poverty, and tell you that if the working men did not waste their money in smoking, and drinking, and extravagance, there would be no poverty in the world. But you know better. I. The causes of poverty are abiding.—They never change all through the ages. How many of your fellows are doomed to a life of poverty the day they are born? They come into the world blind, or deformed, or insane, or feeble, and diseased, from some hereditary taint. They are handicapped in the race for wealth, and honour, and position. They cannot compete with their more fortunate neighbours, so they go down in the struggle. If their lot is cast in some humane and civilized country they linger out an aimless, hopeless existence, a burden to themselves and to society. If they are born in some savage country they are eithqr promptly murdered, or they are left to pine to death of want and exposure.  And how many more go down before what you are pleased to call " accidents ? " By somebody's carelessness, or neglect, they are bruised, or burned, or maimed, or crippled, or mutilated; and the poor helpless creatures are going to the grave by instalments. And how many more join the great army of the poor by the premature break-down of the bread-winner? The head of the household is cut down before he has been able to bring up his children, and his young widow and her little ones are steeped in poverty. Now ye well-fed, wealthy, arm-chair politicians, how much of all this is preventible poverty? 2. The Causes of Poverty are increasing. The land has been stolen from the people. Ages ago every village had its "common "—the poor man's inheritance. He could keep a few hens, or a pig, and grow his own vegetables, and have no rent to pay. But the ground landlord stole it, and drove him away into the towns, and forced him to live in slums, and alleys, that would undermine the constitution of a sewer rat.  That inordinate selfishness that we call competition is eating up the flesh and blood of thousands every day. In the mad race for wealth employers will only find work for the youngest and strongest of workmen. The artisan who loge. hig .ituation after he has turned forty years of age will not get another in a hurry. The policy of many foremen seems to be to use up the men fast, and discharge them to make room for more. Oh God! that bread should be so dear, And flesh and blood so cheap!  I think I have shown you clearly that causes are at work every day that must make poverty a chtonic disease. " The poor shall never cease out of the land." Now let me ask you to consider very carefully  11. -