Year: 1869

Capital and Labor-Lecture by Henry Edgar


mt Plimpton Hall.


Some thirty persons, including two ladies. aasem'
bed at eleven O'Clock yesterday morning at Piimpfon
Hall to hear that special champion OF the religion OF
humanity Ont. Henry Edgar and American men,
Der OF the Position Council at Paris lecture on the
subject Of "Capital and Labor"


Introductory to the lecture was brief epitome Of
the present condition OF society. After recountng
the predomn evils of the present social fabric he
took the ground that the remedy for these evils Is
really more moral than political. The fact that our
public offices are filled by men without honor
or principle, by the vilest scoundrels, in fact,
he insisted, Is not because there are no good and
honorable men in the community. These men do
exist and In large numbers The only difficulty is to
find them out and to get them to accept ONCE. Good
men. happily are obtained for some positions, and
the beneficial results very observant Take, for
instance. the Park. Its afrairs are managed with
perfect proDity, with judgment and with public
spirit. The same wise and honest admin straton
showed itself in their conduct during the war; OF the
Sanitary Commission After talking for some time
In this general way he proceeded TO show that the
great difficulty the great source in fact OF most OF
the POLITICAL social and moral evils atctlng society
the true mutual relation Of capital and labor was
he urged, question alone OF pure duty,
rather nan autsor the ,enabvq qaoIes Ss
proposition. Nothing in this world is more painful
tnai to see q stout aud hearty man willing to WORK,
and having Others dependent on him, and yet unable
to obtain employment. Whose fault was thisf 1t
could not be the mans fault for he was willing and
labor would Settle the di1icuty in elucdating this
point the metaphysical myst'csms OF the Old French
writers OF socialism were largely induged in and In
the enforcement Of Ills conclusions was accomplished
like result of unintcgible obscur,ty. In connec
ton with this subject he also INDUCED in rhapsodc
euogy of the oden martyrs TO what he called truth
and duty, and particularly during the period OF the
French revolution. Having finished this divergence
constituted lair for fair days work
This, he claimed, was result 10 he determined more
by might Than right; AS 70 abstract rights, they
entitled ali he had the strength to claim and


force. TO put toward these claims and sustain them
laboring men must put aside the abstract principle
OF rIgbt and come up to the teachings of POSITIVE
philosophy. This was the only solution OF the prob
lem Employer and employe are socially co-ope.
ratve. These relations spring from tue natural
laws Of social organism. The religion OF humanity
was the only religion that acknowledged
entitled TO social position. These other churches
quietly winked at expressions and outrages
and the poor and laborna classes the yiciins'
On the contrary, their church. founded upon the
religion OF humanity, sought to elevate the Ia
borer to the same platform with the capitalist
sought TO make them feel that the same link OF eter
nal brotherhood united them and that their destnies
were one and inseparable lie went on 10 show tlat
q change IN society would be effected by tue growing
uniyersay oi this broad creed OF humanity. Posi-
tive philosophy and its great practical teachings
were the great and only remedies tnat could restore
order and harmony from the presnt chaos and
confusion and clashing Of opposing interests.
Lack Of the hign teachings OF this philosophy, lao
urged, filed Congress with dishonest men and gave
birth TO all the speculative schemes OF spoliaton
that were running the country. The same lack OF
those teachings placed criminals on the bench OF
justice instead OF IN the prisoners dock. and IN fact
reversed what should be the order OF things giving
wealth and place and power 70 the dishonest anu
making menials and slaves OF the pure and noble
and upright In conclusion he drew graphic pic
ture Of his ideal OF the world IN that epoch In the
future when positive philosophy Will be the ruling
guide OF life and the religion Of humanity
the dominant religion. THIS was the great
millennium OF which writers had enSwriting
and preachers preaching through so many long
centuries. The dawn Of this millennium had at
length begun to show itself. Faint and feeble and
rckerlng streaks OF light revealed themselves now,
but they would grow more distinct aad broader,
and higher and clearer, till reaching the perfection
of uOOu-dAy.