Year: 1878

From the New York Heraldl


Prof. Felix Adler in his discourse on
the "social question" said that nothing
seemed to him more irreligious than the
doctrine of the depravity of the human
heart. On the contrary. mans heart
was generally good, as mankind had ais
ways loved those who were able to read
the riddles of their souls. True, there
was evil in human nature, but the world
now had reached that condition where
it could point the finger directly at it,
and it was colossal selfishness.' If
liberalism meant anything at all 1t was
to devise new means and new measures
to assault this common enemy--selfsh-
ness. Often he had alluded in his lee
lures to the high esteem in which he
held the Hebrew prophets. and this was
simply because they had the hardihood
and the courage TO stand up before the
mobiles of Jerusalem and denounce them
for their practices in robbing the peo-
pie and proffers to bring their sacrifices
to the priests. 1t was the same in this
country when culture and refinement,
only few years ago, ranged themselves
on the side of the national crime of
slavery. and when a few brave men
real children of the prophets - de,
nounced the crime wherever they coald.
"New children of the prophets" were
now wanted in the pulpits Of the coun>
try to cry out, "Thou art false! and
institute religion of life; draw away
the veil that hides the spots of our so~
cial life and inquire whether the natu-
raj and inalienable rights granted to the
American people by their great charter
of independence were truly enjoyed by
them. These rights were comprised in
the grand sentence of Life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. As to the
two first, they had been successful. The
people enjoyed them to very great
extent. Life was as secure here as in
any other part of the world, and Amer
leans enjoyed far greater degree of
liberty than the people of Europe.
Pursuit of happiness, however, which
the government had also undertaken to
guarantee to the people, was not suc>
cessful. 1t was only few years ago
that it was considered an axiom in this
country that a man here could help
himself if he wanted to. The people
now know better. Thousands to-day
were willing to work in this new land,
but there was no work. Great popula-
tions were suffering. and pauperism
stalked through the land. There evil
IDENTIFY was something wrong. We were
told that every one might attain suc>
cess if he was industrious, persevering
and energetic; but, much as these quail
ities led to success, they did not secure
it. The avenues of opportunity were
closed to many of them. Any amount
of talent was lost by the want of oppor-
tunity. The brilliant few who succeed
in this life were heard of. but the futile
efforts of thousands equally talented
were not remembered.


The uncertainty of labor was worse
than low wages. 1t was that which led
to shiftlessness; it was that which led
to an unwholesome state of mind and
brought about more Of the intemper-
ance 80 much heard of than anything
else. It was the INCONSISTENCY of en-
ployment that filed the dramshops, and
he knew none of his hearers would
throw the first stone at man who came
home late at nights overworked, seeing
his wife in misery, his children jaded.
his room cold and cheerless, AID his
work uncertain for the morrow. if he
went to warm himself in the dramshop.
"Put yourself in his place." was the
demand he would make upon those who
instituted the recent crusade against
liquor. How much better indeed would
it have been if, in connection with the
recent crusade, few hundred warm,
cheerful reading rooms had been open'd
in this city, ard he for one would de-
sire to see those churches that had
urged on this crusade throw open their
empty, gorgeous buildings six nights in
the week for the benefit of the work.
ingman. All he desired was that the
right hand of fellowship should be sx-
tended to the workingman. No degra-
dation, no fine spun patronage, but
right down fellowship. He knew the
Society of Ethical Culture could NOT do
much. but it could give the new direcs
ton to the true religion that was re-
quired of man to-day. "Help, help"
was their system. Help, help" Was
their religion. Educate the masses and
there would be less workingmen to care
for. It was true that in discussing
these questions some people feared that
the red flag of Communism might be
raised; but society was not mad bull,
to be frenzied by any such imaginary
rag. Their aim was to lift mankind up
70 nobler plane and to give. if only a
direction toward that pursuit of happi-
ness which as yet had not been suc>