Year: 1873

Dr. Lyman Beeche used to say "Nev-
er run after lie, for it will run faster
than you can" The same is true of a
newspaper error, and, therefore, | never
correct errors once in print, but rely on
the good sense of my readers to under
stsnd what was meant. But for the
sake of others, l am tempted to correct
a curious error which occurred a few days
since in the printign of my article on the
''Great Questions Of, the Day" ! said
that Greg Goldwin Smith and ohm Rus
kin had been writing on "culpable luxu-
ry," which the printer generally correct)
made culpable lunacyr' Those gentle
men would be astonished to find that
they had written upon what the world
had not yet discovered! Let that go
But those writers agree, and so must
every sensible man, that there is such a
thing as "culpable luxury" 1t is poor
dodge, an utter fallacy, to set up the COM
mon excuse that the people who wear
rich silks, buy string of jewelry, run
fast horses, build expensive cottages on
the sea shore, keep ten servants, and live
on the fat of the land are right, because
they make work for poor people! In
stead of making work for poor people,
the masses Of the people grow poor, as
the few grow rich. England is a signal
example of this; so much SO, that Rus
kin says that it is a country to be asham-
ed Of Free trade, which so many people
howl about, has increased and aggraz
waited all the evils of feudal estates. The
free traders point to the increase of i'm
ports and exports as evidences of pros
perity, while every million of that aggre-
gate takes away from the independence
of the country and the comfort of the la
borer. The food of England comes
from Russia and America, while the poor
miner gets meat but once q week, and
his barefooted wife and children must
work with him in the mine. Every poor
ragged child, every ignorant laborer,
every wretched hoYel is conclusive eyi-
dence' that the shoddy millionaire has
got what don't belong to him. Why don t
belong to him? Reoanse it is not the re-
suit of honest labor nor of t4nd which he
honestly acquired. 1t is the result of
wrong, or Of the rents of land he never
Inherited, or of labor oyertaXed and bur-
dened for his sake. These are serious
truths, and the world has come to that
point in which it inquiries whether this
is a necessity of society, or whether it is
not the crime of society. Hence it is that
the labor associations, the internationals,
the Communists, the Co-operatives,
and similar societies are formed. The
means they use may sometimes be nei-
ther wise nor right, but they are aiming
at righteous end, and as sure as the
sun rises they will be successful, though
the fight may be long and hard. 1t is
worth while for Croesus to recognize this
fact. The men who make the wealth OF
this world will not only inquire how
Croesus useS his wealth, but how he got
it.


There is a culpable luxury, and no
man who reads the New Testament can
doubt that this is the great sin of the
| age And that brings me to what is the
real SIN OF CONGRESS-, The newspapers in
condemning Congress for the salary
steal" (for hard as that term is it was
true,) have only touched upon half the
| subject, and condemned half the sin.
What was. that sin? The newspapers are
content to speak of the gross and more
| obvious part, such as voting themselves a
double salary for a term for which they
were elected under another salary which
was open and palpable stealiRgj and for
! voting themselves, double the salary
which the most respectable and even
wealthy people live upon. All this was
a gross, open, and palpable sin-a viola
1 ton not only of morals, but of public de-
1 cency This the newspapers denounce.
| But there was, in my opinion, far great
er sin than even these, gross as they were.
| 1t is the crime against the republio-the
scrime of violating the first principles up
on which the American or any other re-
public is founded. 1t was impossible in
ancient times and it is impossible now, to


maintain republican government
without economy, frHgality, and simplici


ty. The old Democratic party founded
by jefferson, had at least that merit. 1t
was strictly honest, just. and economical


1t knew and tried to practice the just


principles of republican government
But we have fallen upon evil times The


great Republican party, which has Sc
much of merit, and so much of success


refuses, at least did il the last Congress


to stand upon republican principles. II


will be for the conventions of the party


this year to vindicate itself, and wash its
hands forever-not from what Tom, Dick


or Harry may call corruption" (for much


of that is mere exaggeration), but from


the yiolatiap Of republican principles The


Republican conventions so far have spo


ken loud and fair; but they must do 81


everywhere and do it not so mucf


against individuals as against the princi


pie which the last Congress endeavoret
f. to establish, which, if established, will a


the end Of half century leave this re


public as great a wreck as were those o
Greece and Rome.


To understand this clearly, it is onll