The Gavelyte, December 1908

170 Tim !~.A \'l~LYTF,, to rlestroy them, is dt,,generation. The dPsire for wealth hold:; so prominent a µlace in our ment;:il v1s1on, that we are blind to existing conditione . It is a dark lantern, which throws the li!!;ht on one ide of the question only. It often requires years to con– vince men that there is another side and that often their wealth is produced by nn,0ther's wrnng · The growing of cotton for markr t of Englanrl became so profitable an industry, that slavery was introduced to aid in its production. When the question came "Is slavery right or wrong?" The "outh replied, "We must raise cotton". It took years to convinPe the people that slavery wa wrong and frePdom wns right. The tinie came when slavery was abolished by the sacrifice of the blood of this nation. r o one at present desires its restor– ation and God has blessed this nation ever since. The ever increasing !1se of machinery in all lines of production creates a demand for trained minds, skilled hands and sour,d nerves. It is the duty· of every employer to see that these qualities are retained by the bet1t sanitary cor.dition po sible. He should consider, not the wealth produced for him by the~e laborers, but the great responsibility of human life com– mitted to his rare. The colossal fortunes, which he may acquire or the large donations given to great institutions, will never compensate for the loss of health or human life resulting from hi neglect. The injuri ,•t1 and deaths cau ed by the burning and explosion of minPs arid aceidents by unprotected machinery are enormous. We read daily of these accident, with a shudder a we think of the suffering and µrivation thPy cause. We give little or no thought to a curse, which i r;)bbing this nation of her manhood an<l womanhood, which cau~e~ more deaths, sorrows and misery, than the negligence of both mine and factory - the cur.e of in– temperance; a me(lace which is the direct cause of the greater part uf the crime, imm,)rality and insanity in thi . country; a curse which ciraws men to it as with threads of golrl, but at la. t they become bound as with chains of iron . It robs wivPs of llusLandi:;, an<l children of parents, and churches of members. But unfortunately thi..; is a bu ines. which yields large returns A traffic, whose only Hrgument i. , the immense revenue in money which it pays· to our goverrment. But ,Yhat doe' C1Ur governmPnt give in return? A double price in life, liberty and happines.. I