Our Dangerous Classes by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 17, 1879

Our Dangerous Classes.

By Editor

THE following article, under the above head, we take from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. This is one of the ablest and most influential papers west of the Atlantic sea-board, and the extracts which it offers, as well as its own remarks, are well worthy of our consideration. It says:—

“Seven years ago Mr. C. L. Brace issued a work, replete with statistics, entitled ‘The Dangerous Classes of New York City.’ Some of his conclusions and predictions have been borne out by such authority as the reports of the New York Prison Association. One of the latest of these reports ventures upon the strong and startling statement that ‘the number of persons who live in crime, and make a vocation of some line of criminal life in the city of New York, and in several of the cities in this State, increases more rapidly than the population.’ A still later report more moderately says: ‘The increase of crime is shown by the census of the penal institutions to be assuming very serious aspects.’ These reports and the book referred to, limit their investigations to a comparatively narrow field. The April number of the American Catholic Quarterly Review gives the subject the widest consideration under the head of the ‘Rapid Increase of the Dangerous Classes in the United States.’

“The author concentrates many minor causes in the proposition that the increasing irreligion of the poorer classes is seen to be at the bottom of almost all the increase of crime. The Communistic organizations, ramifying throughout the country, will involve many, and will bring untold woe on all. The pauperism that fifty years ago was almost unknown in America, swarms the country with vagrants, from which school come by the thousand criminals of every kind. In the old time, each town was a little community, contented, self-supporting. Now, the rural population depends on the great cities. Nothing is woven or spun on the farm; no furniture or implements made in the village. Even supplies of food, raised in the same county, must come from town. The sons of the farmer and the mechanic disdain to follow the avocations of their fathers. The education of a family becomes a fearful burden compared with former days; children are dreaded, not welcomed. The young men are educated to feel above trade. They crowd our cities, overstock the professions and the houses of commerce. With little moral strength, they enter the race, where scheming and sharp-dealing take the lead. Peculation, fraud and forgery lure many on, until they sink to the lowest depths of moral degradation, even if they escape punishment.

“The author thinks the collegiate institutions established under the auspices of the State, and not of Protestant denominations, are not only absolutely unchristian in their tendency, but that the course of study in the State institutions is in no respect a suitable preparation for a life of toil. Crime is as natural as disease among poor emigrants crowded into tenement-houses, where a large percentage of the younger criminals begin life. Besides the regular emigration of honest people, there is a steady criminal emigration. Some European States have actually endeavored to empty their prisons on our shores. The professional criminals of the whole civilized world would make New York a rendezvous. Yet 61 per cent of the prisoners in the penitentiaries during 1877 were native born; and the author finds domestic influences which encourage criminal tendencies in the Oneida Community, Chinese heathenism, Mormonism, and the unchecked sale of liquor.

“Costly and luxuriant churches, with fashionable clergymen, have alienated the poorer and lower strata of society, until religion, in practice and theory, is fast dying out among them. The author sees nothing commendable in the assumed fact that Mr. Talmage’s associates in the ministry prided themselves on knowing nothing of the great ulcer of vice which is striking at the very vitals of our American social system.”

It would be some relief to the darkness of this picture if its outlines were confined to this country. But it is not so. Every great nation is in the same condition. There may be as little appearance of it in England as in any nation, but it is well known that the reverence for royalty is far less in that realm than it formerly was, and the stringency of the times, greater in England than elsewhere, creates dissatisfaction among the masses. The people have lost confidence in the statesmanship of Beaconsfield, and are out-spoken in condemnation of the Zulu war. Indeed, they were much dissatisfied with that in Afghanistan. The sight of one of the most powerful nations of the earth making war on petty provinces, instead of inaugurating reforms at home which might keep her people from starvation, is not one pleasant to behold. If Beaconsfield could offer a reason for his course, he might remember that starving people do not stop for reasons.

The certain failure of the crops in England this season, will largely increase the suffering and discontent.

France is always tainted with communism, which comes to the surface whenever opportunity offers. We wish her Republic well, but think lasting peace far from being assured.

Prussia came out of her last war covered with military glory. But in the midst of all this glory was plainly to be seen a strong aversion to the policy of the government. The people did not like war. Few rulers, with such success, bringing such glory to the nation’s army, have lost popularity as fast as Bismarck. Socialism finds a generous and well-prepared soil in which to grow in Prussia, and it is doubtful whether she could safely engage in another war. France might soon turn the tide against her if socialism continues to increase as it has during the last decade.

Russia, that wonderful colossus, whose very name has been a symbol of strength and power for a long time, has undergone a great and sudden change. The boast of her rulers was in the devotion and unquestioning obedience of their subjects. But a reaction has taken place, and now all authority is held in contempt. If the strength of a nation is in the loyalty of its people, then is Russia to-day one of the weakest nations of the earth. Nihilism is everywhere; it is all-pervading. Under the strictest guard the Czar finds nihilist proclamations even in his bed-chamber. In the most public places, with every officer on the alert, incendiary publications are found posted in the morning. And nihilism in Russia means murder, robbery, and burning. Every public building is in danger of the torch; every officer is in danger of assassination.

Pestilence and famine are not so terrible as what has lately been characterized as “the epidemic of crime.” The papers are freighted with tales of deeds of horror. We do not note them because we do not wish to fill our columns with such a dark record. And in the midst of the fearful scene, there comes an almost united cry from the “watchmen of Zion,” that “All is well!” “Peace and safety.” “To-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.” Little do they realize that the Lord has spoken of these days; that he says “when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them.” Before the harvest of the earth is reaped, the Lord commands to prepare war—to wake up the nations. Joel 3:9-16. But blind guides of the blind are prophesying peace—that the nations shall soon be converted, and the world is fast growing better! We pity their blindness, but more we pity those who are blindly misled by popular preachers of popular fables.

Let the servants of God “cry aloud and spare not.” The world must be warned, for destruction is impending. Satan is working, and the people love his deceptions. Let us then, be earnest to “Rescue the perishing.”