QUACK SOCIAL REMEDIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1696, 12 March 1913, Page 4

QUACK SOCIAL REMEDIES.

» POLITICIANS' "CARDINAL ERROR.'' A striking was preached before a crowded congregation by the Very Kev. Dean Stephen at St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, on March 2. ■ The sermon was ono of a Lenten series arranged by the Social Questions Committee of Synod.

The Dean drew an analogy between quack medicines and the political, or semipolitical quack, social cure-all or panacea. We might recognise, he said, that must men really believe that the reforms tney advocated were for the good of tho State. Nevertheless, tho fact remained that many of the social reforms so hotly u.'ged were quack remedies. They professed to cur© too many diseases, and "they dealt with symptoms' rather than with causes of disease." Referring to Socialism, tho Dean said that a lnrge and increasing number of citizens' believed that in it •they had "the one sufficient euro for the evils that afflict society." It was to thwii a matter almost of religion. But, he urged, "let us assume that Socialism has been somewhere completely and successfully established. Still, it v.<uld leave the State a prey to social d'sease. I'or one thing, it would impose a great strain, a greater strain than at present; on the character- of tho citizens. It would demand, qualities which are not, much in evidence as yet. Men would have to work as hard as ever, merely from a sense of duty, when tho stimulus of tho fear of starvation was removed. They would have to bo obedient to authority, even though these authorities were of their own choosing. They must submit to direction in matters where they prefe' to-be independent. They must put the claims of the oommunity before those of class or family or self. Every thinking man agrees that Socialism could only survive if the character of the citizens wero immensely improved. And yet there is nothing in it to cause this immense improvement." Finally the Dean contended lhat, wliile all these remedies "may be good to a certain extent," they fail to touch the roots of social disease, because the character of men will never be perfected by external treatment only. "You may put men in a better environment." he said, "yon may giro them more money or loss money, you may alter the conditions of their work and the nature of their work; you may remove the hindrances and temptations from their path; you may pass laws to close hotels or forbid people to bet; you may make it less difficult for them fo live rightly. As you may say, you may give the man a chance. But after all it is only a chance to show what he is by nature, and if the nature is diseased, whatever you may do to the man's environment you won't- cure tho man."

It was the cardinal error of the "merely secular politician," the preacher added, that if outward conditions were perfected, human nature would be perfected. The Christian religion claimed that for the radical fault in human nature, which was tlio cause of all the varied forms of social disease, there was only one remedy, and that a supernatural one. "Christianity does not undervalue the partial remedies and palliatives that are applied fiom time to time. She welcomes all reforms and improvements, and, in fact, inspires them. But the onlv radical and lasting cure is the life of Christ flowing into our human life."