THE BROTHERHOOD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1253, 9 October 1911, Page 5

THE BROTHERHOOD.

o ADDRESS BY SIR ROBERT STOUT. Yesterday afternoon, at the New Theatre, under tho auspices of the Men's Brotherhood, Sir Robert Stout delivered an address on \"The Ideals of Brotherhood."

Sir Robert declared that there must be a plan of life, and that unless wo observed this necessary rule our race would pass away just as other races had passed. There were races once of which there was not now one single representative alive—Tasmania'e race, for instnnce. They had not fought the battle of life. Tho white race would pass away if it was not morally alive and socially fit. Therefore, we had to have a plan. When it was said that there must be equal rights it did not mean that men and women were equal. They were not equal. Even earning a living was beyond 6ome of them; they could not bring up a family; they could not keep themselves; they were oaroles9 towards their neighbour; they were unmoral, if, not non-moral. Compare these men with the great scientists —tho inventor of wireless telegraphy, Pasteur, and so on, and it would do 6een that tho equality of men was a thesis that could not bo maintained. But they wero entitled to equal rights before the law. An absoluto essential was freedom. The greatest men were found whore freedom reigned; it was tho very breath of the problem of humanity. There was another olass of person. St. Paul—however they might disagrco about his theologywas ono of the greatest men whom tho world has ever seen, and ho laid down tho law of 6elf-sacrifice for tho benefit of the woaker. Some could not stand temptation,i Some could not withstand drink, and if tho self-sacrifice would result saving on 9 weak man wo should be will" ing to give up drink. Among tho weaklings in tho slums thero wero bright little faces to bo found, and tho hard thing for thoso who saw those faces was the knowledge that thoso bright children wero condemned to a life of misery. But (as Browning had said) beneath tho veriest ash there hid a spark from which it was yet possiblo to produco a great flame.

Our race must look to tho future, continued the speaker, and it was only tho races which did so that would continuo to exist. . Sir William R&msay had calculated thai, in time to coma, thero would not 1)0 a ton of coal left in England, and what would become of Ler industries then? England had not, for instance, the water-power which New Zealand had, and instead of 40 millions of people she might not bo able to support a few millions. Thrift was necessary, and yet there was much unnecessary waste. He liked to see tho working man full of pleasure after his work, but alcohol was not pleasure: it was a deadly thing. Tobacco was not necessary- What 1 was tho nation that won in the end? Not tho nation with the best guns! Emerson had said long ago that intelligent men managing the industries was the ideal. Get every citizen to feel that the future of tho race depends partly on him, ami not upon the actions of tho City Council or seme other tuch body. There was no hope for tho race Unfal they could get ever}' individual to say that he would perform no action in lifo except that his action should bo a law of life. It was in looking to the future in order that the race to como might lead a better lifo that true brotherhood lay.

In tho courso of a reply to a question, tho lecturer said that ho knew that tobacco acted as a sedative to old men, but it was tho habit of the younir men loafing about tho streets smoking: cigarettes, and standing reading the results of tho last race, that seemed so bad. Why did not (heso young men raid good books and employ their minds bettor? Studies wore not regarded by tho young as so important as tboy wcro by the youth of his dav. Young men who did not ta,ko interest in something intellectual would spend a barren old oge; those who did would havo a bank wliich' could not break.