All cry out upon the instability of our social organization, about
the exceptional situation, about revolutionary tendencies. Where
lies the root of all this? To what do the revolutionists point? To
poverty, to inequality in the distribution of wealth. To what do the
conservatives point? To the decline in moral principle. If the
opinion of the revolutionists is correct, what must be done? Poverty
and the inequality of wealth must be lessened. How is this to be
effected? The rich must share with the poor. If the opinion of the
conservatives is correct, that the whole evil arises from the decline
in moral principle, what can be more immoral and vicious than the
consciously indifferent survey of popular sufferings, with the sole
object of cataloguing them? What must be done? To the census we
must add the work of affectionate intercourse of the idle and
cultivated rich, with the oppressed and unenlightened poor.

Science will do its work, let us perform ours also. Let us do this.
In the first place, let all of us who are occupied with the census,
superintendents and census-takers, make it perfectly clear to
ourselves what we are to investigate and why. It is the people, and
the object is that they may be happy. Whatever may be one's view of
life, every one will agree that there is nothing more important than
human life, and that there is no more weighty task than to remove the
obstacles to the development of this life, and to assist it.

This idea, that the relations of men to poverty are at the foundation
of all popular suffering, is expressed in the Gospels with striking
harshness, but at the same time, with decision and clearness for all.

"He who has clothed the naked, fed the hungry, visited the prisoner,
that man has clothed Me, fed Me, visited Me," that is, has done the