The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-06-19

"A Voice From the Pulpit.
1t is very seldom that minister
of the gospel finds time, in these
degenerate days, to put in plea for
the working classes. AS general
thing the church worships the gold
en- calf as devoutly as it pretends to
worship the religion of Jesus Christ.
Men like Beecher, DIR. John Hall
and Josephus Cook are fair repre-
sentatives of the clergymen of our
day. They are the apologists for
all that is bad and oppressive in our
legislation. They uphold the rail
road kings, stock gamblers and
monopolists. This is sweeping, but
it is true. Has not Beecher de-
clared that bread and water is a
good enough diet for workingmen
and that laborer who would pro-
test deserves to be imprisoned? Has
not John Hall, the recipient of a
salary of twenty thousand dollars a
year and who breaches in million
dollar edifice, declared that there is
no cause for complaint on the part
of the working classes, and that the
tramp law, which puts a man in the
States prison for begging crust of
bread and cup of water, is meas
ure Of Christian virtue? Has not
Joseph Cook denounced the new
Constitution of California as the
"handiwcrk of Communists" be-
cause it makes stock gambling a
crime and drove the gamblers to
New York? We might go on and
quote more of what these men, and
others as distinguished in the pulpit,
have said in denunciation of the ef-
forts of honest men to throttle mon
opoly and put an end to schemes
which rob labor. a.
Why do we say that the church
upholds these men? Where is the
proof some may ask. 1t abounds
on every hand. Rev. DR.. De La
Matyr was denied pulpit in Maine
because he is an ardent advocate of
labor's rights. DR.. Noble was
driven from this city because he
was too plain spoken. Rev. l. S.
Kalloch of San Francisco has been
bounded to the point of death be-
cause of his sympathy for the peo-
pie. Social ostracism is the doom
of the clergyman who dares assail
the monopolists and public plumber
ers. All the religious journals of
the country join with the organs Of
the money power in denouncing the
champions of the working classes.
AT a recent meeting of Baptist
ministers at Patterson, New Jersey,
Rev. G. Lockwood read an essay
on "Christ's Method of Reaching
the Working Glasses, and our Duty
Toward Them" For his noble ut
terances he has been denounced as
a demagogue, and has suffered in
his social standing. Mr.. Lockwood
maintains that the clergy generally
are not reaching the working peo-
pie. The mechanic is ostracised or
patronized. The difficulty of sus-
tanning appearances, and the con-
sequent growth of class feeling, is
the question to be solved. The la
Dor question is involved, and is the
question of the day. The evils ex-
listing are the heartless cunning of
organized capital, the inhuman
trickery of spectators and monop-
lists, who take advantage of the ex-
tremities of the poor. Against this
is opposed brute force, unreasoning
and unorganized power, which feels
its wrongs, and mutters and groans
under the burden, ready, when en-
durance is put to too great strain,
to rise and seize its opponents by
the throat. The essayist analysed
Christ's method of treating the
poor. 1t was not systematic theol-
ogy nor intricate metaphysics that
He laid as a burden on the minds
of the people. He never acted the
sycophant to wealth, and never es-
timated the value of Disciple by
the amount of money he brought
to the bag that Judas carried. He
was content to draw the riff raft
around him. He never became the
trumpet that sounded the deed of
aims, except the widows mite His
method might have been styled
Communism in those days.
"Why do l say these things?"
Asked Mr.. Lockwood. Because
there is trying duty before us; to
meet with all the moral power we
possess. the sin and oppression of
corporations, the inhumanity of
monopolies, and the organized self
ishness of capital. The facts are
that men in Paterson work seven
days in a week, and are allowed
five hours for sleep out of every
twenty four; there are girls of
tender years who stand twelve and
fourteen hours at counters and
looms, eking out their scanty wages
at the sacrifice of health and life;
there are children who should be
at school and at play who from
morn till night are kept on the
treadmill In our stores, learning ONLY