The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-12-23
miscellaneous.
REV. I. DEWITT TALMAGED
WORK.
Relations OF Employer and EmPlOye
so Many Pieces Of silver For So
Beads Of Sweat.
BJEcr-EMpLoYER TO EMPLOYEES.

SUBJECT EMPLOYER TO EMPLOYEES.
Text-Ruth 2:4-"Boaz came from
Bethlehem and said unto the reapers,
The Lord be with you and they an
swered him, The Lord bless thee
Every nation has different mode Of
salutation. The Moors ride at full run
toward stranger. Persian greets Per
sian with, "Is thy exalted high condition
good?" The Turk, MAY thy shadow
not be removed from our head" The
Poles, "Art thou gay2" The old Roman
"Be healthy; be strong" In my text we
have the greeting of wealthy employer
to his hard working employees. Boaz
came out among the reapers. He might
have been harsh and Censorious and
fault finding. No. There we're kind.
ness, courtesy, geniality and sympathy
in his greeting.
The whole tendency of our times is to
make the chasm between employer and
employe wider and wider--to make the
employe feel somehow that the success
of the capitalist is wrong to himself,
and to make the capitalist feel that the
employe is a mere beast of burden; or,
"I pay you so much money for so much
drudgery." The bridge of sympathy is
broken down at both ends. What we
now most need for the betterment Of all
is to rebuild the bridge of sympathy. To-
day preach the last sermon of my life
to employers as such.
Let me say to the commercial firms,
to owners of factories, to master build.
ers, to capitalists, to housewives, it is
your duty to be interested in the entire
welfare of your subordinates. Years
ago some one gave three rules for be-
coming millionaires: First, you must
devote your life to the getting and keep
ing of other mems earnings; second, you
must care little or nothing about other
mems wants, sufferings or disappoint-
ments; third, you must not mind thSt
great wealth involves many others pow
erty. But few men would have the heart
to adopt these rules beforehand. In or.
der to worldly success, take it for gran
ted that you all want to do your duty to
the men and women in your service.
First, pay them all the wages your busi-
ness will afford them. You have right
to take into consideration the extreme
painstaking through which you have
gathered the capital by which you es'
tablished your business; that you take
all the risk, and your employe no risk.
Consider we'll all matters, then pay all
that is reasonable. Do not be too hasty
to cut down wages. AS far as possible
pay promptly, and pay all. THERE'S en-
phatic Bible teaching on this subject.
Malachi, II will be swift witness against
those that oppress the hireling in his
wages" Col: Masters, give unto your
servants that which is just AID equal"
You see it is not merely a matter be.
tween you and your workmen, but be-
tween you and God. Do not say, "If
you do not like it here go and do better
elsewhere" when you know he can get
no better place. 1t would be well for
you to go at least once year and see all
your clerks and workmen at their homes
That is the only way you can understand
their wants. You will find some ofthem
having sickness in their families; others
in poorly ventilated and uncomfortable
houses. You will see how much de-
pends upon the salary or wages yeu pay
or withhold. When on Saturday you go
into your courtroom to draw the check
that will bring the money for the salaries
and wages, you will feel more satisfac
ton when you feel it is not merely so
many dollars to the young man, but it is
relief of the dire necessities that stand
back of him. Moreover, you can advise
him about Investments, life insurance
and savings banks. Give him the ad-
vantage of your long experience. There
are in the United States and England in.
stitutions where employers on a large
scale have directed the financial pros
perity of hundreds. Such men as Ash.
worth of Turton; Marshall of Leeds; Lis.
ter of Bradford, and many so near home
it might be offensive to their modesty TO
mention their names. Such men estab-
lished reading rooms, libraries, and gym
nasiums for their employees. In such ca
ses the employer pays not only the wa.
ges for that week or that month, but
through the Contentment and thrift and
good morals of the employees, will pay
their wages for successive generations
and forever.
Again, / counsel employers to be care.
ful OF the physical health OF their en-
ployes. You ought better than they to
understand the Importance of ventilation
and sunlight and the laws of hygiene.
There are many business houses where
the atmosphere is death. Sometimes
the employ may not appreciate it, as in
the instance named by Charles Rvade,
where the manufacturer provided fans
for blowing away the dust from the mar.
BILE, caused by the swift saws; the work.
men refused to use the heathf1l preven-
ton, and continued inhaliDg the dust.
But if all employees do not appreciate
your efforts for their health, some will.
In order to their health put upon them
no unnecessary fatigues. l never could |
why the drivers on our city
cars stand all day, when they could sit
and drive just as we'll. There is no rea
son why the female clerks in our cities
may not sit down when not actively en-
gagged. At the close of the week and the