The Labor enquirer., 1883-10-27

another OF his sermons on labor and cap
ital. but, like his former efforts on this
subject, be ofnits any mention of the
duties of the capitalist. 1T is useless TO-
attempt review of this last one-sided
effusionF Of tile gentleman. AS has be-
fore been stated in The ENau1RER, DR..
Moofe, like nine-tenths of the divines in
this country who hayeI assayed lengthy
opinions on the subject, shows a deplora-s
BILE lack of sknowledge. II
The reverend gentlemen admit that
there Is something out of place bv their
eagerness to discuss the subject, but nine
cut Of teh4of them jump at their conclu-
sions from an investigation of one side
of the matter, without making a proper
effort to hear and become familiar with
the other Nearly every sermon
preached on the subject shows. when
they are not capitalisticaliy sycophantic,
that only the rich man has been con-
suited or heard. = / H.{5 II i d
The working classes complain Of injus-
tice. To determine the justice of their
claim they should be allowed to testify.
AS it is the only argument produced by
DR.. Moore and his kind, is W hat the
capitalists and employers have used since
the question was first raised.
In his last burlesque the gentleman
who poses as teacher in morality, JUS
tiee and truth, initiates the example, of
the mammoth enemy of labor, Joe
Medill, and lays the suffering of the poor
to their own "improvidence," By way
of illustrating this idiotlc theory, DR..
Moore takes an employe Of the Denver
and Rio Grande shops and carries him
from a penniless laborer through ten
years of rigid economy and selfdenial
and lands him at the end of the decade
in aeozy and comfortable dwelling of
his own, situated on two valuable city
lots, surrounded by all the comforts of
life, and the possessor of an elegant row
of tenement houses, which bring him in
an annual rental of 5000. z4s -
This Utopian story gets its rootin the.
idea that "the average wages of the Den
yer and Rio Grande shops are $3.50 per
day." Here is the first evidence of the
gentlemans ignorance of things right
under his nose The average wages Of
the employees of the institution cited, in
stead of being $3.50 per day are less than
$l75. But admitting wage of $3.50, to
carry out the reverend's plan, the work
ingman would be obliged to work every
day in the year, except Sunday-such
things as lay-ofs, sickness or accidents
not to be thought of. He would be com
PEELED to live in absolute squalor, deny
himself all recreation and instruction.
Literature, lectures and all kinds Of in
structive entertainments could not be
given thought His fare would have
to be of the very coarsest, his raiment
the most ragged and sloven and his
whole being completely detected.
After our miser had accumulated few
dollqrs hewould according to DR.. Moore,
have to become usurer of the coldest
stripe loan his savings at rate of in
terest which any true apostle of Christ
ought to condemn. And when he be-
comes the owner of a tenement he must
charge his former associates rental
that is simply thieving and which will
keep the best paid mechanic forever
poor, if he has family to house.
This summary is not exaggerated. 1t
is honestly taken from the divine's own
assertions clothed in plain, unvarnished
words.
In conclusion, ! desire to ask Dr.
Moore if his, income doesn't average
twice $3.50 per day and if his accumula-
tions show that his theory is practicable {?
Or, perhaps, the doctor is one of the
"improvident" kind. May be he likes
good things to eat, comfortable clothing
instructive books and little pleasure
occasionally. High priced peddIers of a
fayorlte brand Of religion will please at
tend to their focks andlook after their
heavenly welfare, and allow the wage
workers to carve out their own earthly
salvation, after the fashion of which they
are the most competent judges.