St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-21
A Practical Sermon in the Labor and Cap
ital Series by the Rev. John s.
Scudder.
Business Steadily Increasing in the Realty
Trade, as Indicated by the
Reviews.
Nevada Arrives and is in Good Health
and Spirits Lauding
Parneu.
Events of the Coming Week--Sport-
ing News of All Sorts--Gen-
eraI Local.
PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY.
Rev. J. L. Scudder Upon Labor and
Legislation.

Government can Go for the Nottingham.
He prefaced his lecture by reading the
prophecy of Isaiah, remarking that he De-
lieved that the golden age is yet to come,
and that when these principles OF the Loru
get into business there will be better tlhes.
He took for his text portion OF the MIN
verse of the third chapter OF LUKE
The crooked shall be made straight, and the
rough ways shall be made smootn'
There is a growing feeling, he said. that
there is an economic injustice; that our own
present laws largely favor the men who al
readv nossess wealth, and in substance say,
che that hath to him shall be given, and he
that hath not, from him shall De taken even
that he hath" Millions are piling noun
tain high in the Golfers OF few, While
thousands cannot get work to earn sub
sistance 1t is strange commentary that
Vanderbilt lived in his palace only block
away from a woman, who. although IN
dustrious and virtuouS, could only make
So. so week by sewing shirts.
THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG.
Society stands upon two legs. One is
capital the other labor. If capital wears a
high-heeled shoe and labor goes barefoot,
society limps as to the result. Judging by
the signs of the times labor is going to III
tIuence the making OF laws, as capital IS
and has shaped the course OF Legislation.
Labor organizations are rapidly growing,
and are spreading from state to state. Soon
the woIkingmen Will hold the balance OF
nOIitical power and politicians will bend a
listening ear to their demands. Up to the
present time it has made little difference to
the industrial classes which of the great
political parties was victorious but now the
workingmen are just beginning to awaken
to the knowledge of the value OF their vote
The speaker here depressed to say that he
did not think himself infallible, but con-
sidered that he had right to express his
ideas. and in this connection would point
out some things which labor can reasonably
demand of the legislature and some things
it can not.
WHAT CANNOT BE ASKED.
It is useless to ask that the rate of inter-
est be fixed by law. This has been tried in
every state in the Union and has proved an
abiect failure. The rate of interest is fixed
necessarily by the law of supply and de-
mand For the same reason it Will be I'M
possible for laws to be carried out which
fix the amount of wages to be paid. There
is such difference in the profits and In
business itself at times that this is impos-
sible. 1t is well and good for the city to
fix the minimum wages paid to its employees
at S150, but the city is not like private
business enterprise affected by competition,
depression, fluctuations, etc. When two
laborers seek all employer then wages go
down; when two employers seek a servant
wages go up. Here is supply and demand
aptly illustrated. The trouble with this
country is that there are too many hands
for the amount of work to be done, and
still emigrants are pouring III upon us at
the rate of 1900 day. If they could all
go to farming they might be provided for.
But they can't, and stay in the large cities
where they lessen wages by over-supplylng
the demand.
LEGISLATION CAN DO THIS.
It can restrict emigration. 1t can pre-
vent Asiatic coolies, degraded paupers and
convictS from competing with honest labor.
Things have come to pretty pass If the
penitentiary is to fix the wages of the
country. The system which permits the
farming out of convict labor at less than
living wages should be abolished, and the
sooner the better This much can be asked
of legislatures. l doubt, however, whether
it is even best to ask that the days work
shall be shortened by law This will come
itself. and that, too. shortly. In the grand
march of civilization the hours of labor
have already been reduced from sixteen to
ten. and there will be little difficulty in OBJ
tanning the other two hours for recreation
and improvement.
IT IS FUTILE
to ask legislation to require for women the
same pay as men. The law of supply and
demand steps i'll here again. AS there are
only a few things for a woman to do,
there is a surplus. AS the channels of
industry open to her. This surplus will
be removed by distribution. Legsla-
ton can and should lessen the cost of liti-
CATION. and the state should protect the
poor man by furnishing him with counsel
to protect his rights. Legislation can and
must make education compulsory. If the
nation is to be governed by the people the
people must be educated; our salvation de-
pends upon it. Six million of people, over
10 years of age, in the United States can
not write. Think of it. Every state
should prohibit children working that are
under Is years old, and should make them
go to school. After the state gives us some
general intelligence let it give US some spe-
cial knowledge by the way of labor bu-
reau which will supply statistics to guide
us in the relations of capital and labor-the
greatest problem of the age.
Labor can ask that the law shall compel
weekly payment Of wages, and shall pro-
vide indemnifcation for injuries received
where proper security is not furnished.
MUCH NEEDED.
I am not a communist, nor breeder of
discomfort among the working classes,
but | do think individual freedom should
not be allowed to run into unrestricted
license. If capitalists are permitted to be-
come financial tyrants it may lead to rev.
olution. Just how this massing of wealth
in the hands of a few and the present ten
dency of monopoly can be averted | am not
prepared to say. What we need most just
now is great and unbriDable statesmen, who
will make laws for the people and not for
the moneyed class.
THE LAND QUESTION
should receive attention from legislators,
and the present crisis in England can be
taken as a warning The state should en-
courage the improvement of land and should
discourage its being held for speculation
purposes. Already foreign capitalists are
acquiring thousands of acres in the United
States and expect when they are driven out
of Europe to come over here and play the
landlord. There should be no more land
grants to railroads, and the endeavor should
be to introduce the small farm system.
which has made France prosperous ma
ton.
In concluding Mr.. Scudder announced
that Sunday evening. Jan. 3, he will lecture
upon What the Church Can Do for the
Working Man.
AGRATaFYENG DISCOVERY.
The Last Year Highly Prosperous