St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-14
A Minneapolis Observer Sees which
Way the Wind Blows.

Way tile Wind Blows.
To the Editor OF the Globe:
wish to notice the sermon of Rev. Z.
c. Evans of st. Paul on the topic of the
day. 1 cannot make literal quotations Of
his strong, manly and Christian words at
this moment, but can give the substance of
his teachings.
He condemns the practice of making
children work ten hours day as barbarous.
Here he is emphatically right. Parents
should be able and willing TO support their
children, and if system of trade forces
them to give up this agreeable and stimu-
lating duty and allow themselves to be sup
ported by their children, il is very plain
that the system deserves adherence and
speedy destruction.
Mr.. Evans also advocates eight hours a
day or less. He mentions six hours daily
as enough for the work of life. In this he
is correct, and If correct is entirely justi-
fed in making it a part of his pulpit teach
ing. As a preacher he must feel that ten
hours a day of hard manual labor unfit
men for the family, for society and the
church. They cannot work as they do and
be well educated, quick minded or spiritual,
as general rule. The impression is made
on my mind by the other remarks Of Mr..
Evans that he is thoroughly honest and
earnest in his advocacy of the Knights of
Labor.
Another sign that the fountains of the
great deep of careless stupidity and indif-
ference to the condition of the masses is
being broken up is found in a remarkable
article in the New Princeton Review, which
may be considered the theological organ of
the old and conservative Presbyterian
church. 1t is entitled the Christian Con-
ception of Property, and is an able as well
as radical attack on the present ideas of the
rights of propertyholders. Mr.. G. II. Park
hurst. the author, after illustrations that
show how the child holds property subject
to the
WILL OF HIS FATHER,
and how citizens have to yield up their pos
sessions at the demand of the state, comes
to the following conclusions:
1T is only of God, then. that ownership, in
its absolute sense, is practicable. God owns
the world. After that, it is only by accom-
mediation of terms that can say that own
my house or library"
81 call God, Father. The livelier my sense
Of tilial relation TO Him, the stronger and
more effective will be the hold upon me which
this same idea will have, that there is nothing
which He owns that have not some small
property in. Ownership goes with the blood.
Paul"
suppose am hungry and can obtain
nothing to eat, and have nomeans of earning
it, what am to do? Starvey'
The author declares that he would not do
so-quoting Solomon 10 the effect that Men
do not despise a thief who steals to satisfy his
hunger" and then adds the following:
1.-The loaf on my neighbours shelf is, in q
sense, not mine; but, at the same time, in a
sense, it is mine. because it belongs, in n truer
sense, to God, than it does to my neighbor,
and call God Father"
If these daily papers had any italic letters
would use them for this last quotation.
But the reader will perceive that it does
away with the idea that property is more
sacred than lite, and goes to the
EXTREMIST limits of orderly. Christian rad
icalism. Other quotations would explain
and modify the application of the principle
underlying and justifying these outspoken
declarations, and prevent any idle, able
bodied vagrant from claiming any rights
under it; but broad and solid foundation
is laid for new social edifice. wherein
| justice, conscience and benevolence shall
rule to the exclusion of selfish, greedy,
man-hating mammonism.
A CONSTANT READER.
Minneapolis, Feb. Is.