New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-23
THE CRY OF THE POOR.
CHRISTIAN POLITICAL ECONOMY.

last week by Professor j. Laurence Loughn, of Har-
ward University. His subject wss 4" Political Economy
and Christianity" aud he many practical sag
| gestions 10 tho young men who are soon to become
ministers regarding their duties 10 the iaboring
classes, both workingmen and workingwomen
when Christianity sets before ts votares the hope
of lovable future" said Professor Loughlin, and
draws picture OF the higher lite, which so impresses
| the imagination that the power OF the material
present loses It's influence over them. and they
forward for the high calling ct which they aim,
Christianity il then laying the broad foundation for
economic prosperity and tor every toiler on
this EARTH" The two fundamental laws OF economic
production be explained are Increase cf capital and
the law of population He then considered the qnes-
ton distribution. which. he said included the sub
ject OF wages profit and rent and referred to the
relation in which Christianity and education stand to
It, concluding In part "a iolowss
Seeing the labor problem rs n conflict Of labor
ers OF incapacity against capacity and that az men
rise In the seale D,th their wages aud their chances
of a further rise increase, ! suggest the following
practical means for aiding the advance of working
men Saving, industrial education and Christian
character BY Touching men the practical methods OF
saving by acquaintIng them with savings BANKS CO.
operative banks and building associations, they Will
be enabled to lenathen the lever by which they are
working to raise their condition to . higher level In
order to get educated saving must be previously
made. The problem which 10 OF pressing Importance
the ethical student to-day how to WORK upon sne
I
part OF our body OF unskilled laborers, and 1t Is
| very difficult question.
.Stmnlate IN every way the extension OF industrial
education. Increase the productive capacity OF every
| homeless boy by turning him into a carpenter, or
plasterer, or mason. or plumber or oricklayer.
Teach trades. and at the came time give as large
a knowledge possible of mechanical principles. so
that they may be easily fitted tor more than one trade
| in case they are thrown out OF employment. Nothing
! can be healthier than The attention which IL now
being directed industrial schools, because II looks
| toward the permanent improvement OF the laoorer
1 hint flnu
IL at variance with the spirit OF institutions, and
cannor be successfully main tanned. IL Will not he
permitted body OF men to say that another oody
! shall not be allowed 20 work
Cultivate Christian character This lies at the basis
Of industrial progress To learn how TO adapt ones
powers to q given end TO obtain self-mastery; 10
learn how regard the future above the present.
TO follow the higher and the unseen TO which better
motives call one TO learn TO do what dIsaereeaoie
| and Iepuguant to ones inc natiOns, provided II Is
right and honorable; in short to acquire Christian
character-this will enable to take up his bed
and walk until he reaches place tar above that from
which he began in lite. AZ he becomes better man
morally he will become better man industraily ana
get higher wagss as his wages use ne mas riseh De
gets into less-crowded class be Is better able TO
see around him and he learns to rise still higher
| Now how does all this apply TO particular cases :
| In the boy clerk stimu late ambition with honesty,
| industry and intelligence that he makes himself
acquainted with the details OF his business outside OF
his duties; let him &c himself tor the place above
regard to the day laborer We hear It repeated from
many mouths that he Ia to De the slave Of the capital
that he oppressed sud COvntr0uuen, tnat ne ~
kept in condition of hopeless serfdom. Yes it must
be admitted that he only too often slave but not
az many people think OF it, He lie only 100 often
slave but a slave however. to his own ignorance and
incapacitv And TINS il a vei real thing He remains
| a slave because he remains unconscious OF things
which might stimulate him 10 better work and
ready for better things, he does know what TO DO
He does know about savings banks, or cooperative
oanks building associations or stores,
or evening schools where he and his children may DC
Here, seems to me- the vast of the ignorant
and unfortunate claim the wisdom advice and intel
hgent sympathy OF the successful and fortunate III
lays the responsibility on every one OF u.s. Better
than the gilt money is the personal interest ana
| assistance the money is quickly given and il Is od
the mind but the assistance takes time and wisdom
In short the solution of the aLor problem is not TO be-
reached in hour year II calls on us Tor the ex-
erton or all those which have been operating
! slowly to cvilize and improve the human race and
| the movement Of laborers from the lower into the
higher classes which will give higher wages, must be
accompanied by that moral sense which viii govern
| the expenditure OF the higher wages. Not merely
more money and more comfort should We AJAX tor our
| unfortunate feIow-men, but more character ana a
| these other things shall be added unto them For
the foundation the principles OF Christian living
are the OF industrial success. .
| 1T may be supposed that, in what have said
! reference had only to men. The responsibility
which lies US 10 aid in the material progress OF
women ia even greater because the avenues open To
| worklngwomeu fewer thaa to wOrkngmen, and
| competition Is much more mdue-tlal In lowering
| wages. To help them, we must follow the same path
| " e must lead women TO save. How many mistresses
| exert a gentle but sympathetic influence on their
domestic servants to save Are we dong all that we
might to establish tree schools where unskilled
thrown on their own resources can learn TO become
really good cooks, trained table girls and chamber
| madsi The good Samaritan among us will see ID o
domestic peculiar capacity tor nursing. and
| make IL easy Tor her To training nurse
| where she can secure better wages.
| Are free schools " plentiful as they might he,
| where be trained IA telegraph opeIat0rs,
type-wrers wood-carvers decorators or architects
There ia certain no limit to the practical work to be
done TO make ignorance less helpless. and ncapacty
less discouraging. Why cannot we treat the ervant
IN house less like sOulless machine ana more
like being of body and spirit for whom we can do
something to raise them IN the scale OF progress.
Instead OF saying Keep your level may we not SAY.
tactiully, IN 10 another human soul, Try to raise
yourself to higher level
Therefore. when men proclaim that the labor
movement Is crusade against oppression. and Tor
the emancipation OF the workingmen, do not know
what they Just as long as men remain lmper-
feet and human, there wi be found the bad a. we'll ae
the good There receipt tor the extinction OF EVIL
that | know OF which lies IN the hands OF socleiy.
These persons Represent the existing evils OF the
laborers' lot due TO some artificial consrant They
speak "a II low wages are paid because employers are
oppress0rs and overlooking the grounds tor diher-
ences OF wages arising from differing capacities, and
from ov-rcrowdng. they propose to alter the laws OF
the United States, cause social revolution, or
degenerate society in the twinkling of an eye.
" II there IL any thing more important than
smother TO aid men in rising to higher class OF
laborers, and which TO my mind Is fundamental,
that thing is as have said, the growth OF individual
character. Ii depends motives, which have heir
results in individual action IT is slmethng which nc
one else can do another IL is the growth OF elt
belp Our home is dearer to us than snothers sim ply
because IL il and not anothers. That which 9
man accomplishes OF and by himself is worth
not merely what that single result appears
10 be- but the power OF accomplishment
which Il learned by the doer To save 800
is not all that Il valuable the man
that rises ont of process OF that saving dteren
from the old spendthrift BY doing he Arew and the
second 300 is tar easier to save than the first.
In the strugge for industrial progress everything
hangs on selt-hep and individual exertion Character
must be made from within II this De true what must
we think of those doctrines, which are sometimes
taught in high places, and winch assure the working
man that he il q victim OF error and injustice down.
trodden and oppressed by vicious social system, and
that the State shall undertake his release Can an
act of Congress- mako character efficiency Alas,
tear not wish It could But so long man remains
what he Is, be must not be enervasd In seii- help
and personal energy by any lusNe hopes held ont
10 MIN from outside Dependence Oh the State, and