The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-06-23
DR.. TALHAGE'S SERMON.
THE GENUINE HARDSHIPS OF THE
WORKING CLASSES.

goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the
hammer him that smote the anvil.-lsalah
XII, Z.
! You have seen in a factory plece OF
mechanism pass from hand to hand and from
room to room, and one mechanic smltes IT,
and another tlattens it, and another chise!S
| it, and another polishes it until the work is
done. Smithery comes in, carpentry comes
| in, four or five different occupations en-
ployed. Thus was that Of the making of the
idols in older time, and that is what the text
refers to. "The carpenter encouraged the
| goldsmith, and he that smcotheth
with the hammer him that smote the
anvil" They came together and they con,
suited about their work, and they planned
for each others welfare. and they were in
full sympathy. They were in bad business,
for the making of idols is an insult to the
Lord Almighty. But have thought that II
men engaged in bad work may cheer and help
each other, most certainly all trades. all or
cupations that are doing honest work ought
to cheer and help ea:h other on the way.
The Bible goes to the very last minutia. 1t
for his horses. It tell us in Deu-
teronomy what kind Of a roof we
ought to have on our house. 1t ap-
plauds the Israeltish spinsters for their
industry and ingenuity. 1t gives us specl-
mems of ancient needle work, leather making,
tanning establishment. pottery, brick kiln,
| city water works, ship building, and proves
! few men realize the hardships outside OF their
/ own trade or profession. Every mans bur-
den is the heaviest, and every womans task
, is the hardest. So find people every day
who think they have got into the wrong
trade'or OF cupation, and the artist says: "Oh,
If l were only lawyer" and the lawyer
saws: "Oh, if 1 were only an artist" And
7 a
night, his head hot with commercial
agitations, and he says: "Oh, If l were
only mechanic, then / could lie down and
Sleep, q healthy mind in a healthy body.
Here I can't Sleep" At the very time the
mechanic is saying: "Oh, if were only
merchant I could be beautifully appareled
every day, aud I could give my. children bril-
! liant opportunities, and could move in an
other sphere" Each man understanding the
nnnoyances and the hardships of his own oc-
cupation and having no full appreciation of
those in other trades or businesses. Now, the
beauty of our religion is that it teaches US
that God is sympathy with all tradesmer,
; with all mechanics, with all toilers, whether
with brain, or hand, or foot. | pro:
pose this morning in this series Of
sermons which I am preaching and
shall continue on following SaDoatn morn
+ tngs to preach on the great labor agitation,
to speak about the genuine h1rdships Of the
working classes. You may not belong to
these classes, and yet you arc bound as Chris
tian men and women to be sympathetic with
them. and YOU are bound aS political econo-
mists to come to the rescue. There was moth
ing more beautiful in the life of Lord Shaftes-
, bury than when, an old man, he said in the
presence Of an audience, his eyes full of tears:
Ladies and gentlemen, as feel old age
creeping on me and I know I must soon die
do not want to die, because I cannot bear to
leave this world while yet there is so mnch
misery upalleviated."
So said that man the master of large estates,
Lord Shaftesbury, and no wonder that when
presentation was made to him in public
ball few years before his death, the work
ing classes of London shouted until they were
hoarse with enthusiasm for Lord Shaftes-
bury. There is great danger that the pros
! porous classes of America, because Of some Of
the bad things that have been said by the
false friends of labor during the last two
, or three months. shall come to the con-
clusion that all this agitation is a
hullabaloo about nothing. Do not
go off on that tangent. You would
not submit, nor would submit without SOL
smn and tremendous protest to some of the
oppressions which are being practiced uDon
the working classes of America to-day. You
may do your duty with your employees, but
here declare that the mghtiestand the largest
business firm in America to-day is Grip,
Gouge, Grind G. Co. Look, for instance, at
the wrongs practiced unon the womanlv toll
ers Of this country. They have made no
strike. They have not lifted their voices.
Men have cried aloud for their rights, but
women are diving by thousands, dying by
inches The last labor report just out con-
tains few sentences that wish to read,
showing what female employees eniure:
"Poisoned hands and cannot work. Had
TO sue the man for fifty cents"
Another: about four months of the year
can BY hard work earn little more than
three dollars per week"
Another. "She now makes wrappers atone
dollar per dozen. Can make eight wrappers
Another: eve girls in our establishment
have the following fines imposed: For wash
ing your hands, twenty-five cents. Eating
piece of bread at your loom, one dollar.
Also, for taking drink of water, and many
other trihing things too numerous to men,
ton, twenty-five cents"
Some of the worst villains of New York
and Brooklyn have these women in their en-
ploy. They beat them down to the last cent,
and then try to cheat them out Of that The
woman must deposit one dollar before she
gets the fabric on which to work, and in some
cases when the work is brought back it is re-
iected, an Insignificant fault exaggerated,
the wages refused and the one dollar deposit
not returned. The Women's Protective
Union of New York exposed this fact: A
young woman who had been living on starva-
tion wages found better place to work, so
she resolved to change, and she went to get
her wages that were due. She entered the office
Of her employer, and he greeted her by say.
ing: "You are going to leave, are you"
She said: eyes; can get better wages, and
have my invalid father and mother to sup
port, and have to 60, and I have come for
my wages" The man looked down and said
nothing for a long while. Then she said:
.Are you not going to pay me-" Yes" said
he, ''Ill pay you" and he kicked her down.
stairs. never swore word in my life, but
when read that incident felt in my soul a
stirring that was far from devotional!
Women getting two-thirds, or getting only
half as much pay as men get for doing the
same work-doing it just as well, perhaps
doing it better, yet getting less compensation.
Beginning with the government at Washing
ton, women in the national employ, in the
government offices getting 5000 for doing
work for which men get 81 800. The wheel
of oppression rolling over tho necks Of vast
multitude Of women. Some of the largest
commercial establishments pushing off into
death and darkness scores of women because
Of unrighteous wages. Large commercial
Establishments accessory to these evils:
They know it. Is there God? Will
there be a Day Of Judgment? Some
of the largest commercial establishments-if
God.riseS up to avenge the wrongs Of work
I ing women--will be swallowed down
quicker than ever South American earth
Quake took down a city. God will take those
oppressors between the m stones of His
wrath and grind them to powder. By what
law of fairness or justice do female princi-
pals of schools in some of the cities get SS25
and male principals, for doing the same kind
Of work, get 81, $50. Oh, the groan Of woman
hood comes through this days sunlight. not a
cry. like that Of those who are suddenly