The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-01-21

WORKIN0MEN AND THE CHURCHES
One of the churches in st. Paul has
arranged for series Of Sunday evening
services at which representative work.
ingmen have been invited to be present
and state the reasons which have
estranged the wage and artisan classes
so generally from the churches, and
what in the latter there is that fails to
meet their wants. The other side, or
the church's claims on working people
will also be presented. Such confer
ences have been held in England and
have resulted in generating a better
feeling between the masses and the
churches.
Of course, lnfidels and free. thinkers
have their own special reasons for be-
ing antagonist,c to the churches, but
there is q large class of workingmen
who are merely Indifferent to the claims
Of the churches. and these are the ones
who arc invited to take part in this
movement. On behalf of this latter
class the ADVANCE desires to present
some of the reasons for the estrange-
ment which is the subject of discussion.
When such 4 one sees on one side a
class of men who are worth millions of
dollars, and who apparently enjoy all
that wealth can bestow; and on the
other side sees toiling millions who
seem to be dragging out miserable
existence with scarcely enough to eat
although elevators and warehouses are
filled to overllowing with grain-the
free gift Of bountiful creator,
but which has been seized and held
by few men--or scarcely enough
clothes to cover their nakedness though
stores are full of goods and factories
are standing idle because they cannot
dispose Of their manufact ured product,
he naturally thinks something is wrong
somewhere. lie goes to church and
perhaps hears Il sermon on the dOlngs
of the lsraclites in the olden times, but
not word to indicate that the
preacher is aware that one OF the most
serious problems of the age. that of
socialism, is coming to the front and
must be met. He goes into another
one and the preacher tells his hearers
that AL the troubles of lite are the re-
snlt of the transgre ssiOn OF our first
parents, or that they are sent by 4
loving father to make us better. He
goes into still another, and the
preacher tells his audience that every
thing is just about right. and reads an
essay about goodness, and all that sort
of dishwater. And so on to the end of
the chapter. If a word is said as to q
remedy for the trouble, the preacher
will hold up what lie calls the ''conso
lations OF religicn' as a panacea-that
Is, it one is hungry. or naked, or worn
out with ceaseless toll for his daily
bread, let him pray for strength tc
continue the struggle, and to remember
that Jesus had not where to lay his
head. Perhaps a word is said to the
well-to.do hearers to be charitable. But
it is all based on the idea that the poo,
laboring man must be content with his
lot. Anything looking toward wipine
out Of the vast difference between tn.
rich and the poor is called socialism
and that would be revolutionary an(
an invention Of the devil, and must b,
Dr. NJ
What the weary toilers want to hea
is some remedy for their troubles righ
here in this world, and not to be toll
to be content and get religion and Coz
will make it all right in heaven. Oh
for another Moses who will 20 to ou
modern Pharoahs and Say in thunde
tones, 'release these people from thei
thraldom. Pay them good wages ant
do not compel them to wear their lif
out in ceaseless toll that Ou may rio
and revel in luxury" and not palave
and say, "Please, Mr.. Pharoah, cam
you give something out of your 6tor
toward relieving the distress aroun.
you. He that giveth to the poo
lendeth to the Lord" and all that rot
Moses of old told the children of Israe
to borrow" everything belonging t.
the Egyptians they could get hold of
and to leave their taskmasters, or, il
modern, parlance, to go on a strike
But Moses of that kind nowaday
would be held up to the execration o
mankind by the clergy.
If a Moses would arise and 60 to tn
Vanderbilts with this message: "Thu
saith the Lord: Distribute 500, 900, ,0O
of your wealth among those who ar
toiling for pittance"-and anythin
less than $3.50 a day is a pittance. not
outstanding there are people who ar
glad to get $3.50 a week-''or the or
pressed and hungry multitude wi
arise in their might and borrow it q
you." such preacher or leader woul
have no cause for complaint about tn
indifference Of the masses toward RI
ligion thus exempllfied. Vanderbilt
fortune would have relieved the iii,
necessities of 1000, 900 people by givin
each Of them 500, and his heirs woul
still have competence left. To thos
who are wealthy the sum Of 500 ma
seem small, but to the people who al
struggling to live on 81 s. a week
means aff1uence. -. ,.
IT the churches will set themselves
the task of bringing wages up to. ST.!