Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-29
THE CHURCH AND THE LABOR
PROBLEM.


THE CHURCH AND THE LABOR
PROBLEM.
A Question Discussed To-day I'm the
Congregational Conference.
| At last nights session Of the CONGREGATIONAL
| association OF New Jersey at the Tabernacle,
Rev. DIR. w. II. Ward, editor of the Independent.
| read an interesting paper ON recent explora-
tions in Mesopotamia.
AT to-day's session Rev. G. A. Cafes Inner
Montclair. N. j., read paper on "The Church
and the Labor Question" Mr.. Gates defined
| the present age as an industrial and COM
| merclal age. There was, he said, too much
| work done by the workers. too much leisure for
the non-workers for their own good. The
| trouble was inequitable distribution. The rich
were richer than was good for them; the poor
poorer than they should be. Even if the rich
t Wo%rd consent to give to the poor from
be solved It 'n was nnt ere %oa1 mot not
justice that was asked. The speaker Thought
| the tendency was towards a more just distrbu-
| tlon; that never in the history OF civilization
has the distribution been so nearly equitable
as at present; the trouble was though that
sne p1 rp was not rapid enough. Money
the other and each helpless. Did any one think
such an order of things had the divine sane
| ton? The chief cause of the unequitable dis
| tribution he believed to be unlimited compe-
| tition. In the industrial world under COM
petition the best employers were practically at
|
facturer attained his object by cutting down
the wages of his workmen: | am speaking of
done with impunity. 1t cannot be SO done
! now, thank God, for the workmen has some
ming to say, and is saying it for himself. How
well ne is saying will not discuss here" He
traced the Ills that followed all through
the industrial and commercial chain by
| this action inspired by the greed of some man
ufacturer. The law of competition might be
defended during certain stages OF industrial
progress, but it should not be for all time. He
ha Stnr,
combination OF employers and money. When
That combination was made labor must go
down 90 ',n ~. Labor then must have a champion or
be It's own champion; meet organization with
organization. Purchasers were helpless, he
| believed, to lift labor out of the slough. He
could see no help unless hbor rose and de-
| tended itself. He saw no possible way to JUS
| tice except through labor organizations He
| believed the standard of wages could be de-
termined by labor alone. When the empIoyer
said he would buy his labor in the cheapest
market he made declaration of war against
| nize the good principles that underlie these
labor organizations. He would admit all the
unreasonableness that crept in some time, but
| derlay these organizations. Sometimes
these organizations got into the hands of
hot-headed enthusiasts and theorists; then IL
was the business OF the church to help them to
get into better hands. Whichever side in the
contest between capital and labor was victor
lous, the difficulty would not be solved. Even
Jay Gould testified that unlimited competition
tended to ruin business, therefore Jay Gould
be appealed to in running railroads. Competi-
ton. the speaker said, must go. What can the
church do to help bring about solution of the
problem? lie had written to the bureaux of
labor statistics of twelve states and asked this
question, but none had offered any suggestion,
except that the church Nigh. aid the laborer nv
utterances from the pulpit. One of those to
whom he wrote, replied that the church must
step on a basis of broader humanity and try to
teach employers the practical value of the
golden rule in dealing with their emnlOyes
This man said also that wherever the en-
ployer recognizes his duty to God AS Well as TO
Ills pocket there were no labor troubles He
read from the writing of Commissioner Wright.
of the labor bureau, to show how heartess
were the laws laid down by the political econo-
mists, and how 1t was necessary for pOlitical
economists to take humanity into cousidera-
ton. The church can help by proclaiming the
divine law OF brotherly love, which was the
direct opposite of unlimited and unscrupulous
ambition. The church can teach the manufac-
turer the law of brotherly love. When this law
was recognized by The employer the Difficulty
was solved SO far the capitalist WAS con-
cerned. Then the laborer was to be considered.
There was another side to the question The
laborer must learn that his employers have
rights. Each must learn that the other is his
brother. Ii ever there was time for practical
preaching of the doctrine OF brotheriy love il
was in the midst of a social revolution that
seems now to have set in in earnest. The
church had rare opportunity to show that
II had practical gospel efficient for the
salvation OF the life that now is.
Christian law Of arbitration, as laid down in
the 18TH chapter of Matthew. So far as the
principles OF The Knights of Labor go, that
organization was nothing but great secular
church. He did not think ministers Should
complicate themselves with the details of these
matters the church should stand for the great
law OF brOtherly love. Ministers, he thought
| should be outspoken. The church must be
hopeful, never discouraged; 1t should be broad
minded; 1t should be studious on this actual
problem. 1t must strive to apply the laws of
God, as Christ taught them, to the labor cues
ton and all other questions
The paper was discussed at some length Nv
members OF the association.
The closing session OF the convention will be
held this evening, when addresses will be made
by the secretaries of benevolent societies
Io-mErrow the members OF the association
The following are the ministers of the asso.
citation present: Revs. VIM. w. Jordan Frank
A. Johnson, Geo. w. Plack, Frederick T. PulIan-
John L. Scudder, n. NJ. Sherwood (pres.l, Geo
A. Gates, Cary H. II. Panneli, Chas H. Everest.
Rankin, Richard q. Greene, Geo. n Morton
(pres.), ChaS l. Merriam, Chas L. GOodrich
Rollin S. Stone, Augustus Seward Gustav
Newman, Henry Neiii, Chas. Noble, Evan T.
X. Danforth, VIM. F. Slocum, jr, VIM. c. Jones.
stephen NJ Newman, Geo. III. Moore, VIM IT.
Peel, Robert Nourse and Benjamin w. Pond
The lay delegates present are ID. w. DeerIng
u. Eckerson, Rev: J: 2. Stryker, MIR. aud Mrs.
L. F. WescOtt, A. E. HOPPING Rev w ri
Ward, Theodore Price, JAS. Bell Elliott Gill
bert, Mr.. aud Mrs. Albert Turner, j. NJ. Chase
J: A. Robinson, W. L. Mason, james Long, +.
G. Van Remer, L. o. Smith, w. III. Wanamaker.
Henry Stockbridge, A. A. Lawrence, o. f. Pres.
brey, ii. A. HaZen, X. s. Smith, VIM H lack.
son, Warren q. Fearing, j. ii. Gray w g.
Henderson, VIM. w. kinsley and q. A L. Mer.
riheld.
The Lafayette Statue.
ARRIVAL OF ANOTHER MODEL FROM FRANCE