San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-11-24


indurated backs Of sinners. All sects
united in these revivals. We made a
raid upon sinners. | admit the fact. But
where shall we look for the good
works" Of prOfessed Christians? Where
/ shall we look for their deeds OF charity?
! or course. we have had suppers to raise
money for church purposes, and such
| like things, but these things are nowhere
| spoken OF In the scriptures. Restaurants
run by the churches, In order to raise
! funds for church purposes, constitutes a
new feature in the gospel OF Christ. But
where shall we look for the good
works" and charitable deeds of pro.
fessed Christians? We will have to get
! a search warrant 10 find them.
We do not expect TO see an honest
man, much less Christian, guilty
Of rank injustice towards his fel-
low men. Injustice Is only anOth-
er name for dishonesty and eXtOrtion.
The scriptures declare that the "labOrer
is worthy of his hire" None dispute
the truth of this statement. Now, this
not only means that the labOrer shall re-
Ceive the hire stipulated to be paid him,
but that ne shall be paid what his labor
is worth. The employer is guilty of in
Justice and robbery when he gets labor
ut less than it is worth, particularly,
where he takes advantage of the poverty,
necessity and despair of the laborer
No honest man would make wise of
mans poverty and necessities to squeeze
his wages down. No Christian would
act In such an inhuman and cruel man
ner towards men that are In poverty
and distress. Specializing upon the pow
erty and necessities of men Is inhuman,
dishonest and unehristian. Men should
be paid whatsoever their labor be worth.
Now, walk around the streets OF San
Antonio and ask what wages or salaries
business men are paying those whom
they employ. Less than is paid in any
other city. Many Of these business
men are lOud-mOuthed members OF some
church, but they see no injus-
tice, or sin, in paying their
services are worth to them. The
salaries paid many clerks, etc, are so
pitifuly small that they barely suffice
to board and lodge them. What is the
result? Want forces them to pilfer from
their employers and they wind up in
the criminal court. Who Is at fault?
Upon whom does the blame rest? Upon
the unjust and stingy employers. Had
they only paid just wages, their clerks
and agents would have had no tempta-
ton to piIfer and steal. Many church
members are guilty of this rank injus-
tiCe, but they do not lose caste in their
churches. Men grow rich by taking
advantage of the poverty and
necessities of their fellow men TO get
their time and labor for mere trifle, yet
these same men pose as the friends and
champions of wOrkingmen. Honesty
dictates that the eal value of labor shall
be paid. The gospel OF Christ requires
IL .,c al tn 10
members follow the rule with regard
to those whom they employ? Alas! for
the rarity of christian charity"
Preaching and practice are as wide
apart as pole from pole; and Oud.mouth-
ed church members feel no cOmpunctiOn
in getting the labor of men for half
what IL is actually worth 1t Is the com
mon practice, and church members
ought not to be singular, you know. l
repeat, that it is unjust, inhuman, and
unchristian TO accept the labor and SER
vice of men at half what such
labor and service are really worth. tits
no excuse that they are so poor and
hard run as to be forced to work even
tor song. The golden rule" forbids
us to make profit out OF the necessity
of our fellOw-CTeatures.
1t seemed to me, not to he at all amiss
to stir up professed christians on ac-
count of their shortcomings in the per-
torrance of good works" without
which, faith is dead" Charity is the
touchstone of christian. 1t is the mark
and brand of the christian. | want 10
zee church members bearing about them
this same mark and brand; | want to see
them performing deeds of charity, and
acts of benevOlenGe-l want to see them,
saving women from the necessity OF
of having recourse to prostitution
in order to avoid starvation or
suicide; | want to see them
paying q fair remuneration to such as
they employ, and not tempting them to
steal, by paying them niggardly wages
and overlooking them. | want to see
the good works" of Christians close up
pawn brokers shops. want to see the
Young Mems Christian association take
the lead in these good works." and aid
poor men in getting employment, or
helping to start them in some small bus
mess. | want to see it insist, that all
employers, who belong to the church,
shall pay such as they employ, what
their labor or service is worth. want
to see it take the lead in efforts to assist
poor women to steer away from the
whirlpool of promiscuous prostitution.
More practice and les. preaching,
more fruit and less foliage, Is just what
is needed to rid the nation of its moral
deafness. Let church members "bring
forth good fruits" and the vocation OF
sam Jones and Dixie Williams will be
gone, and intidelity will be made fang
less. So mote il be. LAYMAN.