Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-05
JUSTICE AND EQUITY.
Their Different Laws Applied TO the Mod
ern Labor Question-A Subject for a
Sunday Sermon.

Their Different Laws Applied TO the Mod
ern Labor Question-A Subject for a
Sunday Sermon.
"Justice and equity constitute the only
basis for permanent settlement of labor
troubles" This was the subject on which
the Rev. William Robertson based his dis
course yesterday afternoon to a congregation
at the Grand Army Hall, on West Diamond
street, Allegheny. By way of introducing
his remarks Mr.. Robertson recited the para
BILE of the two builders, the one of whom
built his house on the sand and the other on
6 rock.
eff anything is to be a success" he said,
'it requires first of all good foundation.
If you build house, no matter how elegant,
pleasing and commodious the superstructure
is, if the foundation is no good the house
will sooner or later fall and crumble to
pieces The same rule applies to the indus
trial relationship of mankind to-day. Capt.
tai and labor can never be friendly, never
Je on firm footing of success unless they
form firm basis on which they both can
stand. The only foundation in this case is
Justice and equity to one as well as the
other. While will give you my opinion
on this subject, will point out to you two
positions: What is justice or equity, and
how should it be applied? To do Just
thing you do a right thing. Justice is due
to everybody. Justice is enacted by law
and there is a certain amount Of Justice
even due to the animal. / read text from
Scripture to you few minutes ago from
the epistIe of St. Paul to the
Collossians, where he says: Master, give
Justice to your servants Now in that
3o he elo
But the Apostle also said: Give equity to
your servants Now, that is something
quite different. Justice is due to man &C.
cording to the laws of the land, but equity
is something due to man according to the
laws of equity, or the laws of nature. The
laws of nature demand that a man obtain
the benefits of the earth. This was told him
by the Lord Himself Immediately after he
had been created. But how can a man en-
ioy the benefits of the earth if he has not
the means of doing so. If you buy a piece
OF property you also must have a right OF
way to it, or else the property will not be of
any good to you, because you cannot get
to it.
"Now, according to the laws of justice an
employer has to pay a wage-earner a certain
amount of money for his labor That is
justice. But the man is not legally entitled
to any work, although the law of equity
says that he has been put in this world to
enjoy it, to reap benefit from it. He cannot
do it, however, if he is not put in the way of
getting the means, in other words, if he has
no work; and 1 assert that there are a num-
Der of people starving to-day, who do not
have any work and cannot get it. Still ac-
cording to the laws of nature they ought to
have it, because they are entitled to it.
1.-THE general cause of the labor troubles
to-day is the question of wages. The en-
ployer asks for a reduction and the empIoye
for an advance. The master thinks he is
paying too much and the employe thinks he
is getting too little. The employer says,
why just compare the wages of to-day with
what they were years ago! My friends, that
has nothing to do with it. Things have
have grown larger the work is different, and
must have better wages. 1 say that 10 right.
In most cases the laborer is getting too little
and his demand for an advance is generally
justifable.
"Ia the Declaration of Independence it
says that men in this country shall be
equal, but do all ofus get it? No! Well,
then it is necessary for us to adopt such
measures, which put us on footing of
equality. How can it be done? Well, nv
hearers, that is not for me to say, but for
YOU to find out. The laboring man, who
now suffers under a misapplication of the
laws of equity, in fact who does not derive
any benefits from it at all, ought to study
this matter well over until he has found a
solution to the problem. 1t is the only way
in which capital and labor can ever come to
q point of harmony, and it will be the onlv
basis on which their relationship can firmly
stand"