, 1891-04-22
ENmlTY on INDIFFERENCE.
Attitude 81 tho Church Toward Labor
seen - Two Witness.-

seen ~ Two wItnes..--
Nj. Morris Russ delivered an address
before the indianapolis Central Labor
union which has caused considerable
discussion in that community. The fol-
lowing is taken from a printed copy Of
the address;
More than a year ago there was a strike In a
mining region. n- the rcsultuf a long period Of
depression iu The coal trade, which for months
had reduced wagcs literally TO the starvation
point. II involved from l.BD 10 200 miners
and from binu 90 800 people. Justice or JUS
uhcnuou was spou lost sight Of ia the actual
condition uf starvation Food and clothing
were contributed for weeks iu all the region
round about. Ia a city Of I2u.0Jo people,. an
hour and "a hall by rail from ibis scene, there
were luu churohe-. In those weeks Of many
Sundays, the prgs- ringing meanwhile with
appeals Tor help 10 feed the hungry and cloths
the naked,
80, God help me, they epake not a word,
But like dumb statues, or breathing stones,
GHzed each other uus'
except one and the preacher 10 that pulpit Is
not regarded AZ orthodox by the ninety and
nine. 10 the same city. 10 uu Invitation from
organized labor 10 speak upon the righteous
hess or tliltCy uf uu eight hour working day,
but tyo out OF the hundred pulplts responded;
They tnyOrably. The nInrty-eight, as with one
accord, ignored II.
These examples ARE cited In illustration Of
what will be- conceded by qualified observation
That Tie fNUruu luuUHTll by tho Hebrew car
p"uler lis absolutely indifferent go labor. And
the wurkiuEman today b. not found In the
churches. What exception there may be ia all
this as 10 the Catholic communion, and the eX-
tent and valid worth OF TINT exception. each
may estimate Tor himself.
] affirm that the wnrEiugmen are not posi-
lively hostile 10 the church. They are 70 neg
atiyrly, ns one stuug with the sense Of neglect:
bitter, MS uue who expecting aid and comfort
has met strange starcz. agittted words and a
hurried departure. feeling himself an object Of
fear. and 10 some extent OF curiosity, as "A be
ing Of another world, and I affirm that any
Christian Wh1cpncs TO wotllngmen as Christ
came, him win thcy hear gladly.
Organized labor is the road TO freedom; la
bar organized for the purpose Of lettering its
condition at every step toward the goal Of a
just shuure iu the profits Of production. In this
forward march the laborcr will. Ia my opinion,
have little u amy help from the church. much
from good people In the church. The church
ht- made friends with the prince OF this sorld.
IL r. not 10 IL 60 protest against "A system where
IL hts Ito desires financial support, the backing
Of the rich, respect Of opinion. The church Is
satisfied. More help aud great help Is to come
from free speech and from a free pres. the
books and newspapers that can pour forth
their arEumcu uuyhulltuEcd save by counter
argument, These with the power Of or~Eluuiza-
tiuu iru 90 achieve freedom.
There il for you, for every working man. this
Immediate thing 10 dp-urganizc. Make or
pauiHed labor 80 strong that nothing cnn resist
g.; the purpose Of Its botnE-every ones Just
share In the profits OF production. Natural
muuopole- ought TO go first: the things whose
value Is made by all the people must belong to
all the people. Public light, water. trausuort.-
ton arc examples. An the people carry the
mails for all the people. We may be able In
time 10 believe that freight us well as lcttors
can be carried for the benefit Of the people.
and then that the people can be their own
carriers instead Of the Vauderbilts and Jay
GOuldE. That II six men can control the coal
output and one the oil, perhaps the people may
be ablo TO do IL. This BY way Of suggestion
merely. ! mean, not TO speak OF plans, but
principle, This principle hold stendfast, and
cease not 70 organize and work for; all men are
created equal, aud each has an lnalienable
right 10 his share In the profits OF production.
n is forever wrong and false that labor's only
Just reward Is wages, while they who have tho
accumulated fruits OF lhbor-capitaI-shall
pave all the profits.
Mr.. Ross address brought an open
letter from the Rev. John billiard
Ranger, of Christ Episcopal church, In
~dianapolis. from which the following ex-
tracts are made:
Mn. MoRRIs Ross-I take the liberty Of ad-
dressing you a few words bearing upon the
paper read by you before the Central Labor
union on the evening" f Dec. s, 1890. lam moved
20 do this at what Is now a late hour in the
discussion your paper has aroused by the feel
ing that you have been unjustly censured. Not
that you stand In need Of my defense, but be-
cause " gives me pleasure thus TO give express
riuu TO my appreciation and respect.
honor you FOR the sentiments expressed In
your timely words to the laboring men OF this
rltF. They were wise, just, direct, courageous
aud cmluontly truthful.
Your Criticisms Of the church are deserved.
The crying sin OF this land Is avarice. 1t Is
udiug over the Lords day OF divinely appoint
ed rest Year 10y year, on railroad and steam
npnl, BOO telegraph aud postntice, and elsewhere,
tho army nl men who are shut out from the re-
cuprraliun uf Sunday inCreARes- AvRrice dead.
ems the churches with mercantile method. 1t
makes the churches as institutions sadly dere-
llct in this, thutr imperative duty OF leading
common people. 1, for one, bow before your
rrusurc. aud have faith that there will be
among us nll great searohings OF heart, and
That the day OF our awakening draws near.