The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-07-24

UlOiIIlSos LII Iictntia5 f3tS ettiiNt
the casting out OF devils, his sympathy
the sorrowing and the afflicted
does this Justify the words OF those who
contend that the present life is nothing
and the life to come the only one worth
considering? Where would the world
have been today if the views OF those
had prevailed who contend that the
Christian has no concern with social or
political questions. So much let me say
by way OF pleading for a sympathetic
hearing. The question before us is this:
What is the work of the Christian
Church in general and OF it's various
branches in particular in reference to
the persistent inequality in the distribu-
ton Of the fruits OF labor and the
quent poverty OF those at the bottom
OF the social scale? We shall all agree
that the duty OF the Christian Church is
to spread the teachings OF Christ and to
make it, if possible, a living power in the
world. Now l want is to consider
whether that teaching is a living power
in the business world today, tire world
of wealth producing, OF wages and inter-
est. the world in which the poor suffer.
The spirit Of that teaching-I care not
for the letters unmistakable; that
money is not to be made a prime object
in life; that self sacrifice and not self in
terest should be the Christians motto;
that a mans property is not his own to
do as he likes with, but is a trust to be
used for the general good; that labor is
honorable and idleness q. disgrace. 1t is
surely needless to recite passages where
these things are taught; we all recognize
them, but we do not all think OF them in
their practical bearings. II we did we
surely should have been struck with
this fact; that in the business world eX-
actly opposite principles are inculcated
and acted on. Money is the principle
thing; therefore with all your getting get
money; self interest is the only guide in
business relations, and if you give more
than you are obliged to, you are a fool;
when you have made your fortune it is
your own, and no me has any right to
tell you how to spend it. For look at
it how we will, it is this self interest,
this fierce competition, this mad race for
money, that is one man factor in i'm
poverishing the poor. 1t is obvious
that starvation wages are often directly
traceable to competition; those who give
five cents a gross for match boxes, or
six cents for making a shirt, would as
sert, and often probably with truth,
that if they gave more someone else
would take their trade. 1 believe it
may safely be maintained that starva-
ton wages, whether in town Or country,
are largely due, directly or Indirectly, to
the tender mercies OF unrestricted ON
petition. In some way it has come
about that leach for himself and the
devil take the hindmost" is the watch
word OF our economic creed, Each
elbows his way to the front, regardless
OF who may be left out in the colo.
How it has come about that such an
exactly anti-Christlan principle should
be adopted as the rule OF life in a Christ
ian country, it may help us shortly to
enquire. | believe it arises in part from
a misunderstanding Of the nature OF
political economy. On it's current as
sumption political economy proves that
there must be at the bottom OF the So
cial scale a huge class OF persons barely
able to live, who will by their multiple
cation and competition for work force
down wages to such q point as will but
Just enable them to survive. Agreeing
as this theory does SO closely with Other
scientific or D~hillsopical theories OF
gradual evolution in the animal and
vegetable world by the survival of the
fittest, the weaker having to 90 to the
walI-theories which have obtained such
a hold in the minds CT thoughtful men,
1T is no wonder that it came to beloolled
upon as an almost self evident truth,
and the perpetual existence Of grinding
poverty Is a necessary evil bound III in
the essential constitution OF society, in
other words us a law Of God. "Tlere
are those" said Nautilus, "for whom
nature has provided no plate at the
banquet OF life" We gain, however
ever in the animal creation, glimpses Of
a higher law than that OF competition
and struggle for life, a law Of co-opcra.
ton and mutual helpfulness and this
law in the sphere OF sentlent and intelli
gent beings IS surely intended to be the
leading rule OF life, rather than the lower
law Of struggle. And yet in the ordinary
political economy it's existence is scarce
ly recognized. Hence no doubt in part
the reason why political economy has
never made much way among the labor
ing classes, those among whom, inspltt
Of their fallings, mutual helpfulncss ex
shame. Hence the revolt against. po!iti
cal economy OF men like Carlyle anC
Ruskin, characterised rather by senti
ment and spiritual insight than b,
strict logic. But it speaks i'll for eithe
the intelligence OF Christians or tn
Christianity Of economists that until re
Gently the ~antagunism OF the two prin
ciples, self interest and self sacrifice, ha,
been so little insisted on. Now, how
ever, Christians are waking up. "Com
petition" says Canon Percival, the nev
head master OF Rugby, sis antagonists
in it's very essence to the principles 0
Christianity, for Christianity is rooted
in love and sacrifice and in the care TO
the weak and suffering. Are we then tt
live in two worlds at once, the world o
daily competition and the world O
Christ? Is this yelled warfare between
man and man, which is not always evel
yelled, is this gospel Of brute force al
ways to hold the field OF social life ant
to give to mems daily occupations
thoughts and aims. their prevailin
character? Your answer to such ques
tions as these will depend upon you
idea OF what Christianity is and is to b