The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-10-17

Views Of Delegates ON Labor and Capital,
and Kindred Topfcs

Views Of Delegates ON Labor and Capital,
and Kindred Topics.
The topic of the morning session of the
Ecumenical Council was "Social Prob.
lems." Hon. Alden Spears, president of the
Boston Chamber of Commerce, read tho
essay on THE Church in Her Relation to
Labor and Capital" In the course of his
remarks he said that the church. by the
spiritual changes which it has wrought in
the lives of millions of her membership. has
elevated them from habits and conditions
that lead only to poverty and crime. In
return for such priceless benefits, labor and
capital should give their first and best ef-
forts to the church for its extension and
prosperity. Referring to protection of home
industries, the speaker said: eff we
were to follow the teachings of England's
greatest political leader and close our
manufacturing establishments on all prod.
ucts that we cannot make as cheaply as
the same articles can be laid down on our
shores from dny other country. and II we
should put the millions that are now find
ing constant empioymeht at more than
double the wages OF the agricultural labor
er, also on our farms and plantations. &c
needs no seer to forecast the results. In
country like our own. under a government
of the people, by the people and for the
people, the elective franchise should not be
given to any foreigner till lie can read and
write the Language of the country of his
adoption and long enough resident TO be-
come thoroughly conversant with the laws
and customs of the land, be the time ten or
twenty-one years. Without this, no one is
competent or has just claim to take part
in the b0dy-politic.
"a few words as to the hours that should
constitute the days labor. 1t seems TO us
hat riai II fIxy 1vfr 81 60.
the wage-earner than to capital. For the
last ten years the average return to capital
has not been per cent If further pressed
the goose that now lays the golden egg OF
constant and well-remuDerated employ
ment is killed, our manufactures must be
closed and the laborer be left without en-
ployment, If the enhanced cost OF produc-
tiOn is net added To the goods produced.
and which must be paid by the consumers,
of whom the wage-earners and their FAM
lilies are the great majority. We are In ac-
cord with the proposition so generally ac-
cepted that politics shall not be the subject
of pulpit discussion; We are abundantly
persuaded that the pulpit shall speak with
no uncertain sound on oil subjects apper-
tanning TO the well-being. prosperity aud
happiness of the people,"
PROFIT-sHARING TIE SOLUTION.
Rev. ]. Berry, of the Australian Metho-
dist Church, Wellington, New Zealand, de-
livered an address on THE Moral Aspect
of Labor Combinations and Strikes" He
said: 1.-The position OF Methodism In the
twentieth century will depend very largely
upon her attitude toward the labor move
ment in the last decade of the nineteenth
In considering the morality of a strike
there are two questions. at least, which
must be answered. First, Is the cause
sufficient Second, IS the method justi-
fiablef We all believe that war Is ideally
wrong Now. strike Is social aud
economic war. The time will come. as
Mr. Arnold White puts IT, when the
lion of capital and the lamb OF labor
will lie down together. but Holy
Scripture does not mean that the lamb
shall be inside the lion. Ii is necessary for
labor TO organize and fight. because capi-
tai organizes and tights and 10 generally