, 1891-06-26
THE CLERGY AND LABOR.

a Few Thoughts on Theological Ideas
and Political Economy.
The discussion recently by the Baptist
ministers Of the relations Of employers
and employees shows quite clearly, ludg
ing from the printed reports, that they
have devoted their studies to other sub
jects thai social science. The best mod
ern social scientists point equal liberty
as a universal social law, and insist that
established institutions and customs that
do not meet the requirements Of this law
must perforCe OF necessity give way be
fore harmony can prevail in our social
Industrial life; but the ministers said
nothing about this.
It is all very poetic to preach friendly
confidence and mutual love. but the law Of
necessity governs in the industrial world
as rigidly as it does in the astronomical
world, and while we seem 10 be a long
while getting there, the trend Of things Is
toward greater economy in the eNpendi-
ture Of human energy, and it is barely
possible that conditions may be reached
under which a fairer distribution Of
wealth among those who participate in
its production will take place
The mechanic class, or what is moro
commonly called the 'lnboring class
what the French call the prolitaire-are
ahead Of the ministers in their conclu-
ions as TO what is needed 10 attain
higher social ground. They long ago
promulgated the doctrine that the
emancipation Of the working classes
must be accomplished by the working
classes themselves, and thut the solution
Of at least the economic problems that
are now before us Is the ownership Of
the tools Of production and exchange by
those who use them.
This is not a declaration that there
should be a wholesale conGscatiou Of tho
capital now existing, but that there
should be- "A total abolition of that that
Proudhon called property, and which he
said is robbery. Proudhon made IL dis
tinction between possession and propri-
etorship. lie claimed that possession
was the only right to the natural means
Of producing wealth, and that therefore
the laborer had q right 10 the possession
of the products of nature and his own in
dustry. Interest. profit and rent are
what Proudhon intimated were the re
suits Of property, and what made an
idle, nOn-prOducing class possible.
All classes Of social rrfDrmers, from
the most pronounced communists, such
as Baboeuf, CADET, Saint Simon, Fourier
and Louis Blanc, to the most extreme
individualists and anarchists, such as
Spencer, Proudhon. Herbert. Warren
and Andrews, see the force Of q posses
sion and use title to the products of nat
ure as a means of solving social indus
trial problems, something which seems
to have evaded the mental vision of the
local Baptist ministers. But how 10 se-
cure such a title is now the question the
reforners are trying 90 solve, but they
seem to get little assistance from the
ministers union.
modestly suggest that the reverend
gentlemen turn their attention to the
subject of freeing the land from the mo
nopolist and Spectator; Of giving the
country a sound currency, and of remOy-
ing inc paiFleTs that prevent the laborcr
from spending his earnings where ne can
get the most for them, If they are really
in earnest about solving the problem of
labor's rights and the capitalists Just
dues. These principles established uud
it is not much further to the real satiOu
Of the dreams Of the most enthusiastic
Utopian-as near, Mt any rate, as it is
possible for human nature to get.
While they may not be the most scien-
tifc or the most effective means of win
ming Industrial eonhiota, yst in the face
of facts ascertained by the statistical
bureau OF New York state and the ma
uonal government it cannot be denied
that strikes succeed more times than
they fail. The report Of the national
commissioner Of labor for 1887 shows
that out Of 22,3 Ol strikes from 1881 10
1886 inclusive, 10,375 were successful.
1904 were partly successful and 500
failed.
1t is known beyond question that the
cigar makers, ~stonecutters, bricklayers,
German printers, glassblowers and
others have established the eight hour
day through the ins"trumentality of
strikes, and the building trades generally
have materially reduced the hours OF
work by striking. The New York street
car men two years & reduced their
working day Of fourteen and sixteen
hours TO twelve by a very bitterly con-
tested strike. The building trades Of
London years & won the min hour
work day by a strike that lasted six
months. The great strikeof the London
lockers last year was surely not a total
failure.-Anthony in Detroit News.