St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-18
The Need for a. Better UNDER
standing Between Capital
and Labor.
Rev. Thomas McClary Deliv-,
ers a Sermon on a Per-
tinent Topic.
The Duties of Employers to
Employees Lueidly Set
Forth.
Profit Sharing Endorsed and
Slaughter on Railroads
Denounced.

Rev. Thomas McClary. in his sermon
last evening at the Bates Avenue NJ. E.
church, touched upon the present strin.
gency between capital and labor, as in
stanced by the Homestead strike and
the difficulties arising among the miners
of Idaho. He took for his text Col. w..
l, Masters give unto your servants that
which is just and equal, knowing that
| yeaalSo have master in heaven" The
reverend gentleman said that the
| Bible is a true friend to labor
| and advocates the principles on
which it can be wisely regulated.
Out of the providential relations sus-
tanned grow certain responsibilities to
both men and masters that cannot be
ignored. Tonight wish TO speak upon
some things which the capitalists, as
corporations, owe. their employees.
THERE'S Samson in every corporation
The time was when employers worked
|, beside their men. in field and shop and
mill. The new phase of business has
placed them far away, perhaps in an
other country. They govern through
agents who are supposed to carry out
their wishes. dictated from that mySteri-
Gus place, the general Office. These
capitalists will have less interest in
their men thar. they would have if they
were among them and knew them, yet
from their relation they are bound to
see:
First-1hat the lives of those they
employ are not ruthlessly sacrificed.
ssThOu shalt not murder" means more
than that thou shalt not shoot or stab
or poison. 1t means that you shall not
by careleSsneSs, Indifference or lgnOr-
ance needlesSly expose others. Human
life IS the'cheapest thing we have to
! deal WITH" said railway man
ager.. ut is cheaper for us to
kill than to-, MAIN person.
Much of the suffering and death come
from a lack of proper care and the per
SOnal interest of employers in their
men. Greed and haste hinder the proper
caution, and the scaffolding breaks, the
bridge falls. the mine eXDlOdeS, the
PinaertonS are fastened i'll to bring
men to time who should be cOerced by
the law or calm argument, and life is
sacrificed. On railways men are slaugh-
tered by hundreds and thousands be-
cause companies will not put in safety
car-couplers and fill the frogs
In the Switches.
A widow, Just from the funeral of her
son who had been killed OIL the road
while coupling cars. said to HE. lit
seems SO hard that Charlie had to be
killed Just througha neglect of some
one" One years report showed one
death to every 3e6 trainmen employed
on the railways and one injury to every
thirty-three persons employed. So far
as employees can prevent this they are
responsible for not doing it.
Second-There Is responsibility in
regard to the places i'll which men and
women toll. Why should they be
| crowded into cold. cherries rooms,i
where filthy odors and impure air exist,
and where colds, fevers, consumption,
and almost every disease are created
or developed. when little care might
man out to labor it was in pure air,
clear sunshine. sweet perfume and joy
Gus SONGS of birds, and from them all
he drew vitality. When they lifted the
statue of Lincoln to its place III the
rotunda of the capitol, ray Of sunshine
burst through parting cloud aud fell
upon the forehead. A workman stand
ing by and seeing it said, "God bless
| him; that's as it should be-" l can take
you to many places where the rooms of
| toll are bright with the sun. wholesome
with pure air and fragrant with flowers.
| Third--The capitalists should not in
| jure laborers by 0verwOrk. Many are
| goaded on, like ''dumb, driven cattle,''
pressed beyond endurance to keep their
| places and earn enough TO support
| themselves. Too little rest and too
| long hours of labor-it is the old story
of brickmaking in Egypt; the task must
be done even at the end of the lash.
| Thank God for the blessed Sabbath that
comes into our lives, day as yet Sc,
cured to us, though greed Is trying hard
| to wrest it from cur heritage. RE
member the SABBATH day to- keep it
holy" is Gods advice to weary toilefs.
FOurth-lt is also obligatory that an
employer should treat his help with re-
spect. The man i'll wOrkaday clothes,
| the girl from shop and factory, are as
deserving of courteous treatment as if
riding in a carriage or walking in silks
| Ii iaboring people were taken more into
confidence and matters were talked over
with them az to questions of reducing
wages or changing times and orders,
they would feel more respect for them
selves and others, and be more manage
able.
Proper Remuneration.
Fifth-Employers are obliged to prop
erly remunarate their labOrers. That
which is just'' is the Bible rule. 1t is
not just to take advantage of their ne
ceSSlties and take theirwOrk for less
| than it is worth just because they must
work or starve. 1t is not Just to make
| money out of them by keeping back
their pay for weeks and months after it
is earned The old Bible rule was that
| the wages should be paid every day;
now it is kept for months. and adds to
the capital of the employer. 1t is
he is properly remunerated. The s
value of his work, the necessities
of life should all be taken into account.
| 1t seems just that dilligent laborer
should receive enough for cOmforta-
| BILE support. 1 do not include money
| for rum and tobacco or any indulgence
| that Injuries body and mind, but for
| wholesome food and drink, a comforta-
BILE place to live in, comfortably fur
| nished, proper clothing. little recrea-
| ton, something for benevOlence, food
also for the mind in the way of books
| and papers, also accomplishments for
| his family. Some one hOoted the idea
that mechanics daughter or labor
| ing girl should have the luxury of
piano. Why not? Why has she
| not as good right to it
as the daughter of millionaire?
| Is it not just that, In addition to sal
| aries paid, there should be some share
| In the profits of the business after rea-
| sonable interest has been paid on the
| money invested, and reasonable sal
ary paid to the owners? The cooper
alive plan has been tried with good re-
| suits in many cases. l wonder if, while
| Mr.. Carnegie has been making his mill
ions, he has ever shared with his men
the gaining come from their toll? am
glad to tell you that in our own state
| the protit-sharing has been tried. In
| the Pillsbury mills the propriet0rs some
years ago had distributed $685.
| 900 in addition to the payment
| of liberal wages, and when they
could not declare dividend they
frankly gave the men the reasons. 1--WE
have failed to receive any returns for
our capital invested or for our own hard
| work and anxiety" And they asked
| patience and extra diligence on the part
| of the men, with the hope Of better re-
| turns the next year.
SIXTH believe that emperors should
have an interest in the intellectual
moral and spiritual condition of those