The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-07-13
CAPITAL AND BOR.

o the consideration OF the subject from Chris {
ian standpoint, there are many statements that
are quite independent of any restricted connec-
ion, and are of equal interest to the churchman
and non-churchman. 1t appears to us proper
and right for the church TO apply her principles
and ethics to solution of the question, for it is
what her members have right to expect and
at the same time it cannot fail to be of interest
and profit for any ene to listen to the thought
full utterances of the trained and profound
thinkers of the pulpit on the question.
We publish with great pleasure the synopsis
of a sermon delivered by Rev. DIR. Hollingshead, |
Pastor of the NJ. E. Church of this city, at the |
union meeting Sunday night at the Disciple |
Church. 1t is worth careful perusal:
" The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord
is the maker of them aH."-PRov. XxIL 2.
There is q fierce and bloody contest raging
between Capital and Labor. The papers are
full of the details of the scenes of carnage on
the banks of the Monongahela. In Homestead,
Pa, and our nearest city, Cleveland. two weeks
ago was on the edge of crater. Our land and
other lands are in feverish state, and the best
thought OF every patriot should be given to this
struggle. 1 will give you few words on this
burnin & question. l will first speak of Capital
Without capital, or the power to create 1t, we
would be below the beasts that perish we
would find the brute creation setin battle array
against us, and would be helpless to resist tnelr
aggressions. The supply of food would be
scanty and wonderfully uncertain. 1t would
be only such as nature gives the feeblest hand.
the roots of trees, worms from the sod, snalls
from under foot. plants of the field berries from
tho trpac
precarions living. We would be the sport of
tickle nature, the victims of change. In sum-
mer we would burn with heat, in winter would
be consumed with terrible cold. We. to to avert
| these ills display boarding impulse. or the
property holding instinct. This would fore
| shadow the capitalist, yet only dimly. for the
ants gather their meat in summer, the bees
gather stores of honey the chlrplng squirrel
gathers nuts for the time of need, yet these are
| not capitalists. The primitive man hnds clay
/ in the bed of running stream he shapes IL
| into darts or axes and these harden into hints
Possessed of these he is capitalist, With these
he can pierce the bird, spear the FISH Kill the
beast or PROSTATE the tree. He aow has feath-
| ers tor ornament, or arrows. bones for needles
and knitting, sinews for ropes, hesh tor ioou.
| skins for tents and clothing. He can then make
nets for fl n, traps for beasts and snares for
| birds, and thus adds to his capital. He is now
| no longer dependent on nature. but compels
| nature to serve him. He can kindle fire and
manage (which no other being on earth can
do. Ii can smelt ores and make tools, SO ne
| can build boats and ride out upon the waves
| where fish are more abundant. He can puiVer-
| ize the earth and mabe it golden under loot.
Thus by capital he can shield his life, gain the
| mastery over the elements and gain dominion
| over the birds, beasts and fish He can get
whatever will add to his comfort and minister
! to his qualification. Thus step by step he rises
| In the scale of civilization. His flint becomes
| in time Winchester rifle, his canoe swift
ocean steamer. his knife reaper. binoer and
1 thresher. The skies are darkened with the
smoke from his furnaces. the land shakes with
the strokes of his enter prise. factories dot
| the world and the air is thick with sparks from
| a thousand forges. Pen can never write tongue
can never tell, the story of the achievements of
capital. In our time capital has combined, or
| ganized and concentrated as never before, and
| the massing of enormous fortunes has made
possible amazing public works. We have as
the results strong, swift ships to plow the sea,
short ways to the land of sunrise. We have
/ long tunnels blasted through the hard est noun
| tains; millions of acres OF pestilential marsh
| turned into OF ange bowers and blooming gar
dens; steel bridges swinging over deep ravines
| and spanning our widest rivers; railroad tracks
| of steel from ocean to ocean; telephones chang
ing our cities into speaking galleries. cables
| under the deepest oceans. telepraphs ike
living network covering the continents, all the
arts of peace and all the sinews of war; these
things that crown the glory of our age are the
fruits of aggregated capital. That which has
flied the age with the cry OF victory and the
world with The story of maj velous achievements
is now shaking the hearts OF men with fear
Labor b as produced capital and been its close
partner. working hand in hand for the good ot
all. These God has joined together. and no one
should put asunder. The CORDS of cordiality
are now broken, the relations sorely strained
Contest after contest has taken place, even biooc
has Redeemed the earth, and today the blood o
men is crying from the ground. To discuss the
, unhappy contest we must rehearse in outline
at least the cause or causes leading to the crisis
upon us:
l. Many employers have put the stamp o.
degradation upon labor. The rules by which
their works are run treat employees as If they
were convicts rather than citizens of grea
free nation.
g. They have organized to protect capital and
have blacklisted the men who organize in tht
interest of labor.
8. They compel men to take trade out of com
pany stores Called pluck me stores) and rent al
high rates houses unfit for health or comfort
where the children are exposed to vice anc
crime of every sort,
They have lowered wages and taken ad
vantage in weights and measures ii i men coulc
not keep their families from the criminal classes
| and have oppressed women in the prices Iol
sewing and other work that death and dishonol
|. have been welcome before such hardship.
|. g. In mills and mines. in torges and factories
in public works and lines of travel. little regard
has been shown for health. or limb, or life. Tht
greed of gain has swallowed up every consider
alton of interest in the welfare of Society.
6. In order to reduce workingmen 10 degree
tn at makes life bitter. they have brought ovel
the degraded populations of foreign lands ant
swelled the list of our dangerous classes; ever
lepers from Asia. and filthy persons from
opium dens.
z. The dollhouse way of making fortunes by
swallowing the subscriptions of the people &C
railroads, the watering of stock. &C.. till the
great fortunes endanger the public rights and
individual welfare.l
They have the key to our legislative halls and
by the use of money worked the most shameful
outrages ON private rights and public enter
prises, corrnpting juries, causing judicial scan.
dals. buying legislatures. Congress and Senate
getting enormous rates for government con
tracts. receiving millions of acres of the public
domain. Like the greedy grave, never salts
fed; like the hungry sea. never full; like the
horse leeche's daughter ever crying give give
Riches, like fire. are excellent servants, but
terrible if they gain the mastery. In days when
one city can tell of 75 millionaires. and men all
over our land have vast fortunes. the struggle
against such forces is almost hopeless.
/ Mr. Carnegie has millions. and with his vast
industries, protected. can give millions away
| With plan to reduce 400. men from % to 60 per
cent. it seems cruel and heartless to pass by
the civil power and send by night great force
| of Pinkerton men, with stores of ammunition
and the deadliest weapons, who appeared on
| the scene with threat to NOW down the men
who stood for their rights. 1t was as wise as
to put red hot poker into magazine OF gun
powder. 1t was a blurder and crime, and on
the authors OF the plan rests the blame for the
horrid slaughter and bloodshed of the past week
and other consequences to follow.
| LABOR When we speak of the laborer we do
| not include the pauper. He is out OF the strug
| pIe His productive power has gone, The weak