The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-07-11

Il
Rev. Powick, in the Methodist Episcopal
church. and the other by Rev. Robert
o Boyle, in the Trinity Reformed church.
REV. PowICKs VERSION.
The sermon at the Methodist Episcopal
church on Sunday evening was on the
recent riots at Homestead. The text was
from Matt XXV-19. after long time
the lord of those servants cometh and
reckoneth with them" Whether we have
five talents or only one we are only stewards
and are equally responsible to our Master
for the use we make of them. If this fact
had been kept in mind at Homestead the
recent conflict had been impossible. We
hear much in the newspapers about the
'majesty of the law and the duty of up
holding it." The claim is broadly made
that the giant corporation has a right to
employ whom it will-to pay what it will
and to defend its property as it will. All
this is very good so far as human laws are
concerned but it ignores those higher and
diviner laws to which all human laws
must eventually bow. 1t takes no account
of common stewardship and human
brotherhood. According to the newspapers
this deplorable conflict arose out of a
premeditated attempt of organized capital
to crush labor for organizing, as capital has
done, to protect itself. While labor or
gsnizations have often been tyrannical this
affords no excuse for the inhumsnity Of
refusing to confer with labor in the present
case because it happens to be organized.
To say that organized capital has right to
refuse to employ organized labor may be
to utter legal commonplace but it is to
say that might make right. In the light of
higher than human laws we may fairly ask
what right has any man to acquire such
wealth and to absorb such establishments
as to admit Of him practically holding in
his hands the destinies and fixing the
wages of forty thousand men, and enforcing
his will at the muzzle of Winchester
rifles, while he himself is rolling in count
less millions of the property of their
common Fsther2 Legal right, to be sure,
he has, but moral right he has not.
There are at least two causes operating to
produce this state of things. One is to be
found in two features of our industrial sys-
tenn which are incompatible with each
other, viz. that which protects capital
against foreign products while at the same
time exposing labor to the competition of
foreign workmen. But this is question
| for statesmen rather than ministers. And
that it is not question of psltry psrtizsn-
ship but of life or death to our honest
| ii hr ,f..It .. =
share of their heavenly Fathers estate
was written in human blood the other day.
| The other and the deeper cause is found in
the covetousness of the rich and the envy
of the poor. Legislation may do some-
| thing to remedy the former but only the
grace of God can reach the latter. 1t is
| because of consummAte selfshness in the
hearts of men that we have so many labor
and other troubles. 1t is not only seen in
millionaires who organize gigantic monop-
olies to suck the life's blood of the Millions
but in those of smaller means who will
shut their eyes TO the manner in which
dividends are earned-whether by the rem
dering of needful and useful service or by
the desecrstion of the holy Sabbath as in
stsnced in the running Of Sunday trains
and the publication of Sunday newspapers.
This avsricious age needs to learn no lesson
more than that "a mans life consisteth not
in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth" but in their adoption to meet
the demands of his higher nature. And
until the covetous rich and the envious poor
learn it there will be found no remedy for
these periodical outbreaks. 1t is no sin to
be rich and no virtue to be poor. We
have to thank God that success has crowned
the efforts and wealth fallen into the hands
of some Of the noblest men and women
God eyer made who are using it for the
glory of God and the good of humanity.
When either wealth or poverty becomes an
instrument of oppression to others it be-
comes a curse TO all. Happy the man who
from the depths of an honest heart can
pray "Giye me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with food convenient for me; lest
be full and deny Thee and say who is the