Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-06-23
LABOR AND CHURCH.

luc tOiOWihH ioh wv P""y
Times is published by request, and
IF you see it in the-NEws you may
bet, Il il true Read it. every line
of il, and then mediate upon IL; :.
Labor had an inning at the annual ban
quet Of the Congregational club, recently
held at the Grand Pacific. Chicago. Prob.
ably 400 or 500 people were present.
Thirty or forty of them were ministers and
the remainder churchmen, many OF whom
count their wealth by hundreds of thous.
ands of dollars Three lone representa-
tives of labor sa, a, the eastern side.of the
hall, sampling the vands and trying to feel
at home in the flashing Of so many dia-
mond shirt studs L. T. OBrien and L.
w. Rogers had been asked to criticise the
attitude of the church toward labor. 1T 1t
could be done, and their prompt accept
ance of the challenge seemed to imply
that they thought it could.
After the usual preliminaries the chair
man introduced the first speaker, Mr..
Rogers was received with lively applause,
but Il was the last he got When he began
TO speak the audience settled-into solemn
silence. and. as it became plain thai the
speakers intention was to expound naked
and unpalatable truth. there were sidelons
glances between pastors and wealthy lay
men which seemed to inquire, who is re-
sponsibe for this bunder'". The speakers
had been urged to speak their mind" and
they did it to the limit The audience
we're evidently surprised and startled; and
listened in,ently, bu, silently, to the IN.
pleasant facts Mr. Rogers said:
Mr., Chairman and Gentlemea;-4-hase
no quarrel with the church about its theol-
ogy. We will not carry this discussion
beyond the clouds Let us keep close to
the earth tonight. don't want to find out
whether the rich man will embrace the
poor man in paradise. but whether he will
giveIhim justice here. Labor is less anx-
ious to learn how TO lay-up treasures in
heaven than to know how to get bread on
earth. So, In this 'diseussion,s we will be
painfully practical Whether the, miracles
are facts or fiction whether Jonah was a
reality or a myth. has nothing to do with
the feeding OF the huagry.-Aad-s SO in tho
beginning, lay down this proposition;
Whatever may be the acknowledgement the
church about Che future Whatever may be
It's power to help humanity in the worldto
: ome-it can only ada to its usefulness by
doing something to,help it in this
We are nation classes : The lines
of social caste are drawn with heartless
cruelty. That class known as the labor
ing people" is struggling for equality-is
asking for simple justice. And what. your
committee asks, docs i, wanta t,wants an
honest share OF the wealth it creates. It
wants such conditions as shall permit fair
distribution of what is produced 1t wants
to abolish the conditions that enforce idle
ness.-It wants free access 10 the resources
ofsnature. 1t wants. a return 40 the prim-
tive rights OF man. 1t wants to abolish
the monopolistic Privileges which stand
bstwesn il, and. prosperity. III
lit wants a northumberland souS hand
system, which us .reiic Of the barbarous
past-4whichi is formed upon ths bloody
conquest of royal robbers. which grew out
of the ability of the strong to trample up
on the weak. and which today guarantees
a continuation of that infamous principle.
II wants the useless fortunes of the few
replaced by the prosperity OF the many,
II wants cottages instead Of palaces, il
wants homes instead Of nuts ftwants an
adjustment of our yretchcd inequalities,
Itlwants an eduah chance. IL wants to es-
cape from this vast prison-honss Of ipover.
~. II wants a shelter besides the Sky; il
wants something to eat besides crusts; It
wants something TO wear besides rags! -
The struggle is bstssea eapilal and h.
Dor. between wealth AID poyerys Where
on this question doss,ths church stand
I do not speak of the ideal church. but the
church as it is kao w where il started.
i know where Christ stood pc Nsi for
the poor. He warned theHch sanh he de-
nounced force and ws alh Ind ashyS He
toadied no monopolist;- preached from
he sold no pcwsl He was Of
and-ferthe people, He .mingled,with the
muititude;--he wept.with the sorrowfui; he
comfossdo the, mourning. he healed the
SeB HIdenuuncsd thS wIo6e h% te
found H., beodid practell kSA 4of tbs
worlGlubi1 ~ ~ Il A.
He built no cathedrals, made no arti1
fetal dispRy'i4is made tka' thdftH inn
pOsinsasSEy .byn rs moral grandeur. He
preached Hen tbe pulpit st the huc cRs1
never accused 81 sympafhizing with
vealfhpRdm4Eef, tyt WIZ hEted rbecause
lsAS ls,, To- tsa, J about srppass, of
hia tiReH II lie hid Jivb6todsy ihefr is
to suppose H64 hes wD,ld mot
hsid,ihe same position, pssaeh--fr6m the
eorpafs OF the. streets deneunce the
wealth worshiping CLASSES Of ,oar lines.
md Draw upon himself the bitter hatred
nfah9 press and shSleOId =aiSaaiR- f5ke