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

the modern church. II looks quietly upon
1.-THE wre,chedness Of the people and makes
4. no systematic attempt 70 reach the real
cause e. If ever there was time when a
crusade was needed. it is now. No holy
sepulcher has fallen into the hands OF in
fideis. but the privileged classes have rob-
bed the common people Of their liberties
and are rioting in luxury while their VIC
tins starve. -
But the church. as a church, will make
no war upon the predatory rich. because it
lis a believer in the economical system
4 which produces them, and here we reach
the idea wish to make clear: The church
! is not for labor and cannot be for labor
simply because it is a pensioner on the
system from which labor suffers. What
do you expee, labor to think OF the church
when. in addition to its utter failure to do
something for the amelioration OF the con-
dition Of the toilcrs. it is rapidly becoming
one of the institutions Of wealth, exclu-
siveness and aristocracy' The other day,
,according to the papers Trinity church,
New York, paid 100000 for a piir Of
doors ,..nd In thu shadow OF the place they
adorn, the weary. ragged, homeless search
ers for work freeze and ,tarve! Christ
did not raise the barrier OF wealth. be-
tween himself aud the people. The I'M
,osIng temple. with which yon inclo-''
your religion are rs stcrnly hibitory
n. iron l,,.F+. .rl,.r.-l u no affinity between
a velvet cushion and Il pair Of Ov,rall>: no
community of interest between satin and
calico. There j. nothing 80 keelly cruel
~ the pcltronizing air OF the well-'ress'tl
man toward his intellectual equal In less
fortunate circll,n .,ances. And do not for
get that the laboring people are becoming
intellectual: they think. they read, they
rise In mental culture. Our swiftly adj
vlnciiig civilization Is ieveline Down all
intellectual 1ines. but strengthening those
drawn byMs.l,h: 4ltEHt
do not forget that the church makes IL
prptense Of reaching the lowiy and OF 'lo-
ing practical work for this world. Per-
haps the most notable example Of this l.
the work OF DR.. Parkhurst OF New York
ii geutlsln'u, who Is tryingto cure social
lrpro.y by toIturing the unfortunate vic
Tins. II this energetic disciple OF Calvin
would set about bailing ont the Atlantic
ocean with te;icnp he would mike better
progress. create less misery, and secure
nearly us much free advertising. Besides
such work us that Of DR.. Parklurst, the
church conducts certain charities, c:llcii-
lated to relieve IN slight degree the nis-
cry which everywhere abounds. and ju.-
-ticc compeis me to say that II comes just
about Us near being II rational remedy for
poverty as sympathy is for tootllachr.
With all the organized charities, We ARE
surrounded by poverty. 'wretclle,lness and
rags. Nobody Is hungry because there Is
u famine, hut because the greedy have
more than plenty. Part Of the people are
ragged because Others have big surplus
Men are not homeless because they are
lazy, but BECAUSE Others have legally stu
len the fruits Of their labor. The streets
are filed with mendicants-the highways
swarm with tramps. The wellt, cheated
by labor has, by cunning laws, been drawn
to the priyaegsi class. The labor which,
shoulL li.ive bech' expended upon cottages
has been used to erect palaces AMI tent
pies, of which the church holds it, full
share. The rich are f,asting-the poor
filsting-lnughter mingled with groins.
A plutocracy, powerful, arrogant and
heartless, l. deliberately reducing thecom-
mon people to serfdoni. This Is the con-
dition of labor, and from IT, ten thousand
palactStlle church looks on imhoNed.
La nssbccandld. swlat lns tlie'church
done for labor? By what acts have our
Interests been advanced? Has Il ever In
creased wages by one penny, secured one
jot VI favorable legislation, or taken one
single step toward the changing Of our
industrial system? IL l. has to its credit
one single distinct act, us afchIirci. that
has materially Improved the conditions Of
labor, I Invite you u name It. =. > -,
1t Is NOT strange. then, that the cry goes
mp from the pulpit, that labor h leaving
the church. Blind 10 must be, indeed, and
totally indifferent to the pain, inflicted by
social caste. IL It pursued any other course.
Ldboti cannot be cajOled by flattery, nor
duped by a-littla artificial wpFk, There Is
fractiOas NRaS " ttelleSOring peOI
pie In the relfebnt.the-yast body IL on
the eaisside Mud Will sthy there willie this
70 You will fihd This view well
nigh universal In labor circles do not
know a leader Of recognized Standing
und intelligence inIthe labor world who
lOokswith favor upon the attitude Of the
church toTFsitt,a cpmYops PeppseFT
HG&&atul koEifishiad the
cause Of labor; II II would lend q, hand, ip
the great reform movement, 4 mug flFPS
. return 70 tue simple, creed, Of Christ; 1t
must be- by iretrselng the .psth leading
back Tor eenturicsJ 81 II must b by cutting
icpse ths n,OOribgs1 and itiriting Spdft |
from ,plptccracy. i, must earnestly GEEK |
10 solve the greaiest, problem Of ouF ilaS |
Il! H1aEg9S 4! !5 ss::E i !;
IL sOuHHzy ana sforgsOthgssplf sattTest
involved In the question.