The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-28

gathered out of the past and of the pres
ent. 1t is a question upon which Chris
tan thinkers have had much to say. Pro-
fessor Richard T. Ely says that three
fourths of those who have written upon
the labor problem are ministers. 1t would
indeed be strange if the disciples of the
great Nazarene who was himself q car
penter, should not feel the vital import
ance of this subject.
The peculiar message that Christianity
brings to the science of political econo-
my, l think, is this: the value of every
man as man; the intrinsic value of hui
man life, as life; it would say to the man
who looks to the government to do every
thing for the individual: the socialist.who
is looking for the ideal government;
Christianity would say, that there is no
scheme; there is no government; there is
no combination of things that can manu-
facture character. that can manufacture
manhood; and | do not look for time
when we shall have an ideal government
until we have the time upon us wherein
we shall have an ideal man. ideal indiVld-
uals, with which to make up that govern
ment. 1t says on the other hand to the
apostle of the laissez faire theory the
mere let-alone theory of government
that there is a function for government
in this world.
The theory in political economy which
is called laissez faire is that which looks
upon the government as performing po-
lice duty alone; merely depressing the
evils of society and keeping hands off of
any attempt TO promote the general well
fare.
The assumption which underlies unre-
stricted competition in industrial affairs.
is the law of the survival of the titteSt;
that law however attractive - may be
upon its upper side is repulsive upon its
lower side; for the law of the survival of
the fittest means, of course. the killing
off of the untitled. If it means anything
it must mean that. Whether or not it IS
true in the realm of physical nature,
hold that the religion of Jesus Christ and
the ethics of the gospel are the natural
enemy of that theory as applied to hu-
man life. / do not believe that the high
est law of society is the survival of the
strongest and the killing out of the weak
est. The Christian believes that II is
wrong in its effects, and 1 am perfectly
sure that its results as we look at them
in the history of the past century have
been baneful.
In 1924 the first law was written in Eng
land, which allowed the laboring man to
organize for the defense of his own
rights. Almost all through this century
the law of laissez faire, has held full
sway. In 1886 there were four thousand
strikes in this country; and the loss estl-
mated at sixty million dollars for the
men and thirty-five millions to the en-
ployerS. The best results we can hope to
have from the system of unrestricted
competition. is an armed peace between
employer and employee; and [ cannot be-
leve for a moment that however much
better it is than things were in 1924,
cannot believe that an armed peace is
type of the peace which was set forth in
the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christianity
believes that the government has a func-
ton, and a sacred function. in the wei
fare of human society. Washington Glad
den has said that the Christian ideal is
perfect man in a perfect society. Now
Christianity does not stop when it con-
verts a man. Christianity says to every
Christian man that he must be interested
not only in his own salvation and his own
welfare. but If he is a Christian he must
be interested in the welfare of his fellows
also.
Christianity seeks not only to convert
individuals. but Christianity has laid out
for itself the mightier task of converting
institutions, converting public opinion,
the converting of government, and ma
tons, if you choose. 1t is not satisfied 10
make the man to whom this gospel comes
a citizen of heaven-though it under
takes to do that-but it does not propose
to carry him on fowery beds of ease 10
the other side of Jordan; it would make
him fit citizen of heaven by making
him a good citizen of earth. 1t believes
that the function of government lies
deeper and stretches further than mere
police duties. I think il was Washington
GLADDEN. who said that when the millen-
ium comes we shall find that the Lord is
something more than policeman A
government has something more to do
than simply to represS the evil tendency
of individuals. Christianity believes that
government and all the institutions of
government ought to be laid out and
ought 10 be executed along the
line of Christian principle And
Christianity has lost its vitality, if
it does not influence not only in
dividuals but institutions as well. I am
one of those who believe that when the
Kingdoms of this earth shall have become
the kingdoms of the Lord, that the con-
course of those assenblued powers shall
not be complete unless there shall be
ranged among them the kingdoms of
commerce and industry. I am one of
those who believe that there is the hand
of Providence moving, perhaps not fully
seen, but moving powerfully in the strug-
giles for organization in the industrial
world in this century. I believe that the
Lord has wider plans than any "denom-
ination" can include; than any church or
set of churches can possibly compass. /
would be a fool to discredit the work of
the church.: do not; but 1 do believe
that the church is simply one of the reg
iments in Gods mighty army moving to
the victories which he has for this CEN
fury. l believe that in the labor move
ments of this century there is provi-