The Washington times., 1895-03-28
CHURCH And The LABORERS
Attitude of the Protestant Oraaniza-
tions the Subject of Lecture.
Mr. J. G. Brooks Says It Is Being Drawn
Into Socialism-Why Labor Men
Do Not Attend Churches.

The relation OF the Protestant church to
the labor problem was discussed yesterday
afternoon by Mr. John Graham Brooks, of
Boston, before the school OF applied ethics
at Columbian University.
Mr. Brooks took as the representatives Of
Protestant activity in this direction the
Lutheran Church OF Germany and the High
Church OF England. He would not in
clude in his lecture the work of the
Protestant church in church institutional
work or that OF the Salvation Army, TO
both OF which, however, he gave ample
praise. Nor would he touch on the work
Of the dissenting church, That Of Mansfield
House, and other enceavors to work through
practical policy. It would be admitted
generally that there is 10 such unity in
the Protestant churches as there is in the
Catholic
In Germany the Lutheran Church is com
Eating socialism, which recently had be
come practically new religion, in which.
inmany places, ,theGospe! OF Ibsen wastaught
by lecturers and on the stage. The
Church is brought into direct contact
with socialism and was being drawn
into il 10 work for higher purpose than
socialism Itself. II was scattering broad
ahteratnre prepared by ylearnedmen whoare
endeavorng To counteract the movement
and III some respects work like the con
seTvatiVc element in the Catholic Church
AS To the position OF the high church,
MIR Brooks contended that il had gone
into the socialistic movement so far as
its adoption Of the cooperative system. the
trade-uHion movement and municipal
socialism are concerned.
Mr. Brooks drew the bread distinction
between the Catholic policy and the Pro
testant policies by asserting that the former
was aristocratic and the latter democratic.
A very Interesting part of the discussion
was that in which Mr.. Brooks noted that the
higher intellectual class Of socialists We're
abandoning mateTialiSm as bic to ac-
count for the higher phenomena.
Ia reply TO a question from lady III
the audience as to why the Catholic and
Protestant churches did not work together
OH this subject Mr.. Brooks said:
Socialism VIII eventually force them
to work together statement which was
greeted with much applause. He said
that in the organized charities of Boston
these churches work together in harmony
and that inthe last Protestantla P borcongress
i'll France there We're Catholic delegates.
Mr. Robert Parkman, of the knights OF
Labor, said that the question or why the
worklnemen of Washington did not go to
church was discussed 81 the last meeting
of the Brotherhood of st. Andrew here,
and that it was finally concluded 10 ask
the laborng men. Mr. Parkman said that
the question would be answered. The
speaker said that the ministers of London
,,sKeG the Socialist leader why the Social
lists did not attend church. The reply was
thatthe ministers sided with the rich against
the poor, and that the memorial OF the
ministers was out of place. The Social
lists spoke ofthe ministers on the chlorotorm-
ing agencies of the confiscating classes.
Mr. Brooks did not endorse the sentiments
of the reply,
Rev Dr. Kent made d few remarks at
the close OF the lecture, in which he ex-
pressed his regret that the clergy of the
city had not attended the lectures OF Mr..
Brooks