The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-02-23

:,
fraternal bodies of men stand on the
purest moralities of the Christian re-
ligion. If the Christian religion is
against anything, it is against mo-
nopoly. If the Christian religion is
in favor of anything it is in favor OF
fraternity and cooperation. 'The
princes of the Gentiles exercise domin-
ion over them, and they that are
great exercise authority upon them"
These princes and great ones are
classified orders of men, one order
ruling the next lower order. This is
the natural graduation OF aristocracies
and monopolies. But" said Jesus,
sit shall not be so among you. But
whatsoever will be great among you,
let him be your servant. And who
soever will be chief among you let
him be your bond servant" Here is
the essence of fraternity and co oper-
alton, and of helpful brotherly love.
Even the chief ones, the rulers them
selves, are to be bound as servants,
to the subordinate body. To be sure
then, they are not to be masters.
There should be no mastery any
more than one brother should pre-
sumo to be master over another in
the same household. Brothers in
blood may serve one another and
protect one another and love one an
other, but not usurp masterful au-
thority over each other. For one is
the ma. ter even their father.
Well - these Christian doctrines
underlie our American fraternities
and labor organizations. 1t don't
alter the fact of their origin because
they got there in ignorance of their
true name. Although these doctrines
are called humanity and charity and
justice and equity, and right and
moral, and SO on ad imfnatatm, yet
they are Christian principles all the
same. And they shine like lovely
gems in the written platforms of
the largely unchurched bodies of
men. For instance, l quote from one
of the first, the New England Pro-
tective Union, organized nearly forty
years ago QS4h): Protective charity
and concert of action are the means
to our end" 1--WE must proceed
from combined stores to combined
shops, from combined shops, to com
bined houses, from combined houses
to joint-ownership in Gods earth,
| the foundation of ALL" This is the
peaceful communism of our Lord
Jesus himself. From the Sovereigns
of Industry of twenty years ago, l
quote their motto, = Capital aud
Labor, Friends, not Enemies" This
order" said they, SIS an association Of
the Industrial classes without regard
to race, sex, color, nationality or occu-
patton. 1t is not founded to wage
war against the rich, but for mutual
improvement and self protection."
That is good religion and morality
too. And out of that organization
sprung the Patrons of Husbandry,
and the Grane ers. The Knights of
Labor are twenty five years old. Their
first declaration of principles told the
world this: "We will endeavor to as
sociate our own labors, to estai lish
cooperative institutions, to supersede
the wage system by the cooperative
industrial system" That is the pure
socialism of Jesus. And if we search
all the American labor organizations,
and their name is legion, we shall
find like peaceful and moral intent.
And the same is still more largely
true of the distinctive social fratern-
tiles, with the addition of reverent
and fully religious basis for the old
est of them all, the Ancient Order If
Free and Accepted Masons.
What mighty moral and political
power here isl The American FEEDER
alton ofLabor reported 1000 Unions
last year with membership of 610,
900, and 1900 additional Unions, af-
filisted but not reported. The Amer
lean fraternities reported last year s
membership as over 100000. TT Q
Masons and Odd Fellows head tie
list with membership of over 700,-
600 each. The Grand Army of IL Q
Republic has 100000 members and 8
really a fraternal organization. And
all of these vast and multiplied OIL
carnations rest on an underlying
organic morality which the Lord
Jesus himself would not repudiats.
The Argument.
Now the point of argument in favor
of the solid perpetuiiy of our Repub-
lie is here. These principles of Chris
tian morality and fra.eruity are diff