The morning times., 1895-09-16
1T RENDERS MEN S{lF||ss44
Or. Kent's Opinion of the Present
Competitive Labor System.
THE VALUE OF EDUCATION
Men should BE Taught the Divine
work-Moral Worth Depends Upon
the Right Use of the Power TO Earn
and 10 Help.

How tie present competitive system rem
opment of a love for useful employment,
was the leading thought in the discourse
of the Rev. Alexander Kent at The Peoples
Church yesterday morning.
p After Il glance at the dictionary definition
oflabur ard work aud comparison to Illus
trate how labor means work accompanied
by much friction and waste of energy, he
said:
"The rest which a true philosophy and re-
ligon promises is rest from labor, but not
from work. Even the Infinite knows moth
ing of rest as release from work. Eternal
being is eternal energy. True, an ancient
writer says, God made the world in six
days and rested on the seventh, wherefore
the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hal
lowed it
''But Jesus, when accused of breaking
the Sabbatic law, said: My Father work
eth hitherto. and | work The continuous
activity of nature needs no testimony be-
yond that of our own senses. Whatever
we may believe the Power at the heart
of nature to be, we cannot bat believe in its
incessant and unremitting activity, for
the movements, of nature go steadily for
ward, unbroken for moment, either by
Sabbath-o or darkness.
ELEMENT OF REAL FITNESS
IAN true education is a fitting for work,
and the first element of real fitness is a
perception of its divine beauty and dig
nifty, together with Il desire TO perform
it worthiiy and well. The chief value nf
a moral and religious education lies in
its power to produce this perception and
desire, and thus make men consciously
workers together with the Highest in-the
moral advancement of the nations.
''In the joy of this Consciousness of min
istry men are to find release from the
pain and drudgery and friction of toll and
just in the degree in which they get rid
of the friction and waste of soul force
in their work will they find it a pleasure
and delight and in it fiud rest And h.>
who can not find rest in his work Will
never find rest out of IT, Real rest can
only be found in those forms of activity
which contemplate the welfare of others.
MAN is social being and dependent
upon others in the measure that he is
civilized His moral worth depends upon
his sense o justice, and the first thing that
confronts him at maturity is the just de-
mand that he shall not only earn his own
living, but that he shall in return for the
care taken of him when helpless, add some
thing to the common stock from which the
helpless may be cared for in the future.
The only way to meet this demand is by
useful activity, and ii is only in such ac-
tivty that he can find happiness In this
spiritual worth and moral character are
developed
But the motives which rule men in their
working hours are the influences that mold
their characters, and the natives that must
predominate under the present system are
selfish They do not make employers just
or employees faithful
SELFISHNESS ON BOTH SIDES.
THE employer has become so from
a hope to appropriate to his own use part
at least of what his men earn. He does
not share with them his profits, but devotcs
all he can get to better food and clothing
or finer residence. lis employees are
held down to a bare subsistence that be
may be rich and popular in his circle.
This dwarfs his manhood, while it fills
his Golfers on the other hand the en-
ploye is such because he thinks he can do
better for himself that way than he could
working Independently. He is usually
careless of his employers interests and
makes himself especially useful only in
hope of promotion.
lis it possible for men controlled by
such thoughts to develop unsalfishness and
brotherly love in the few hours that are
devoted each week to other things than
business? The moral condition of bust
ness to-day is the best proof that such pur-
poses are in their very nature unfavorable
to the development of moral worth, the
first element III which is supreme regard
for the general good.
Competition for bread and gain, under
social conditions which close the door
OF opportunity to many and make il i'm
possible for all to win is brutaliZing and its
influence on all who are crowded out
or do the crowding.
Labor, under such conditions, has no
more tendency to foster moral growth
than have the competitive struggles OF
beasts of prey. 1t is the glory OF human
nature that a good degree of brotherly
spirit works itself into the activities of
men, even under system that offers pre-
MUM upon selfishness.''
hundred thousand pairs of eyes
will see your Want "Ad" IL it's in