The Portland daily press., 1895-10-15
IT Is OVER.


the other with the larger part of it's ex
euse for being. We must admit the grad
ual widening and deepening of the gulf
which separates the two classes.
"The question before us is what the
Christian churches of the country can dc
to improve the industrial situation.
81. The Christian church is not re-
quired to take either side of this quarrel
Manifestly the right is not all ON one side
''2 Nor is the church often called tc
act as umpire in labor disputes. There
may be, there should be, broad minded
Christian men who could act in this Ca
pacity; but it is not the function Of the
church.
's3. The church is called to bear one
clear word of testimony. l. must declare
and proclaim that all this bitter strife,
which constantly tends TO break out in
acts of violence, is needless and wicked
and that some way must be found of
putting an end to it.
81 There is subtle Paganism under
lying much of our literature, and finding
utterance in the counting room, and the
newspaper office, and sometimes, though
not often in these days, from the chair
of the professional economist, which
holds that strife is the normal relation
of human beings; that the struggle for
life must go on, the more fiercely the
better, and that all attempts to mitigate
it are Dootless sentimentalism; that
society is perfected by the warfare which
eliminates the weak and enthrones the
strong. When the church has sometimes
ventured to challenge this philosophy she
has been told peremptorily to stick to
her own province that her business is to
save souls One is curious to know what
is meant by a souls being lost If it is
not lost when it accepts and practices
this philosophy; and how any soul can
be saved which continues to make this
philosophy the rule of it's life.
"5. The Christian rule of life requires
no impossiblities. 1t does not demand
that any man shall destroy himself in
serving his neighbor. Employers of
labor sometimes deny that it is possible
to conduct business enterprises on phil
much higher than the market rate were
paid, not only would there be no profit,
but the capital itself would be speedily
consumed and the business destroyed.
Workmen do undoubtedly. in. their
selfish consideration of their own inter-
est, often demand the killing of the goose
that lays the golden egg. The Christian
law requires no employer to yield to any
such demand
6. Nevertheless there is a sense in
which every Christian mans business
must rest upon philanthropic basis.
The law of love is the law of every Chris
tian mans life, and that law must furnish
sbe Tegulatiye principle OF his business
1t requires an employe to ask for his ser
vices no.nore than is just and fair, and
to give, in return for his wages, just as
mucn and just as good service as he can.
It does not require of him overwork that
shall impair his strength, it does not ask
t at he shall sacrifice his health for the
o omotion of his employers welfare. but
it expac,s him by faithful, loyal, hearty,
willing service, to do as much as he can
for his employers welfare
s'Iho law Of love requires the merchant
to ask for his goods no more than is Just
and fair, and to give, in every transaction
as much as be can afford to give to his
customers. 1t farbids him to enrich him
seIi by taking advantage of his neighbor's S
necessities. Consequently he must not
only nos deceive by short measures. and
concealed authorizations, and false state
ments about his wares, he must also seek
to give as large n value MS he can to every
purchaser. This is what it means to be
a Christian in trade; it is not only to
esfain from short yardsticks and sanded
sugar and all other frauds and falsehoods.
1t is to recognize the fact that the lner-
ehant like every other honest man, is the
servant of the community, and he ought
to make his service just as complete and.
efficient as 1t ran be made.
stThe application OF this law tosthe en-
ployer OF labor is not less obvious. There
may be occasions when he can get labor
ut starvation prices. Market prices are
sometimes starvation prices. But he
will not build up his own fortunes by
the employment of men and women at
wages which involves or threaten their
physical or moral deterioration. The
man who disobeys or evades this law OF
love in this relation is not Christian no
matter how piously he may talk nor how
II any colleges he may build with his ILL
Ectten gains, nor how many ministers he
may send on European tours.
T. ''The adoption Of the Christian prln-
cipIc in industrial society must be the
mutual act of employer and employe. 1t
Is obvious that il the workmen were
Christian while the employer was
Pagan, the thing would not work very
well-and vice versa Many employers
have tried to act upon the Christian prin-i
ciple and nave found very little DISPOSE
tion among their mon to reciprocate. NO
wonder that Uhe employer is tempted to
go back 10 the Pagan way. But this is
his opportunity to help in Christianizing
society.
s. 'sTha SERIOUS effort to follow the
Christian law in any industrial groun