The record-union., 1896-12-07
As TO LABOR and PROPERTY.
Rev. c. L. Mel Speaks on Their Rights
at ST. PauPS Church.
A Large Congregation, In Which the
Men Outnumbered the
Women.

WoIS Q0Cl0eQly IN the uLdJoiA@J'
sorts and conditions of men-men from
the railroad shops, men from the BANKS
stores, offices-in fact, from ali the
walks of life. In this respect the con-
gregation was phenomenal. 1t Is TO De
accounted for easily, however 1t IS Que
to Mr.. Mieps methods and to the SUD-
jects he Is at present dealing with from
his pulpit. He attracts men to MS serV-
ices by personal appeals made during
the week from shop to shop ana once TO
Office, and also by dealing with living
issues. The result is that the attend
ance at St. PauPs in the morning, and
especially in the evening, Is steadily IN
creasing and promises before long 70
tax to the utmost the seating accommo-
dations. .&f'8 81 q
Mr.. Mel has announced his intention to
try and make st. Paul's church home
for any and all people, and in this effort
he has already been largely successful.
Last night the service was bright and
brief, and the congregation joined
heartily in the singing. The preacher
began by saying:
"On last Sunday evening said our So
cial and economic conditions had great
ly changed during the past thirty five
years I attributed this change in the
main to the application Of steam and
electric power to multiplied machinery.
/ claimed that steam and electricity had
heaped wealth into the hands Of few,
and had done nothing to moralize the
uses of that wealth. Tonight and on
the two following Sunday nights pro-
pose to discuss the social conditions of
the times from the standpoint of social
ethics. For some time past the civilized
world has been in an unhealthy condi
tion socially. Whatever may be the
outcome. one thing is certain, the root
of the evil has not been touched, and so
long as the disease itself Is not treated
nothing much will be accomplished save
in the way Of postponement of a general
outbreak
so far we have been merely dealing
with ulcers which show themselves here
and there, now and then upon the body
polite; we have salved them, we have
scarrifled them, we have cauterize6
them, but the bad blood that has caused
them. that we have not treated at all.
Now, what is the cause of this bad
blood? How shall existing social condi-
tions be remedied? Such are the ques-
tions I propose to deal with on these
Sunday evenings in Advent. What then
Is the root cause Of our present unheal-
thy and menacing social conditions?
And Nabal answered David's serv-
ants and said, Who is David? and who
is the son of Jesse? There be many
servants nowadays that break away
every man from his master. Shall I
then take my bread, and my water, and
my flesh that I have killed for my
shearers, and give 1t unto men whom
know not whence they be?' So run the
tenth and eleventh verses of the twenty
fifth chapter Of the First Book of Sam
uel. Their pertinence to our present So
cial conditions is, to a degree, plain at
the outset. Here is one Of the earliest
recorded instances Of a clash between
the interests of employer and employe
Here the wealthman and the workman
stand face to face with hot hearts and
clenched hands.
Rev. Frederick Robertson, now dead,
who was one Of the most popular
preachers to workingmen, indeed to all
men, England has ever seen, once
preached a notable sermon on this same
subject. To that sermon I am indebted
for good deal Of what shall say to
you tonight; for some of the ideas I
shall submit to you, and, at times for
some Of the words in which those ideas
shall be clothed
1T was in David's day. as it is with
US, a time when the old social system
was breaking up. Old social conditions
were decaying, and out of them was
springing up a new order of things
Saul, the first of the great Jewish mon
archs, was on the throne, but he seldom
had time to fill it. Practically, his
throne was his tent and his scepter was
his sword. His rule was continually dis
puted. There was little law Certainly
there was no law covering the issue be-
tween Nabal and David. Each man In
this case was a law unto himself, sole
advocate and defender Of his own rights.
Here, then, was a condition bound, SO
long as it existed, to beget strife. Here,
In those old days. was history writing a
paragraph in the first chapter Of the
conflict between the rights of labor and
the rights of property-a conflict re-
peated from age to age, In various
places, under differing forms, but at
neart always the same.
Only the other day I heard thought
full and well-posted man say that In the
conflict between capital and labor,
which he regarded as certain, capita
must win-capital must always win, sc
he thought. Is 1t true? Those who dc
not feel the pangs of poverty; those who
are not absolute dependants upon capi-
tai; those who do not labor with their
hands, for the most part, wish II to be
true. and so get into the habit of think
ing 1t Is true. But Is it2"
Mr.. Mel answered this question by
several forcible illustrations. and went
on to speak of social equity and the
weight of comparison as factor in the
question of social position. Against So
cial wrongs, against oppression" he
said, 1--WE bid the workingmen of to-day
look to the law. Very often he fails tc
get such protection. Very seldom does
the cause of the needy prosper. OF old
the poor man could and did appeal to
the head Of his clan or tribe for pro-
lection against injustice and his cause
was generally righted. But the old tribal
chief has been succeeded by what we
call Government. To-day, in this coun-
try we have, nominally, government
OF, by and for the people, but practically
Of, by and for the wealthy.
TT makes little difference what great
party is in place q will not say in power
for our great political parties are under
power, are controlled by wealth.. the
Government is now now Of by and for the
people. The people elect. but they do not
control those whom they elect. For sup.
nose. no one viii venfilra to saw that oIll