The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-18
ERWIN ON ORGANIZATION.
TAI Pine" Addresses the Sunday
Night Lyceum.

Night Lyceum
The first of a series of Sunday even
ing meetings, under the auspices of the
trade and labor assembly, was held
last evening at Labor hall The pur-
pose OF the meetings, as ANNOUNCED by
FRANK Valesh, was to interest the un-
organized wage workers and form an
association for their interests and to ir-
tereSt the general public in the work
and also give tn members of the or
Jganzed labor an opportunity to study
and discuss the practical phases OF the
labor question
w. w. Erwin, who was the speaker
OF the evening, took for his subject
Organization" and advocated the fra
ternal law for the interests of mankind.
and more especially for the working
man. The age, he said, aspired to
give dignity to labor Men were lust
beginning to appreciate the fact that
labor was not slavery 1t was the
basis Of human existence. The civili-
cation Of this country and Europe was
based on the moral law. The moral
system had been tried and found want
ing and insufficient. Moral rules were
guide posts. and to keep between
these posts had been found to be futile
Some other thing than mere morality
was demanded in individuals and gov
ernments. Things were happening in
the world and producing an uprising or
evolution. Not by reason of any par
ticular leadership or one life, but by a
current unseen, but felt. Mankind
was moving toward another govern
ment than moral one. The move
ment was toward a fraternaI govern
ment where individuals would be bound
by ties of love and friendship and JUS
tjce. This fraternal necessity was a
prophecy of Jesus Christ 1900 years
ago. By taking this view Of the age
and watching it come from a moral to
fraternal system it can be readily
understood why the church is a dead
force
The church was built entirely for the human
morals Christ came to succeed Moses, and
put in place fraterDal rule instead of moral
rule. The church taught morals and not
fraternity, and far as the Advancement Of
the human race is concerned was as dead
as the Parthenon. Business men conducted
their business under law Of morals but
business had escaped from the domain of
morals. If a man desired to give his en-
ployes an honest share. he could not because
he was not able to compete with others who
didn't give a share to labor. Even if the
manufacturer wanted to put IN good material
in his he must follow the trend Of
business practice No business TODAY was
conducted on moral rules. In America after
one hundred years of freedom the masses had
by intelligence and education, seen they can
not maintain their homes under system OF
moral government. No force seemed to be
moving toward the establishment Of frater-
nal system except the labor organizations
This was the mission OF the ORGANIZATIONS
Their mission not for a horizontal rails
ing of low wages or to make them equal. 1t
was not to produce mathematical division
Of property. 1t was to produce such system
Of laws that those who desired should have
the right to labor they chose and by law
be protected In the reward of their labors.
In this sense the labor organizations were the
highest form OF human enterprise. The sell
fish interests Of the world today, gathered
under the name of capital. chung to the moral
rules. They had neglected common justice
toward -earners.
If man desired to lead Christian life of
the highest type. to be patriotic and cultivate
love of home and country, let him join a
labor union. It was the only moving force in
action, and should be helped and encouraged.
There must be progress in the development Of
free labor or step backward from that Just
escaped. But one dogma could be heard in
the schools churches and papers, and that is:
Servants. obey your masters" II the wage
Garner attempted to discuss the question of
currency or finances he was told to leave
these questions to the learned. He could not
be supposed to understand such matters
There was time when the command was all
right as to servants obeying their masters
but 1t would no longer satisfy mankind Men
would not endure or return TO a serfdom at
the mere will OF a master. The selfish classes
are talking about increasing the standing
army. Two years ago the courts invented the
injunction. of the most astounding feat
ures OF the return to the monarchical form of
SOV6rHLueEftc 4 nat II SIlOuIu bt upuGlU Dy iItN
highest court in the land only showed that the
selfish classes we're not to be deferred from
their purposes.
The wage-earner who talked about these
things was called an anarchist, but If these
things were not talked about now there would
be brought upon this nation the barricado and
the torch Labor organizations were called
selfish, but they are opposed by a sellsh
class
Every man who loved his country. his
family his home and fellow workmen, and
who wished through peace and without force
to produce a government OF justice anu in
augurate Christian era should join The la
Dor organizations.