Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-09-19
LABOR AND CHURCH,
Why Workingmen Do Not Wor-
ship Discussed at the Me-
mortal Christian.
MEssRs. JAHNs AND BECK TALK.

Failure to Observe the Commandment
Glove Thy Neighbor as Thyself"-
Church Advocates Not Familiar Enough
With Conditions, Needs, Desires and Act.
lions of ToiIing Masses.
why Workingmen Do Not Go to
Church, was the subject discussed
last night at Memorial Christian church
by two representatives of the Tri-City
Labor Congress, Louis A. Jahns and
Marshall Beck, both of Moline. The
announcement that this question was
to be dwelt upon attracted an unusu-
ally large congregation. There were
Introductory remarks by the pastor.
Rev. L. w. Grafton, who had extended
the invitation for representatives of
the toiling class to speak, after which
Mr.. Jahns was introduced. He said
in part:
If Solomon was right when he
implied that poverty produced inn
piety, is there any reason to wonder
why wOrkingmen do not attend
church? And if you would redeem
them as Solomon prayed (feed me with
food convenient for me), what assis-
lance could be expected from the
church? don't mean from charita
BILE point of view, but in restoring to
the workman his inherent right to
apply his skill and energy to the nat
ural resources of the earth In the
first place the church advocates are
not familiar enough with the condition
of the working classes to understand
their needs, desires and actions. And,
in the second place, they do not carry
their church professions into their
daily transactions. Church ethics are
not noticeable in practical business.
You could not discover the religion of
the merchant by his dealings, or the
landlords by his practices, or the
employers by the treatment to-
ward his workmen. Then how
can you expect the workingmen
to look to the church with any degree
in the struggle to elevate their social
condition? The fact that
corporations have already got posses
sion of over 1917, 600, 900 acres of this
country's best lands, an area equiva-
lent to II states in the union, does
not provoke even movement, much
less a protest, from the church. Pos
sibly it is because corporations are
not possessed of souls, and conse-
quently do not come under the juris-
diction of the church. God is made
to say: Il will be a swift witness
against those who Cypress the hire
ling in his wage But the oppres-
sor is, as rule, a liberal contributor |
to the church, and it won't do to Of |
fend a friendly power, you know.
The evils of compulsory Sunday en-
ployment, child and female labor, eX-
cessive hours of toll, unsanitary shop
and due protection for life
and limb, are matters that usually |
escape being aired from the pulpit. |
They pray to God they will be done
on earth, and in their earthly doings |
christian principles are entirely alb
sent. No attention is paid to just
dealings, honest legislation and the
of poverty by the material
of the masses.
If l were to give in a general way the
reasons why workingmen do not go to
church, it would be that the church
has failed to observe the command
ment, Love thy neighbor as myself.
This conclusion has been reached both
from the conduct of the church in its
various attitude, to labor, and in the
deduction that love without acquaint-
lnce cannot exist. Nevertheless,
am hopeful that the church may yet
be an important redeeming factor in
the down-trodden, long
suffering laboring class from its in
dustrial servitude. Let the church
prove its love by manifesting a suita-
Die condu ct to the lowly. Let US re-
Continued on Fifth Page