Connecticut western news., 1899-08-17

been many years reaping his reward in day when l, a green country lad, came to his house and spent the evening, and at the close of the evening, as l was departing, he accompanied me to the door, accompanied me to the steps, came down off the steps and said: Here, De Witt, Is $40 for books. Don't say anything about it." 1t Is mean or it is magnificent to save, according as you save for a good or bad object.
 I know there are many people who have much to say against savings banks and life insurances. l have to tell you that the vast majority of the homesteads In this country have been the result of such institutions, and I have to tell you also that the vast ma jority of the homesteads of the future for the laDoring classes will be the result of such institutions. It will be great day for the working classes of England and the United States when the workingman can buy a barrel of flour instead of four by the small sack; when he can buy barrel of sugar instead of sugar by the pound; when he can pay cash for coats and hats and shoes rather than pay an ad- ditional amount for the reason that he has to get 1t all charged.
 Again I remark: Great relief is to come for the laboring classes of this country by appreciation on the part of employers, that they had better take their employees into their confidence. can see very easily, looking from my standpoint, what is the matter. Elm ing prosperity, do not know all the straits, all the hardships, all the loss- es, all the. annoyances. They look at him, and they think, "Why, he has 1t easy, and we have it hard" They do not know that at that very moment the employer is at the last point of des- peration to meet his engagements.
 I know a gentleman very well who has over 1000 hands in his employ. I said to him some years ago when there was great trouble in the labor market, How are you getting on with your menT "Oh," he said, "I have no troublep Why" I said, "have not you had any strikesY' "Oh. uop' he said. q never had any trouble" What plan do you pursueT He said: q will tell you. All my men know ev- cry year just how matters stand. Ev- cry little while 1 call them together and say: Now, boys, last year I made so much This year made less. So you see cannot pay you as much as did last year. Now, l want to know what you think I ought to have as a percentage out of this establishment and what wages I ought to give you. You know l put all my energy in this business, put all my fortune in 1t and ly think I ought to have and you ought to haveY By the time we come out of that consultation we are unani- nous. There has never been an excep- ton. When we prosper, we all pros per together. When we suffer, we all suffer together, and my men would die for me-" Now, let all employers be frank with their employees. Take them into your confidence. Let them know just how matters stand. There is an immense amount of common sense in the world. It is always sefe to appeal to it.
 To the Capitalist. -.
 remark again: Great relief will come to the laboring classes of this country through the religious recttfica- tion of it. Labor Is honored and re- warded in proportion as community is Christianized. Why Is 1t that our smallest coin in this country is pen ny, while In China 1t takes half dozen pieces of coin or a dozen to make one of our pennies in value, so the Chinese carry the cash, as they call it. like a string of beads around the neck? We never want to pay less than penny for anything in this country. They must pay that which is worth only the sixth part or the twelfth part of penny. Heathenism and iniquity and infidelity depress ev- erything. The gospel of Jesus Christ elevates everything. How do 1 ac- count for this? I account for 1t with the plainest philosophy. The religion of Jesus Christ Is a democratic re ligion. It tells the employer that he Is brother to all the operatives In the stablishment-madeb by the same God, to lie In the same dust and to be saved by the same supreme mercy. 1t does not make the slightest difference how much money you have, you cannot buy your way into the kingdom of heaven. If you have the grace of God>in your heart you will enter heaven.
 Let me say word to all capitalists. Be your own executors. Make invest ments for eternity. Do not be like some of those capitalists know who walk around among their employees with supercilious air or drive up to the factory in a manner which seems to indicate they are the autocrat of the universe, with the sun and moon In their vest pockets, chiefly anxious when they go among laboring men not to be touched by the greasy or smirch- ed hand and have their broadcloth in- jured. Be a Christian employer. Re member those who are under your charge are bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh; that Jesus Christ died for them and that they are Immortal. Divide up your estates or portions of them for the relief of the world before you leave 1t. Do not go out of the world like that man who died in New York, leaving in his will S400OO. 900, yet giving how much for the church of God; how much for the alleviation of human suffering? He gave some mon ey little while before he died That was well. but in all this will of $4O,- 100000 how much? One million? No. Five hundred thousand? No. One hundred dollars? No. Two cents? No. One cent? No. These great cities grooming in anguish, nations cry ing out for the bread of everlasting life. A man in a will giving forty millions of dollars and not one cent to God. It is disgrace to our civiliza- tion- Or, as illustrated in a letter