The Yale expositor., 1899-08-25


operative associations, when the vast
multitude OF toilers of this country
are struggling for their daily bread,
and have no surplus?" l reply: Put
into my hand the money spent by the
laboring classes of America for rum
and tobacco, and | will establish CO.
operative associations In all parts OF
this land. some of them mightier than
any financial institutions OF the coun-
try. We spend in this country over
$4,000 900 every year for tobacco
We spend over $1,000, 100000, directly
or indirectly for rum. The labo;ing
classes spend their share OF this
money. Now, suppose the laboring
man who has been expanding MS
money in those directions, should Just
add up how much he has expended
during these past few years, and then
suppose that that money was put into
a cooperative association, and then
suppose he should have all his friends
in toll. who had made the same kind OF
expenditure, do the same thing, ana
that should be added up and put into a
| cooperative association. And then
take all that money expended for over
dress and over-style and over-living
on the part OF toiling people in order
| that they may appear as we'll as per-
sons who have more income-gatner
that all up and you could have coop
erative associations all over this land
am not saying anything now about
trades unions. You want to Know
what think OF trades unions. l think
they are most beneficial in some direc-
tions. and they have a specific object
and in this day, when there are vast
monopolies-a thousand monopoiies
concentring the wealth Of the peple
into the possession OF few men, I'M
less the laboring men of this country
and all countries band together they
will go under. There is a lawful use
Of a trade union but then there Is an
unlawful use OF trade union. II II
means sympathy in time of sickness,
il 1t means finding work for peonle
when they are out OF work. If it means
the Improvement OF the financial, the
moral or the religious condition OF the
laboring classes. that is all right. DC
not singers band together in Handel
End Haydn societies? Do not news
paper men band together in press
clubs? Do not ministers OF religion
band together in conferences and asso
Citations? There is not in all the land
city where clergymen do not come to
gether, many OF them once a week
to talk over affairs. For these reasons
you should not blame labor guilds
When they are doing their Legitimate
work they are most admirable. bu
when they come around with drum AM
fife and flag. and drive people off from
their toll, from their scaffoldings. from
their factories. then they are nihilistic
then they are communistic, then the,
are barbarlc. then they are a curse.
a man wants 10 stop work let him sto
work. but he cannot stop me fror
work
But now suppose that all the labor
ing classes banded together for ben
! eficent purposes in cooperative asso
citation. under whatever name they pu
their means together. Suppose the
take the money that they waste in rur
and tobacco and use it for the eleva
. intellectual and religious improve
ment. what a different state OF thing
we would have in this country. an
Q they would have in Great Britain!
. Do you not realize the fact that me
> work better without stimulant? Yo
say, "will you deny the laboring me
= this help which they get from stron
!, drink, borne down as they are wit
y = many anxieties and exhausting work
= would deny them nothing that
. good for them ! would deny the
: strong drink, II had the power. b.
cause 1t is damaging to them. NJ
, father said. 81 became a temperate
. man in early life because I found TIL
in the harvest field. while | W;
- naturally weaker than the other men.
y could hold out longer than any
;. them; they took stimulant and l toe
~ none"
70 Everybody knows they cannot ei
~ dure great fatigue-men who indul
II in stimulants. All our young men n
. derstand that. When they are pr
g pairing for the regatta. or the ball clu
n or the athletic wrestling they absta
m from strong drink. Now, suppose ;
= this money that is wasted were gat
o. cred together and put into cooperate
re institutions-Oh! we would have
H. very different state OF things fro
I'd what we have now.
Let me cay a word to all capitals
TO Be your own executors. Make inve
nv ments for eternity Do not be like So
| OF those capitalists | know who VIZ
OF around among their employees with
by supercllious air, or drive up to the Il
o. tory in a manner which seems to in
al cate they are the autocrat of the u
on verse, with the sun and moon in tn
pi- vest pockets. chiefly anxious when Il
rs. go among laboring men not to
'l3 touched by the greasy or smircf
We hand and have their broadcloth
OF jured. Be a Christian employer.
ur member those who are under "
N charge are bone of your bone and fl
ey' OF your flesh; that Jesus Christ d
sh for them and that they are immor
ftc.-sc