Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-04
An INSTRUCTIVE SERMON
By Rev. W. ]. Hardness to the Jr.
0. U. a. II.
AT THE CHAPLINE STREET M. E.
CHURCH YESTERDAY MORN
ING-THE HISTORY AND THE
OBJECTS OF THE ORDER-SOME
VERY INTERESTING REMARKS
IN REGARD TO PATRIOTISM.
THE MECHANICS ATTENDED
THE SERVICES IN A BODY.

IN REGARD TO PATRIOTISM.
THE MECHANICS ATTENDED
THE SERVICES IN A BODY.
At the Chapline Street M. E. church yes
terday morning, the pastor, Rev. w. ].
Hardness. Phi. D., preached an interesting
sermon to the members of the Jr. o. U.
"A. NJ, who attended the service in
body. The text was according to l Cor.
BIB: Every mans work shall be made
manifest for the day shall declare it, His
remarks in part were as follows:
Gentlemen of the Order of United
American Mechanics, it gives me great
pleasure to welcome you to our service.
May our meeting together in this church,
dedicated to the service of Christ, be
mutual blessing In the light of the text,
let US look into the history of your order,
your objects and your principles.
HISTORY OF THE ORDER.
ION the hills of Scotland the sword of
Wallace is yet a bright tradition. The
genius of France pays high homage to the
piety and feroism of the young Maid of
Orleans. At Innsbruck, in the dark aisles
of the old cathedral, the peasants kneel
before the statute of Andrew Hofer. BY the
soft blue waters of Lake Luzerne. Will
liam Tell while in the great American ma
tion, nay, in the very hearts of her sons
stands the monument OF the Father OF
Our Country, who sacrificed every thing
that was dear that this land might be free.
The aged man of the belfry has long since
passed away. his body the moulding dust,
but the old bell Is still ringing out its
sweet music in the hearts of the people.
Its siivery note set into vibration the cords
OF patriotism within the hearts of the
founders of your order, for in the City OF
Brotherly Love, on the Sth day of July,
1S45, there was instituted the o. U. A. M.
Was it only for social pursuits that on the
18th day of May, 1853 one of it's subordi-
nate councils should launch forth upon
the sea of secrecy as the Washington
Council No. 1? Was it~enly selfish mo-
tive that they were anxious to gather to-
gether the boys and the young men and
hold them together by strong vows? Was
there not a deeper object in all these
things? Did not they see the very coun-
try was shaken by emigration, that their
railroads, their machine shops and their
factories were being filled with foreign la
Dor that their schools and colleges, their
fields of science art and literature, nay,
even the brave soldiers came across the
ocean? When they gazed out upon the
picture of the far future they saw with
prophetic eye the very flower of the ma
ton, the boys and the young men, becoqn-
ing pauper, filling our almshouses, prisons
and houses of correction, while the very
scum of Europe lived in luxury and tram
pied them down into the dust with naughty
pride? Was England to get possession
again? No! The old bell awakened new
thoughts in their breasts and with hearts
filled with patriotism honor and love, they
planted their councils in every city and
town that the true principles of America
should be instilled in the hearts of her
people You are the living factors of the
great order" To you is left the respon-
sibility of carrying out the thoughts that
moved your fathers. You are the represen-
fatives of this great cause.
OBJECTS OF THE ORDER
"Your order has several principles that
will never be forgotten by any true Jun
Tor.
First, to maintain and promote the in
terest of Americans and shield them from
the depressing effects of foreign compe-
tdtion. One of the greatest problems that
is facing the American people to-day is
foreign immigration. 1t is a menace be-
cause it is recognized fact that the
increase of quantity has been attended
with the corresponding decrease of quail
ity. The great majority of those who come
to us are utterly without intelligent SYM
pathy with our institutions and without
visible means of support, many of them
acquainted with those forms of labor
whose ranks are already more than full,
and who are, therefore, destined to be-
come dependents on public charity or can
81
stitutions.
'"rhe increasing difficulty with which our
qaborin,g classes find employment the
growing competition in the political world,
ministered to by the constituencies venality
of those who flock to our shores from
abroad the growing evils attendan upon
our tenement system, all are warnings to
us as a nation that something of radical
nature must be done and done quickly if
we would ward off the impending danger.
I'm half century over 100000 foreign
ers have come to us. We have gained moth
ing by the substitution of foreign for ma
tive blood. True Europe has not sent us
muscle and Drawn, and in no large meas
ure. capacity and training for the higher
activities, yet 1t Is still the native American
who does the head work for the country
and manages it's chief concerns.
Second, To encourage Americans in bus
ness. One of the evils which are born and
fostered by unrestricted immigration, is
the hiring of ignorant men to do the work
of American skilled labor. This increase
TO our population soon causes a surplus
OF labor, and many of this rough, crude
material, who are accustomed to starva-
tion wages at home, take anything that is
offered whether it may compensate them
or not.
"These paupers not only enslave body
and intellect, but they make the condition
OF life so low and degenerate that it is
almost impossible to live and be man.
The nightmare of the American workman