The labor world., 1899-09-30

time and energies.
A Sunday observance mass meeting
was held at the First Methodist church
last Sunday afternoon. A very represen-
ttative crowd was present. Several cler-
gymen were present and spoke from
church point of view, while President Nc
Murchy of the Trades Assembly and Ed
ward Kriz spoke as the representatives OIL
the laboring classes Of the city. Rev.
Alexander Milne of Pilgrim Congregation
al church acted as chairman Of the meet
ing.
The first speaker was President Nc
Murchy of the Trades Assembly. MIR. NC
Murchy said in substance that the labor
! organizati tons are against Sunday labor
and if they were not compelled to work
on Sundays would not do so. Mr.. Nc
| Murohy declared that it is his belief that
the only solution of the problem is TO
have laws passed prohibiting Sunday la
! dor and making it crime punishable by
fine or Imprisonment. Said the SPEAKER:
IF we start out to fight against Sunday
labor, we must protest against the gov
ernment countenancbng Sunday work.
The government has employees that it
makes work on Sunday and this should
be stopped. The railroads make their EN-
ployes work on Sundays while their presi-'
dents and other officers drive to church
is worship God and forget about the men
that are out on the road making fortunes
for them.
IT understand that this movement was
started by desire to stop work on docks
on Sundays. The members of the dock
mems union are compelled to work on
Sundays in order to be permitted to work
on other days. If they refused to work
on Sunday, there are other men not in the
union that would gladly accept the
chance to work and thus drive the union
men out of employment. I really cannot
see, however, that it is so very wrong for
them to work on Sunday. 1t is no worse
than to have your milkman bring you
fresh milk on Sunday mornings.
"There are stores-the smaller ones
that keep open on Sundays and good
many of those that do not believe In work
ing on Sundays patronize 4sucn stores
whenever they forget on Saturday night
to provide themselves with clean collar
or something like that. If these stores are
to be patronized it will be merely mat
ter of time until the larger stores will
keep open on Sundays In order to COM
pete with the smaller stores and a larger
on Sundays. The matter is carried to ex-
tremes and until everybody resolves not
to patronize stores that keep open on
Sundays the Sunday labor evil will
Edward Kriz, of the Trades Assembly,
also spoke He declared in substances that
the evil of Sunday labor is caused by the
evil Of Sunday competition. MIR. Kriz
spoke as socialist, declaring that matters
never will be adjusted right until wage
slavery is abolished and each man will
work for the good Of society.
DR.. Ryan was the next speaker. In
part, DR.. Ryan said:
1.-The base of Sunday labor evil is the:
selfish greed of men. This se1csnness
makes them very shortsighted for the
welfafe Of themselves and their families.
believe in men laboring well for a rea-
sonable number of hours but to labor for
too long is injurious and men cannot do
as good work as though they were en-
ployed for shorter hours.
Remember the Sabbath day and keep
it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do
all thy work. 1 believe that the latter
part Of the comma ndment is just as much
a part OF the moral law as the first. It
is as necessary to labor the six days as
it is to rest the seventh.
REST on Sunday is religious matter,
but it is practical mattae- also. Man
needs a day of rest The man that makes
his employees work seven days a week
does not get as much out Of them as the
man that makes his employees work only
six days a week. Those that are look
ing for amusement on the Lords day are
doing themselves an injury. The Sab
bath day is a day of rest of which peo-
pie should improve their minds and rest