The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-08-19

EAA@N j. 49, - /. - 1AAAA7
finding work for people when they are
u Of work. IL il means the improve
ment % the financial the moral or the
Behgious condition OF the labohng
classes. that IS all right Do not artists
band together in an art unione Do not
singers band together in Handel and
Haydn societies? Do not newspaper
men hand together Ia press elnhsr Do
not ministers o. religion band sogether
In c~onferrnces and ASsociatiO1s1 There
Is not in all the land a city where clergy
ulsn do not ZONE together. many Q.
them once 8 week. 10 talk over Affairs.
For these rsasOns you should no; blame
labor guilds When they are doing
their legitimate work. they are most
admirable. bat whsn they come around
With drum and fife and flag and drive
people Of from their toll from thek
scaeoliingS from their factories then
they = nihiliStie, thea they are COM
mEnisue. then they are bArbArie. then
they ? = curse. II 8 nan wants TO
stop work. let hin stop work. but he
cznnot stop ne from work
But now suppose that all the kbohug
classes banded together for benefeient
purposes in cooperative association IN
der whatever name they put their
means together. Suppose they take the
money that thsy waste in rum and to-
baoco and use il for the elevation Of
their families, for the education Of their
Children, for their moral, intellectual
and religious improvement what a DIFF
ferent state Of things We would have
in this country and they would have
in Great Britain.
Do you not realize the fact that men
work better without stimulant? You
say, VIII you deny the laboring men
this help which they get from strong
drink. borne down as they are with
many anXieties and exhaustinr work.,
l would deny them nothing that Is good
for them I would deny them strong
drink. il / had the power, because II s
damaging to them Ny father said: Il
became = temperance man in early life
because / found that In the harvest
field, while I was naturally weaker than
the other men, I could hold out longer
than any of them. They took stimu-
liant and l took none"
l 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 YOU
menT "0h," be said, Il have no
trouble" why" / said, have not Won
had any strikes2" "Oh. no." he said.
Il never had any trouble" what plan
do you purSue?" He said: II will tell
you. All my men know every year iust
how matters stand. Every little while
| call them together and say: Now.
boys, last year | made 30 much; this
year ] made less; so you see i cannot
pay as much as I did last year. Now.
! want to know what you think I ought
10 have as a percentage out Of this es-
tabishment and what wages ] ought to
give you. You know | put all my en-
ergy in this business, put all my for
tune in II and risked everything. What
do you really think ! ought TO have and
you ought to haye?' By the time we
come out Of that consultation we are
unanimous. There never has been an
exception. When We prosper, we all
prosper together; when we suffer, we
al 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. 1t is always safe to appeal
TO Il.
l remark, again, great relief will
come to the laboring classes of this
country through the religious rectifca-
ton Of it Labor is bonored and re-
warded in proportion as a community
is Christianized. Why is It that our
smallest coin in this country is a PEN
ny, while in China ii takes a half dozen
pieces of coin or q dozen to make one
of u pennies in value, so the Chinese
carry the cash, as they call it, like a
string of beads around the neck7 We
never want to pay less than a penny
for anything in this country. They
must pay that which is worth only the
sixth part or the twelfth part of a pen
ny. Heathenism and iniquity and inf
deity depress everything. The Gospel
of Jesus Christ elevates everything.
How do / account for this? i account
for 1t with the plainest philosophy.
The religion Of Jesus Christ Is a demo-
cratic religion. 1t tells the employer
that he is a brother to all the opera
tiyes In the northumberland BY
the same God, TO lie In the same dust
and to be saved by the same supreme
mercy. II does not make the slightest
difference how much money you have,
you cannot buy your way into the king.
dom Of Heaven. II you have the grace
of God in your heart you will enter
Heaven. So you see II Is a democratic
religion. Saturate our populations
with this gospel, and labor will be re.
spectful. labor will he rewarded, labor
will be honored, capital will be Chris.
tian in all its behavior, and there will
be higher tides - thrift set in.
Let me say q "ord 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 q
superciBous air or drive up to the fac.
tory In a manner which seems 10 indi.
cate they are the autocrat of the uni.
verse, with the gun ard moon in their
vest pockets, chiefly anxious when they
go among laboring men not to be
touched by the greasy or smirched hand
and have their broadcloth injured. BE
a Christian employer. Remember thos,
who are under your charge are bone o.
your bone and flesh Of your flesh, thai
Jesus Christ died for them and that
they are immortal. Divide up o
estates, or portions Of them, for III,
relief Of the world before you leave II
Do not get out Of the world like that
hea
man who died In New York leaving in
his will $4O,OOO,OOO, yet giving how
much for the church Of God, how much
for the alienation of human suffering;
He gave some money a little while be
fore be died. That ives well, but in al
this will Of $4,000 900 how much? On,
million? No. Five hundred thousand
No. One hundred dollarsP No. Two
cents2 No. One cent? No. Thes,
great cities groaning in anguish, ma
tions crying out for the bread Of ever
lasting life. A man in a will giving $40,
100000 and not one cent to Godi II (,
a disgrace to our civilization. Or, as n
Illustrated in a letter which | have con
corning o man who departed this III,
leaving between 5000, 600 aud $1,000,
600. Not one dollar was left, this writer
says, to comfort the aged workman
and workwomen, not one dollar to ele.