Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-05-24
1zLMAGE'S SERMON.
LABOR AND CAPITAL LAST
SUNDAYS SUBJECT.
There Is n Christian Remedy for All
Industrial misunderstanding -sugges-
lions to How the Irreprcssible Con-
hict May BE Settled Forever.
Icopyrigls, 1900. by Louis Klopsch.1

other" and Philippians Ii, A, Look
not every man on his own things, but
every man also on the things of 9th
ers"
About every six months there Is a
great labor agitation. There are vio-
lent questions now in discussion be-
tween employers and employees. The
present strikes" will go into the past
OF course, the damage done cannot
Immediately be repaired. Wages will
not be so high as they were. Spas
medically they may be higher, but they
will drop lower. Strikes, whether
right or wrong, always injure labor
ers as we'll as capitalists. You Will see
this in the starvation of next winter
Bcycottlng and violence and murder
never pay. They are different stages
of anarchy. God never blessed muir
der. The worst use you can put man
TO is to kill him. Blow up tomorrow
all the country seats on the banks o.
the Hudson and the Rhine and all the
fine houses ON Madison square and
Brooklyn Heights and Rittenhouse
square and Beacon street, and all the
bricks and timber and stones will just
fall back on the bare hands Of Amer
lean and European labor.
Neglect of Christian Duty.
The behavior of a multitude of la
>orera toward their employers dur
ing the last three months may have
induced some employers to neglect the
real Christian duties that they owe to
those whom they employ. Therefore
want to say to you whom confront
face to face and those to whom these
words may come that all shipowners,
all capitalists, all commercial firms,
all master builders, all housewives, are
bound to be interested in the entire
welfare of their subordinates. Years
ago some one gave three prescriptions
for becoming millionaire: First,
spend your life in getting and keeping
the earnings Of other people; secondly.
have no anxiety about the worriments,
the losses, the disappointments, OF
others; thirdly. do not mind the fact
that your vast wealth implies the pow
erty OF great many people" Now,
there is not a man here would consent
to go into life with those three prin-
ciples to earn a fortune. 1t is your
desire to do your whole duty to the
men and women in your service.
First of all, then, pay as large
wages as are reasonable and as your
business will afford-not necessarily
what others pay, certainly not what
your hired help say you must pay, for
that Is tyranny on the part OF labor
unbearable. The right Of laborer to
tell his employer what he must pay
implies the right OF an employer to
compel a man into service whether
he will or not, ard either of those ideas
Is despicable. When any employer al
lows a laborer to say what he must
do or have his business ruined and the
employer submits to it. he does every
business man in the United States a
wrong and yields TO the principle
which, carried out, would dissolve So
ciety. Look over your affairs and put
yourselves in Imagination in your la
borer's place, and then pay him what
before God and your own conscience
you think you ought to pay him.
God bless yous" are well in their
place, but they do not buy coal nor
pay house rent nor get shoes for the
children. At the same time you, the
employer, ought to remember through
what straits and strains you got the
fortune by which you built your store
or run the factory. You are to remem-
Der that you take all the risks and the
employee takes none or scarcely any.
You are to remember that there may
be reverses in fortune and that some
new style of machinery may make
your machinery va!ueless or some new
style of tariff set your business back
hopelessly and forever. You must
take all that into consideration, and
then pay what Is reasonable.
Cutting Down Wages.
Do not be too ready to cut down
wages. AS far as possible, pay all. and
pay promptly. There is a great deal
of Bible teaching on this subject
Malachi: Il will be a swift witness
against all sorcerers and against all
adulterers and against those who OPP
pose the hireling in his wages" La.
yiticus: Thou shalt not keep the
wages of the hireling all night unto
| the morning" Colossians: Masters
give unto your servants that which Is
Just and equal, knowing that we also
have a Master in heaven" So you
see 1t is not a question between you
and your employe so much as it is a
question between you and God.
! Do not say to your employees, Now
II you don't like this place get anoth.
err" when you know they cannot ge
another. AS far as possible. once q
year visit at their homes your clerks
and your workmen. That Is the only
way you can become acquainted will
their wants. You will by such process
find out that there is a blind paren
Or sick sister being supported. You
will find some of your young men IL
rooms without any fire in winter, ant
in summer sweltering in ill ventilated
apartments. You will find out how
much depends on the wages you pay O
withhold.
Moreover, it is your douty as EN-
ployer, as far as possible. to mold tn
welfare of the employee. You ought t
advise him about investments, abou
life insurance, about savings banks
You ought to give him the benefit @
your experience. There are hundred
and thousands of employers. am gla
to say, who are settling in the yer
best possible way the destiny of thei
employees. Such men as Marshall G
Leeds, Lister of Bradford, Akroyd c
Halifax, and men so near at home
might offend their modesty II men