Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-05-25


Brooklyn Heights and Rittenhouse
square and Beacon street. and ali the
bricks and timber and stones will just
fall hack on the bare hands o. Amer
lean ard European labor
Neglect Of Christian Duty.
The behavior Of a multitude OF Ia
borera 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 10 you whom | confront
face 10 face and those 10 whom these
words may come that al shipowners,
all capitalists. al commercial firms.
al master builders. ali 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 O. a 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
unbea IA Bile. The right OF a laborer to
tell his employer what be must pay
implies the right Of an employer to
compel a man into d service whether
ne will or not. and either Of those ideas
is despicable When any employer al
lows laborer to say what he must
do or have his business ruined and the
employer submits TO il. he does every
business man in the United States a
wrong and yields to the principle
which. carried cut. wonld dissolve So
Yourselves in imag natiOn 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-
be- that You take all the risks and the
employee takes none or scarcely any
You are 10 remember that there may
lie reverses i'll fortune and that some
new style of machinery mas make
yCur 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.
D. 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 swift witness
against all sorcerers and against ali
adulterers and against those who OPP
pose the hireling in his wages La
viticus: Thou shalt not keep the
wages OF the hireliug all night unto
tie morning" Colossians: Masters,
give unto your servants that which i
Just and equal, knowing that We also
have Master in heaven" So you
see It Is not question between you
and your employe SO much as it is
question between YOU and God.
Do rot say to your employees. Now.
if you don't like this place get anoth-
err" when YOU know they cannot get
another. As far as possible. once a
year visit at their homes your clerks
and your workmen. That is the only
way you can become acquainted with
their wants. You will BY such process
dnd out that there is blind parent
or a sick sister being supported. You
will find some OF your young men in
rooms without any fire in winter. and
in summer sweltering In i'll ventilated
apartments. You will find out how
much depends on the wages you pay or
withhold
Moreover. it is your douty as EN-
ployer. as far as possible. to mold the
welfare of the employe. You ought to
advise him about investments, about
life insurance, about savings banks.
You ought to give him the benefit of
your experience There are hundreds
and thousands of employers. | am glad
TO say, who are settling in the very
best possible way the destiny OF their
employees. Such men as Marshall of
Leeds, Lister of Bradford, Akroyd OF
Halifax, and men so near at home 1t
might offend their modesty if | men
toned their names these men have
built reading rooms, Libraries, concert
halls, afforded crOquet lawns, cricket
grounds. gymnasiums, choral societies
for their employees. and they have not
merely paid the wages on Saturday
night. but through the contentment
and the thrift and the good morals OF
their employees they are paying wages