The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-05-12
ob kcT @ UNIONS
REV. W. $. WARD EXPLAINS WHAT,
THEY STAND FOR.
Regrets That the Church Does Not
Understand Tl,eMl-He Was II I'm
Preacher and Thus Is Acquainted
With the Objects Of Trade Unions.

Dyterlan church OF Minneapolis,
preached to a large congregation last
Sunday night on What Do Trade
Unions Stand For?" His audience for
the greater part was composed of
workingmen. Mr.. Ward is fitted for
the subject. having been for many
years a printer, and having belonged
to Il typographical union while he
worked at his trade. His sermon was,
in part, as follows:
1t has been my observation that the
church has not been sufficiently in
this fact is due the apparent lack of
interest manifested by the men who
toll for living in matters pertaining
to the church. There has been a bar
rier, none the less effective because it
was unintentional or imaginary.
AS a minister and as a man who be-
1Onged for many years to a union, I
am almost heartily in favor of them.
I believe that when they protect the Ia
boring man from oppression, as they
certainly do. they are performing the
greatest and best kind of work. This
is an age of Capitalization. Labor wit
messed capital joining for larger scope
and followed in it's wake. Labor unions
are the outcome of the present system,
the system Of competition. Competi-
ton has been the cause of all, or at
least the great majority, of the cuts in
the salaries of the men in the factories
mills and other kinds of industry. The
owners have had to compete. and the
one who sold his goods for the lowest
price was the one that made success.
To sell his goods cheaper it was nec-
essary to lower the cost. the most fex-
ible item of which was that paid to la
Dor, and the wages Of the men were
lowered accordingly. The labor union
stepped in here and said that this shall
be a minimum wage, and made the
workingman man among his fellow
men. 1t made all men equal. 1t said
where women do the same. amount Of
work as men they shall receive the
same amount of money, and it did
away with the "favoritism" which pro-
NOTED the unworthy and discharged
the worthy through petty spite. 1t has
done more than anything else to sup
press child labor and to make the youth
of the country an educated class.
All these things labor unions have
done. They stand for. putting the
wealth of the. country on the schild's
back than iii the 5conferss sof q bankrupt
noblerna sfoE
/ e54
ors '.ss,a tioiis osS
The questi ion Ill freqne emily asked And
sometimes answered. il the All irrnat I've.
Yet have never known a union to ask
more than it's fair share. If man
asks 35 cents an hour, you may be sure
that the man that hires him will
jcharge three times what he pays his
employee.
There is one thing that all members
of labor organizations must bear in
mind, and this is, love is the keystone
of the whole fabric. Selfish interests
will no more >sin for all in labor or
ganization, than they will in any other
society, and by love for your fellowmen
and Willingness to render a sacrifice,
your union will be prosperous your
wives and children will be happy, and
your stay on this earth will have it's
many bright spots. and your chances
for the world to come will increase in
the same ratio.
Mr.. Ward will speak next Sunday
night on the "Objections to Labor Un-
IONS and the following Sunday on
'"The Church and the Workingman."