The sun., 1900-03-10
Saturday, March 10, 1900.

DhbuIu0fs m0AOh AVS AvVVs
WE repeat, today, what we said yes
terday about the church and the labor
problem, and the relations of the church
with the working people generally. This
was made necessary by tumble OF the
types that destroyed the sense of the ar
ticle. Whether what we say is wise or
otherwise, we want at least to write,
and have it printed, 80 as to be under
stood.
Ir is significant fact, now that labor
questions are being agitated, that in
commenting on an apparent decline IN
the influence of the church that three
prominent members of the Methodist
Episcopal clergy-Bishops Ninde, Fow-
ler and Joyce-ascribe this decline in
part to the failure of the Methodist
Church to solve. or attempt to solve the
labor problems of the day.
To every one conversant with the feel
ings and opinions of the working people,
the indifference of the church about the
conditions controlling labor matters, and
indifference of employing church men,
bers about the industrial, domestic and
social conditions and relations of their
employees, has long been one of tire chief
obstacles to church influence. Employ
ers who are very particular that their
employees shall not drink Intoxicating
beverages, shall not 60 to theatres, and
not use profane language, are known to
be Indifferent as to whether the en-
ployes' wives and children have enough
to eat or whether they wear shoes or go
barefooted. People who keep their ears
open can hear the sincerity of prominent
church workers-men who pose as moral
censors for communities-openly chal-
lenged by the men whom they employ.
It is these employers who, to these en-
pIoves, are the exemplars of the church.
it's doctrines and the effect of its ministra-
tions and it is impossible for the church
to win the workmen to its communion
under such circumstances. 1t is not be-
cause the working people reject the
claims of religion, but because their con
ception of it is SO much higher than it,
practical exempli6cation in the lives o
it's leading exponents, that the churcl
fails to win thsm. The working man
belief about the religion of Christ, il
that it designs to make men brethren
that it levels the heads and hearts 0
humanity by lifting the humblest to,
high for any one to be able to wall
over the top of him; that it 8
quickens human sympathies as to pre-
vent injustice from those who profess
even toward those who do not profess il
and when this expectation fails, it is nc
the truth that becomes contemplate bu
he whose professions are denied by hi
acts.
This side of the question, anent tE
church's influence with the workin
people, is being developed yer
rapidly along another line-that of edl
cation and intellectual development
The old methods of religious propog
tion no longer suffice. The old fear ,
God, which st. Paul declared to be br
t'the beginning of wisdom" has gon,
The terrible, vindictive being, whic
ignorance attempted to propitiate /
slavish worship, has been dethroned !
the light tightening the old dark p.act
of the world, which ignorance and supe
stition filled with horrors. The ne
gospel-"God is Love''-has gotten in
the heads and hearts of the people, and
hold them the church must meet this ne
preaching, but in practice. just here
the solution of the labor problem as it is
be effected by the church-professi
Christians must not boast of the love
God, but manifest love like Gods loN
1t lis written: eIf man says he 10y
God whom he hath not seen, and 10
not His brethren whom he hath see
he is liar, and the truth is not in him
--~--
Something is radically wrong VIII
men desert their wives to elope vi
young girls.-Daily Republican.
Yes! radically wrong with the me
There may be reasons why husba
and wife should seperate. The peace
one or both Of them may demand tt
but there can be no reason why dec,
honorable man should desert his vi
When man does that he confesses Il
the fault is his. The other side of 81
a story is equally reprehensible. !
young girl who elopes with a MARI
man confesses, advertises, her o
shame. 1t is not commendable to exc
either of the parties to such proceedin
" but 10 do this by implication of ia
upon the part of the deserted wife
victim of shameless conspirators agai
law, order and public decency.is, to
the least, unmanly.
THE news, printed elsewhere in !
IT, In Iii IF y