The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-04-09
in CHURCH
AND PULPIT
Rev. Mr.. Kincaid Talks
Of RuSkin.
1.-THE ETHICS OF LABOR"
A Message in Regard to Work
What Other Pastors Said
In Sermons.

Rev. VIM. VI. Kincaid preached last |
evening at the Central Union church |
a striking sermon on John Rus6in:
the man and his message" He said |
in part: RusNin lays down. first OF
all, the absolute DUTY of honest work.
and OF work which, as far as possible
aOsorDs The full interest, and arouses
the inventive faculty of the worker.
The great evil Of modern civilization
Is mot that men are i'll fed, but that
they have no pleasure in the work by
which they earn their bread, ana there
fore look to wealth. as the only means
OF pleasure" But why has the work
man no pleasure in his work? Partly
because we nave destroyed the posi-
bilaJy Ct pleasure by what We call di-
vision Of labor, and so rendered the
exercise Of thought and intelligence
unnecessary. 1t is not truly speaking.
the labor which is divided. but the
men; divided into mere segments of
men-brOken into small crumbs and
fragments of life: so that all the m
teliigenCe that is left in a man is not
enough to make a pin. or a nail. but
is exhausted in making the point OF a
pin or the head of a nail
He then gives his standard o.
wages in three great se,f-eyident and
imperative principles. First, men
should be paid for the actual work
DONE" second. "a man should in JUS
tice be paid for difficult or dangerous
work pruportionately more than for
easy and safe work supposing the
other conditions of the work to be sim
liar; and third, If man does a
given quantity of work for ME, / am
bound in justice to do. or to procure
to be done. a precisely equal quantity
of work for him" The worker in the
factory, or on the railroad or plan
cation, according TO Ruskin. is not "a
mere hand" but a man, and it is the
bounden duty of his employer TO see
that he has a fair share of food and
comfort, and reasonable opportunity
OF attending to the wants of his mind,
and the culture of his soul. His claim
b not, and never can be. settled ade
quately for any award of money his
employer is also responsible for the
nature of his life. If the individual
employer be 100 callOus or indifferent
to attend to these responsibilities.
then it Is the business of the state to
step in and force him to an immediate
attention to his duties. Indeed. in all
matters pertaining to trade. Ruskin
advocates wha. we understand as state
socialism.
The one necessary principle for all
honorable and efficient trade he de-
clares to be corporation. First of all,
between the employer and the en-
ployed. each honestly working to serve
| the public by the production of the
| best possible article; and then be-
| tween nations. each separate state pro-
| ducing what il can produce best, for
| the general International good. Under
| such system it will be seen that no
| large fortunes could be made; but ii
would be equally true tnaJ nine-tenths
| of the want and misery of our modern
civilization would disappear; the other
tenth being caused by vice and i'm
| providence.
Ruskin raises the question, How are
| large fortunes made, and by what
| methods, under the existing system
| He replies that such fortunes as are
the prizes of commerce can be made
only in one of three ways. First, BY
obtaining command over the labor OF
multitudes of men, and taxing ii fol-
our own profit. Second, By treasure
trove, as of mines, and useful agricul-
tural products-in circumstances thai
put him under our exclusive control.
Third, BY speculation-comnercia
gambling. He calls these by the
scathing title The nature of theft by
unjust profits
His remedy for the first kind of theft
is cooperation, for the second, the ma
tlonalization of mines, and OF the
treasures of the earth generally. as the
property of the state 10 be administer
ed for the good of all. OF the thirC
form of -gambling-his words
are stern and incisive.
The gospel of plain living and higl
thinking. he declares to be a possible
gospel within the reach of all. Thu
true advancement of men must begiI
in the heart and conscience, and IL Il
because we have given in wealth, bu
not in character, that We have side b!
side. the prodigality of the rich and tn,
want of the poor; and having regart
to the first alone, persuade ourselve
that We are living in an age OF unex
\ empled prosperity, and are blind TO tn
, realities of unexampled corruption ant
J materialism.
No teacher of our generation has mt
tered truths more pregnant, or set loft
Ter ideal before the English-speakini
race.
. Much of the social movement of tn
day Is the direct fruit of his teaching
But all his other claims are insignifi
. cant beside his supreme claim as
great religious teacher. Religion, afte
all. was the keynote and inspiration o
all his work. and his final message ma
be given in his own words. "All tn
world Is but as one vast orphanage. 8
long as its children know not God thei
Father; and all wisdom and knowledg
are only more bewildered darkness, s
long as you have not taught them tn
fear OF the Lord"
1t was this religious passion tina
drew from George Eliot the testimony
"he teaches with the inspiration OF
; Hebrew prophet"
Christian Church.
10 N