The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-04-04
great aesi OF distress. Money 70 Q
great power In that way"

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offered their demands. They have re-
fused out Of sympathy for the rest,
who viii never get what they ask. for
l can't compel the other companies to
do what think 10 the right thing.
Now, then, these men are faced with
starvation or ut least with great suf-
fering this winter. Shall I say to them
practically: Never mind; have mon
ey. l will take care Of you indefinite
ly or until the money Is goneY 1t
seems to me that the thousand men
ought to 70 to work II they have an
offer at their own terms. What do you
think, Andrew
II think as you do. I regard the
strike a. . disaster. At the same time
the men are doing as thousands Of men
have done and will continue to do until
we have better system than we have
at present Of settling the differences
between men who labor with the brain
and those who labor with the hand.
Would II be possible to provide the
men with work Of any kind, so that
they would not be fed in idlenessr'
"Why, what can miners do except
their own kind Of work? Who can
manufacture work In q country like
this, where the whole industry re-
wolves about one thingY Besides-well,
90 on. Eric. II you want to speak,"
said Stuart, who saw Eric impatiently
biting his lips and nervously clinch-
ing his hands.
II don't know what to say" burst
out Eric. ''The whole situation Is
naddening. The men are right, and
the men are wrong. II their methods
Of getting justice are at fault, the de-
mand itself for justice, believe, Is
right. But what can you expect? Who
for all these years has paid any atten-
ton to the human end Of this ore pro-
ducing business? What care do the
men at Cleveland have for the souls or
the development Of the souls of these
men who dig the stun out of the
ground that helps buy other men cost
ly luxuries and fine clothes and houses,
travel, education, pleasures and beau
ties Of all sorts? What are we reaping
now but the fruits Of n great sowing
Of selfishDess In the one great passion
for money and what 1t will bring? |
ask you two men. who have been rear
ed In a finer atmosphere than mine, if
It Is not true that the wageworkers Of
the world, ignorant or mistaken or
wrong and even vicious though at
times they may have been and are,
still have sinned according to their
light less deeply or less wholly than
the men Of great wealth and education
and social power. l am not saying
that we are perfect or never make mis-.
takes or that the selfishness Is all on
one side, but do say that this present
condition would not now be on us here
II the men who have made their for
tunes by the toll Of the miners had act.
ed like Christian men. How many Of
the mine owners have got together and
prayed for wisdom to settle this mat
ter right? Not one Of them except
Stuart here. And yet-well, when !
get started / feel as IL could break
all bounds. There Is a fire In my bones
over this problem. don't believe
there is a man living who can devise
thorough remedy. If he can, he
stands guilty before God for keeping
silent. And this much is certain: No
man or nation or form Of government
known to civilization Is free from these
differences between the men Of mus.
Gle and the men Of money. Why, only
this morning the papers had telegraph
ic dispatches announcing tremendous
strikes in five different countries
England, France, Germany. Australia
and the United States. There are
more than 100000 men out on strikes
this very minute. l know there Is
great discomfort, and men say great
foOlishness, on the part of the men of
labor. Grant It. The fact Is we live
in an age Of unrest. But at the bot.
tom the whole secret Of the trouble lies
In disregard Of humanity In passion
for getting wealth first Of all. The
love Of money has wrecked empires
and 1t will smash our civilization un.
Less Eric stopped abruptly and
buried his face In his hands.
Stuart stepped up to him and laid his
hand on Eric's shoulder. well, Eric
he said simply, God will triumph in
the end. Let's hold fast to the great
truths that have always been true"
"There Is no solution of these Difficult
ties, | am sure" said Andrew after q
moment Of quiet In the room. "excep;
rs it comes along the religious lines.
believe the next great factor in what IL
called the labor question will be the re-
ligiOus factor. see no possible hope
for better condition unless 1t Is
brought about by the appeal to and q
belief in Christianity as the real source
Of final adjustment Of mems relation
with one another in the social compact
In reality the problem consists In get
ting men on both sides to act like
Christians. There could be no possibl,
clash, for instance. between you two
men IL either one worked for the other
because you love each other. Love fol
one another, therefore, is, after all, tn,