The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-23
CHURCH And LABOR
Voice Of the Former Lifted for the
s.5s>. Latter.
BISHOP I. w. JOYCE. SPEAKS
An Interview on the Present Situa-
tion-The Remedies He, ':S-
Believes In. g.


The charge frequently made in debate
between capital and labor that the church
too often takes the part of the employer
and ignores the rights of the employe is
constantly being refuted by prominent
churchmen. Within the last week, Bishop
Potter. the eminent head Of the Episcopal
church in New York, has seen At to dis
cuss the relative merits of the controversy
between the mine owners and operators in
the anthracite coal region of Pennsyl-
vania. Far from upholding the employers
in the course which they have pursued,
Bishop Potter criticized the mine owners
for not having compromised matters on
the proposed basis Of arbitration which
was put forward by the strike leaders.
He discussed the situation generally and
In the main upheld the strikers in the
course which they have pursued.
The situation is one which appeals
strongly to Bishop I. w. Joyce Of Min
neapolis. Bishop Joyce believes that the
difficulties between capital and labor have
reached such menacing proportions in
their relation to social and economic con-
ditiOns generally that an immediate prac-
tical solution of their differences is de-
manded by society at large. Said Bishop
Joyce:
'The Methodist Episcopal church has
ever been the friend of the working
people. The great majority Of her minis
ters come from the ranks of the work.
ing people. The millions Of men and
the great world of toll to fight bravely
the battle for bread and home, have the
love, the sympathy, the prayers and the
cooperation of the Methodist Episcopal
church.
A Right to Organize.
without question, believe that labor
hoc foht kn ~ {fp
own interests and thereby to promote
those interests in order to secure what
laboring men believe the best results
for themselves. their families and their
homes; 'but do not believe violent
| measures In any way should be used to
secure those ends In this enlightened
day and advanced age of the world,
| to the laws of the land, and a hearty
obeying of the highest dictates of reason
| and conscience.
"The laws Of the, state should be such
as to guard every right and interest and
| promote the same, whether it be the man
who Is recognized as the laborer or the
| man, who employs that labor. Justice and
| righteousness should be the law of the
| land, governing every mans interests to
| the last degree, no matter how humble
| or obscure that man may be. In this way
only can peace and harmony come to all
| classes of citizens in this republic. The
Methodist Episcopal church does not stand
for any one class of people to the exclu-
sion Of any and all other classes, but has.
| from the beginning, and does this day,
| stand for the rights and int erests" Of all
classes of men without regardeto race or
color or condition or language or religion.
| She stands as the friend of all, giving her
sympathy and prayers and cooperation to
ALL and especially to those who need her
most "
II recognize the perilous condition OF
cur NOW andSthen, affecting hundreds of
thousands Of men and their families as
we'll as every interest that enters into the
| trade and commerce and peace of the land.
| Surely every right-minded citizen will
sympatbize with every effort made look
ing to the securing of right and justice
Tor every man In the land and under our
flag. 1t becomes every Christian in, the
nation to pray earnestly and work intel
ligently and persistently use his influence
in the direction Of peace and harmony,
right and Justice to ALL In all this j
| steadily keep in mind the right of any and
every class Of men to organize themselves
for the protection of their own interests,
and at the same time, have those organ
izations animated by spirit of intellt-
| gent loyalty to the laws OF the land, and
| fidelity to every interest that enters int o
the foundation of the American republic.
| Two Ways Out.
EFT seems to me that there are but two
ways out of the perilous conditions toward
which we are drifting. One is to have
men work by the hour, if they want to
work five or ten hours day. Give them
good wages for the time and hours they
| work.
''The other is for all corporations tc
have and enforce rule that, after their
men have been in their employ certain
length of time they may share certain
percentage In the profits of the business
This last method would do away, in my
Judgment, with all strikes and OF her perils
| of the business. In this way the labor
ing men would feel that they were shar-
ing in the profits of the business and
would put forth their best efforts to pro
mote the interests and success Of those
for whom they toll. Such experiments are
now being made in some parts of the
country and with success. Such firms