Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-09-15
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

Chicago, Sept. 14.-Friendly counsel
TO both parties in the unhappy labor
struggle In the mining regions is of
Tered by Rev. Frank De Witt Talmage
In this sermon on the text Luke X, 81,
I'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self"
A startling telegram was lying upon
my desk as l sat down to write this
sermon. 1t was direct information,
sent to one of the Chicago newspapers,
and 1t read: Fifty thousand employees
of Pittsburg's mills and factories face
loss Of work through a famine in fuel
AS a result of the prolonged miners
strike. Coal and coke stacks are near
ly exhausted. 1t is asserted that some
OF the largest plants will be forced to
close In few days"
Terrible is the suffering which is be-
ing caused In the little towns and vii
llages where the Pennsylvania miners
live. A lady who just left the village
OF Shickshinny, which is situated in
the heart of the coal region, told me
that there the men and the women
and the children were practically starv-
ing. Even the dogs. gaunt and hag-
gard, were running through the streets
like famished wolves. More serious to
the national welfare is it to think that
hundreds Of thousands and even mil
Hons Of men, women and children all
over the east are being indirectly af-
'fected on account of this miners strike
In addition to those who directly earn
y their daily wages in the mines.
But the social disturbances attending
the Pennsylvania strike of 1902 are no
worse than the Pullman strike of 1894,
when the troops had to be ordered out
and the fire bells ceased ringing lest
they should summon together a crowd
tof starving men and women. Then
president Cleveland sent the United
States troops to clear the tracks for
the mails, and the Calling guns were
lnniimbered and made ready to "shoot
20 kill" The present disturbance is
no worse than the famous Homestead
strike of 1892, when the Pinkerton men
guarded the works night and day and
when III. @. Prick, the superintendent,
was nearly murdered, and the strik,
OF this year and those of 1894 and 1892
.}are as mere bagatelles compared to
lthe awful railroad strike of 1878, when
every great city-north, east and west
was terroriZed and when human
blood was being daily shed.
Capital and Labor.
The troubles between capital and la.
Dor on account of the strike are nc
worse here than in foreign lands
John Burns, the labor leader and q
member of the present British parlia-
nent, told me that during the famous
London dock strikes of few years ago
the men under his leadership were sc
pressed by hunger that at times they
became almost uncomfortable. 1t was
only by the most level headed leader.
ship that anarchy and riot were avert
ed One day he saw large crowd OF
strikers assembled together. There
were murmurings and curses uttered
upon every side. He heard an anarch
LIST In nearby wagon pleading will
the strikers to end their hunger by the
torch and the murderer's weapon. Their
John Burns. the labor leader, cried ou
In loud voice: "Stand back, men
Stand back and let me passw TIL,
men stood back. John Burns passed
Through the opened lines until he cam,
to the wagon and climbed up. Their
ne turned and said: Men, you know
am your friend. You know my wife
and children and myself are suffering
hardship. just as you are. But, men
IL you will hold out little longer IL
this strike you will surely win-not
however. in the way ny anarchist,
friend wants you to hold out. He say,
Tor you to use the anarchists torcl
and the murderers dagger; he says t,
use that means which will surely til
the hangman's moose about your necl
and turn the artilleryman's guns upol
your homes. Is he willing to do wha
ne wants us to do?" With that JOIN
Burns took a daily newspaper out o
his pocket, twisted it up as a torch
struck a match and lighted it. The
he turned to the anarchist and said
"Now, friend, take that torch and bur-
yonder building If you dare" TIL
mans face became as white as deatf
Then" said John Burns, II lifted m
fst and knocked him down as a butcf
er might fell an OK. With my foot
! thrust him out of that wagon as thong
he were a mad dog, frothing at tn
mouth, trying to bite my heel"
Strikes among the bricklayers, strike
among the freight men, strikes anon
the builders, strikes among the SEWN
girls, strikes up and down this land i
every direction. Strikes in times {
financial prosperity. Strikes in time
Of panic. What are the causes of a
these strikes? The object of this Sc
mon is to try to adduce some reason
Tor the labor agitations, present an
past, and to show capital and lab,
that each has selishly erred and si
ned. My object is also to show that
the employers. as well as the employee
fwould equally live by the Golden Ru
and love their neighbors as themselv