The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-09

People to Stand for the Principle
Of Liberty and Justice.
Rev. DIR. Isaac j. Lansing, pastor o
the Green Ridge Presbyterian church
preached an extended sermon last nigh
dealing with the strike question in gen
eral and the coal strike in particular
though his references to the latter in
dustrial struggle were not direct in TIL
majority of instances.
The doctor chose two texts as fol
lows: James 3:16: For where envy
ing and strife is. there is confusion an,
every evil work." and James Al
From whence came wars and fighting
among you? Came they not hence, ever
of your lusts that war in your mem
bers?'
In beginning his remarks DIR. Lans
ing pictured the ruin and destruction
wrought by the disastrous flood II
Johnstown and contrasted it with thu
coal strike which he called a flood o
passion caused by a break in the self
restraint of men and which is causing
a hundred times as much destruction a:
did the Johnstown flood"
II have no apologies to make" he
continued, "for addressing intelligent
and pious people on this subject. There
are those who may not like it. You vii
always find a number who are very
fond Of the gospel but who are not sc
fond of it's application
The doctor then briefly explained the
meaning of strikes and lockouts and
followed with statistics showing the
great growth of the strike movement in
the last twenty years. These statistics
show that since 1880 there have been
%. 900 strikes in the United States as
compared with 1,5O0 for the $50 years
previous to that time. Strikes, he said,
are only found where labor is organ
| ized, but labor unions are not to be
blamed for this because a strike could
not be successful without organization
among the strikes.
QUOTED CONSTITUTIONS.
DR.. Lansing quoted at length from
the constitutions of number of large
labor organizations to show that it ap-
pears to be the policy of all organized
abor to oppose strikes except as a last
resort. If labor union, then. takes the
initiative and provokes a strike either
the members have exhausted every
honorable means of securing an ad-
iustment of the difficulty or else they
are false to their own principles.
The losses resulting from strikes,
both direct and indirect, are enormous,
he said. In the last twenty years the
direct money loss has been $469O00, 900;
the number of men who have gone on
strike, 100000 and the average num-
ber of days each remained on strike
% As. The indirect losses of a strike
are enormous beyond computation. The
doctor quoted statistics and figures
which bear out the general assertion
that strikes for an increase In wages
don't pay in the majority Of cases be-
make up the losses sustained by the
workingmen during the struggle.
There are other losses, too, DR.. Lans-
ing said-loss of credit, loss to the mer-
chants who keep strikers through their
trouble and then are left in the end
with nothing for their trouble in many
able things, also
''Is the gain commensurate with these
losses?" the doctor asked. ITS hard
to answer that. Statistics show that
about fifty-two per cent of strikes are
successful. But we must consider how
they are successful. Beyond doubt
there are many strikes which are lost
OH the physical side, but which work IL
great moral advantage for the striker.
There are. too, many strikes which end
with physical advantage gained by
the strikers but which are lost entirely
on the other side.
THE eternal principle that man can
work or not work as he sees fit is con-
ceded to the man who strikes. Why is
it not universally conceded to the man
who does not strike. | never knew a
man yet nor have | ever heard of one
who denied the right of the working
man to cease work when he chose, un-
less bound by contract obligations. Tell
me, American citizens, why any man
should deny the workngman the right
to keep on working as long as he
pleases.
A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPAL.
"If men are not assaulted, bruised
and insulted for striking why should
they be assaulted, bruised and insulted
for working? That is fundamental
pFllclpdi as IuiludIllental as the pTlil-
cipal that your house is your castle and
that you are master within it's four
walls.
What should we say of the people
who give their passive consent and APP
proval to the bullying and browbeating
of the man who desires to work by the
man who prefers to remain idle?
ITO deny the right of a man to work
for an employer at a wage mutually
to both Is to deny that for
which our Christian ancestors fought
and died; is to deny the fundamental
which are the very springs
of our national life. What right have
idlers who refuse to work to destroy
property and interfere in high-handed
way with the rights of others? No
right at all. Those who do this are act
uated by the spirit of anarchy.
Sometimes we may find a certain
element of heroism in striker. We
may see man who believes that he has
a just grievance and who is willing to
deprive himself and draw ON his little |
store in order to fight for the better
ment of his condition. But we shall |