The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-22
SERMON ON LABOR
PREACHED By REV. J. A. SMITH IN
EPWORTH CHURCH.
AGAINST CHILD LABI
AND COMPETITION OF CONvICTS,
HE ADVISED ALL TO VOTE.


of God and brotherhood of Man.
Attacked ORGANIZATIONS That Con-
troll the Bread and Meat and Even
the Collins In which We Must BE
Buried"
To a large number of trade unionists,
gathered by special invitation at Ep-
worth Methodist Church last night,
Rev. ]. A. Smith delivered a sermon
from the text Matt xxi, 36-40, Mas
ter, which is the great commandment
in the law? Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind. This is the
first and great commandment. And
the second is like unto it, thou shalt
love thy neighbor as myself"
In the words of our text" said Mr..
Smith we find the gospel of human
ity-because it is the gospel of the Son
of God. 1t is the truth in it's practical
bearing. 1t brings man face to face
with his duty to his fellow man. All
false religions eXalt the love of God
above the love due to man. But Christ
says a mans entrance into his kingdom
is contingent on how he acts towards
his brother.
The good Samaritan went down TO
his house justified because the cry of
pain attracted his attention. He I'M
mediately went to the assistance of
the one in need, bound up his wounds,
put him ON his own breast and carried
him to a place of safety.
ScIfshness Doctrine of Tyrants.
Every man for himself is the Ian
guage of a selfish, heartless tyrant A
man can no longer do what he pleases
with his own life. What he doss or
does not do affects thousands of other
lives. No man liVeth to himself The
greatest are those who serve. To him
who loves. service is its own reward.
The doctrine of Christ, II lived,
would overcome the. inhumanity of
man to man. His truth of the father
hood of God, and the brotherhood Of
man need but to be accepted, and put
into practice To Danish the grasplng
naterialsm and the accursed covetous-
ness of the day.
Too many have already come to
think that they can serve God, and yet
never deny themselves at any point
or ever make a sacrifice for the good
of others. We are told that Garibaldi
recruited his soldiers by offering them
hunger. cold, battle and death-and yet
men f1ocked to his standard Not be
cause they we're Indifferent TO hard
ships and death, but because they
wanted a united free country.
Have we d right to speak of
Christian view of labor? Certainly.
offer no apology for aging, That the
labor movement is the strongest force
outside of the Christian church max
ing for the practical recognition OF ltu-
man brotherhood.
Union Labor and Civilization.
To-day united labor organizations
are playing no little part in the his
tory of civihzation-eleva large
classes, mentally socially and morally.
The labor movement then in its broad
est term is the effort of men to live
the life of men-to live and let live.
These men are very large part OF
the heart of our social fabric,
Realizing that isolation is weak
ness. but union is strength, 1t is not
strange that unions of aborers may
be traced back in European history
for at least 500 years. In 1871 we have
the first record of a movement of this
kind in the United states. These, and
similar organizations are the creatures
of absolute necessity. Born not on the
impulse of the moment, in the spirit
of fanaticism and anarchy, as some
would have us believe, but born be
cause the first law of nature is self
preservation. Created to secure for the
laborer at least some enjoyment of the
wealth which he creates. sufficient
time in which to develop his Intellect
ual. moral and social faculties: to
share in the gains and honors of ad-
vancing civilization to exercise his
blood bought rights as free, Amerl-
can citizen. ....-.l
ITO make their desires effective la
borers, naturally etlough, realized the
necessity OF organized effort-in unity
there is strength. Organization is the
habit of the day. With many it is the
very Shiboleth Of success and victory.
Legitimately, and honestly done, it Is
a most potent factor for n1ethodical,
united, usefulness. Prostituted for sor-
did and selfish ends, it becomes an
evil of alarming proportions.
warfare Against Trusts.
when it is possible for. men to con-
troll the, prices of the very bread and
meat which we eat-the cotton and
wheat crops before they are gathered,
not to mention the collins in which we
are to be buried. 1t is high time for the
1
united, aggressive, ui1ceasing Warfare
against all such damnable organiza
tons that would grow rich on the
necessities Of the weak: who use their
superior advantages of wealth or in
tellect, or bodily strength or other re-
sources, to crowd out and grind down
their fellow man.
Those who are interested in social
and economic questions know fun
well what tremendous Influence could
be exerted if all Christians were in
terested in applying the Christian law
10 social practice The Church has
hardly begun to dream of what could
be done if we were to awaken to our
responsibilities and opportunities.
The Christian Church is in a GER
tain sense the voice OF one crying in
the wilderness There seems to be a
growing conviction that the specific
work Of the church In the near future
will be TO bring the spirit and precepts
OF Jesus Christ 10 bear upon the out
ward conditions as well as upon the
inward and spiritual character Of the
world
How 20 Accomplish Ends.
Prove All things; hold fast that
which Is good. .....
'fiow may united labor thrive ana
create healthy. aggressive sentiment?
How prove the fallacy OF the many
unkind charges brought against them
AZ individuals and as q united body?
First. iet every working man so ap-
ply himself 10 his wOrk-so an his
place in the word-sO use his OppOr-
funiues-so improve his character-so
make hlmself worthy that b. shnil