The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-04-25
LABOR [ / !. UNIONS! .! 4 /. !.
=. A|0)= ! + CHURCH
OBJECTIONS oF~.WoRktNeMEN 70
: .THE"cHURch. ~::4 r. !.
The Summer, Outdoor Meeting and the
institutional Church: as j,
an Answer

has the problem: propounded by the
church, How shall we reach the work.
ing classes" been solved? =
A. G. cambridge, we'll known in the
labor circles in Minneapolis, gives be-
| low reasons for the workinkuen's lack
| OF interest In the. affairs of church,
Another man who has viewed the
| problem from the side Of the working
| men, believes workingmen do go to
church, but assigns: reasons 70 rtheir
not going in larger numbers. Rev,
Charles Steizle, former pastor Of Hone
chapel Of this city and now pastor in
| an institutional church in St. Lonis
in a lecture at Westminster Presbv-
terrain church last Week, said the in
stltutlonal church solved the problem
ana aroused an interest among work.
1nsmen In church work. Such a
church, he said, gave room for those
activities and appealed to those sides
OF mems lives. which have in many
places, indeed generally, been met by
many other institutions such as the
lodge, ethical culture societies, saloons
and principally by Socialistic organ
lzatlons. Mr.. Stelzles own church
was felt by the workingmen to be so
friendly to their interests that even the
Socialists in the vicinity mad once
asked for the use of the auditorium for
a meeting; tho their request had to be
denied.
A Labor View.
Wages" from the workingman's
standpoint, says:
mat large percentage of working
people do not go to church is, of
course. true; but the same is true of
all other classes in any community
| the business class, the professional
class. the idle rich and the busy rich.
The long hours of labor that are
| the rule among wage earners is prob
ably as strong a reason as any whv
they don't so to church. A. man or
woman who works ten or more hours
a day mostly in illventilated and dirtv
rooms, is not in mental or physical
condition to go to church on the only
day in the week that they may belong
to themselves, and it is not the best
Way for them to spend the day, or any
part of it. When they need fresh air,
and when the temperature permits,
they feel more like spending their
Sunday outdoors, and for this they
are to be commended, not condemned.
Two or three years ago I read a latter
from New Yory business house,
which said the concern had reduced
working hours from ten to nine hours,
whit the resust that more and better
work was done. per man than under
the ten-hour system. And it stands to
reason that this should be so. A man
or woman who works. ten or r more
| hours a dayat :thessame task day after
day gets. brain 10 a1l id becomes. too:
IexhaMsted physie&fty sto5 rec 81 III
time for the next dtay.s work; ana TIE
result is gradual and steady decline,
and constant deterioration in quality
and quantity Of work. With the in
crease Of labor-savin machinery this
is becoming more true. The moral to
be drawn from this by ministers and
managers of churches, is that if they
would like to have. larger percentage
of working people in their audiences,
let them do all they can to establish
shorter workday-not more than
eight hours. They ought to be willing
to do this, because it is in the. interest
Of civilization, better government and
better society.
| Pulpit Discussions.
"A prejudice against churches by
working people that has some founda-
ton for it, is the way labor questions
are discussed in the pulpit. Some
times it is done in a patronizing way,
as if the worrying people were much
IN need of ministerial guidance; some
times it is done in a vicious, offensive
way that is sure to create feeling Of
resentment, as for instance the way in
which Rev. DR.. Newell Dwight Hills
of Brooklyn roasted organized labor
recently. Then some ministers have
such a tender feeling. for the non
union man. Rev. DR.. Hills, of course
is a shining example of this class. I
nwow minister in this city whose
equal in kindness of heart and nobility
! Of character it would be hard to find,
who always takes the part of the non
union man when discussing labor
questions; and it is purely because Of
his sympathetic nature that he does it,
for he considers the non union, man
the under dog. But the average union
man is not apt to take his talk in a
kindly spirit, just the same.
| Cordial Welcome for One.
II will say in closing. that the feel