The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-17
FRIDAY EVENING,

{ Z E
been an active worker in the ranks of
organized labor for more than a quarter
of a century" says A. G. Bainbridgee.
''There are many members Of organized
labor who are members Of the church and
endeavor to be good Christians and are
also good true union men. AS for myself
I was raised in the church by Christian
parents, in early life I never missed at
tending church services, the Sabbath
school and the prayer meeting. AS long
as my mother lived, even after was mar
ried. s{5 @
There are too many people who are
not willing to give the so-called Labor
agitator," credit for being sincere in his
teachings and belief, but I am satisfied
that there are more men who have made.
personal sacrifice in this great move
ment, than for any other great question
that has arisen among civilized nations In
the past quarter Of a century.
early in the labor movement we found
the church was almost. unanimously ar
rayed against us. AS the movement grew
and the membership and influence became
greater, we found occasionally and in Ia
Dor centers only, some minister who would
preach a sermon partially favorable to the
labor cause. Even up to the present day,
with millions of men and women enrolled
in the ranks Of organized labor, there
are comparatively few ministers who
seem to have the courage or desire to ad-
| vocate the cause which we believe to be
right and just.
1T is a well-known fact that the most
| bitter enemies of organized labor are
prominent and influential members Of the
| church. 1t would be very pleasant, in
! deed, to attempt to worship in church
where one knew that the leading members
and in some cases practically the own
ers of the church, were the men who
would and who had called out the militia
| to shoot US down like dogs when we
dared to ask for what we thought were
our rights.
1T is a curious fact that in this city,
where the building trades are as we'll Or
ganized as in any city in the country, the
only contractors running unfair shops who
amount to anything at all, are prominent
members of some Of our city churches.
And another fact is that the only work
done in this city in the last three years
where union men We're allowed to work
with nonunion men, (the Building Trades
council making a special ruling so as not
to antagonize churches and charity work.
has been on churches and on work being
done by charitable associations.
I'VE find that the people, both men
| and women who are the most tyranncal,
| OFcl DcdllNS anu dDuSlNS 10 luSlT Cm-
ployes, who deny us even the right to
discuss with them what we believe are our
rights, are processing Christians
| Labor Not Against Churches.
'To the best Of my knowledge organized
labor is not against the church, but from
| the treatment we have received from the
church and from the people who make up
| the church, we have about come to the
! conclusion that the church is against or
ganized labor. So the only thing left for
us to do is to work out our own salvation.
But we are satisfied that the day is COM
| ing when the church will come to us, for
we believe in our hearts that we are
right, and right will prevail. We do not
presume to say that we are perfect; that
everything we have done and may do is
right, that we have not and may not
make mistakes, but we do believe that
the underlying principles Of organized
labor are right and the only salvation for
the masses Of the people, and that as
the methods Of carrying out our grand
objects"
| The Church's Efforts.
| MI. Stelzle's lecture showed a. wide and
Intimate acquaintance with the conditions
of wage -earners, Mr.. Stelzle having been
in his bOyhOOd a. neWsboy, later having
served an apprenticeship in the largest
machine shop in New York city, and --.A
later having studied social and labor con-
ditions as a student and preacher in an
eager, desire to solve the great problem
which confronted the church and the la
boring man. In his lecture he said in
part:
"WorlSing men to-day arc looking for
coming man. But that man has already
| come. He was a carpenter. His first
| followers were working men, Working
men are coming more and more to recog-
nize that Jesus, the carpenter, belongs
to them. But this does not mean that
the working men are attending the church
Of Jesus Christ. 1t Is said that not more
than per cent of the working men of
our large cities are regular attendants at
| our churches.
| 1.-THE working man would not attend
the church Of the rich. even though he
were welcomed with wide open arms. In
deed. the more conspicuous the welcome
the more would he be repelled. 1t would
De just es reasonable to expect the aver
age rich man who is not a Christian to
make himself at home in the mission of
the poor. Indeed, it would be more rea-
sonable, for the man of culture Is at least
supposed to have the broader mind.
Neither will the so-called working
mans church attract the. working man.
Never has one Of these churches proved
successful. Reasons assigned by labor
Headers are: t......---
If true religion means anything, 1t means the
fatherhood Of God and the brotherhood of man
and exclusive church would be contrary to
that doctrine.
| While workingmen are poor they are also
proud and they would be slow to connect them
selves with exclusive institution which might
possibly be dubbed poor mans church.
'"The average mission as a means of
winning workingmen is decided failure.
Among the women and children it is more
or less successful, but the mechanic Is
being reached to a very limited extent.