The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-07
LABOR PROBLEM SERMON
DISCUSSED AT MAYFLOwER CHURCH
BY REV. H.. s. OsGOOD.
Discussion of the IdeaIism and Real
ism of the Question-Labor Days
Bearing ON the Times.

preached on 1.-THE Idealism and Realism of
the Labor Problem His texts were:
Man shall not live by bread alone
Matt. iv, 4.
Wherefore do We spend money for that
which Is not bread; and your labor for that
which satisfeth not?"-lsa. lv, 2.
He said: by proclamation of the Gov
ernor tomorrow will be celebrated as La
Dor day throughout the State of Indiana, as
In most of the States and Territories of the
United States. In 1884 the day was first
set apart by the wage earners themselves,
acting on the resolution of George r. Lloyd,
one or the Knights OF Labor. And in lsI1 the
Legislature OF Colorado set an Example
speedily followed by other States, by max
ing the day a legal holiday. In 1894 Con-
gress legalized II in the District of Column
bia, and at the opening of 1903 the only
States where it was not legalized were
louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota and
Nevada.
1.-The Importance and value of the day as
a teacher OF patriotism and practical re-
ligion is, l believe, too we'll understood to
need Certainly no apology need
be made for an attempt to preach a sermon
appropriate to the thought OF the day. The
Bible, the great textbook of mankind is
full OF the doctrine of the value, the neces-
sity, the dignity of labor; from the declara-
ton in Genesis. that by the sweat of his
brow shall man eat bread to the tender
call of the Savior, Come unto me all We
that labor and are heavy laden and / will
give you rest and the example of the great
apostolic missionary, who. while he carried
on mis- mighty propaganda, supported him
self by manual toll.
The idealism of the labor question is
powerfully suggested in the words of the
first text, words wrung from our Lords
deep distress, when he was suffering for
physical sustenance. Man shall not live by
bread alone 1t is a declaration that
mans needs are not limited to material
Things. He has higher interests more inn
perious than physical appetites. These
words apply to the laboring man, not be-
cause ne Is a laborer. but because he is a
man with the same hopes, ambitions. yearp-
ings, virtues, vices, rights and duties as
other men possess.
SPIRITUAL BEINGS.
Man is a spiritual being, and laboriDg
men are spiritual beings. One is justified
in uttering such A truism as the foregoing,
because many, both among the employers
of labor and labor leaders, practically deny
that the laborer does nourish spiritual am
billions. But he does, and this fact breeds
the essential significance to Labor day. 1t
is a visible and concrete appeal for the
wider recognition of the wage earners' hui
manity and of his spiritual needs. This
conception of Labor day is often belied in
it's practical celebration; as, for example,
when two years ago a prominent and re-
spceted citizen was invited TO address the
crowd at the Labor day picnic held at the
State fair grounds. He came thoroughly
prepared to speak on the higher significance
of the day and to inspire the nobler aspira-
lions of his auditors. But before he had
we'll begun his address he had to stop,
owing to the departure of his audience, that
they might witness the horse race which
had been called. This might seem to indi-
cate that the participants in the celebra-
ton did not appreciate it's true use. But
probably the ably prepared orator would
have stood just as good a chance of a re-
spectful hearing on the Fourth Of July if
he were competing with "a rival horse race.
And even the seeming preference of the
crowd for the excitement of the race to a
thoughtful presentation of the days les
sons, is a common on this part of the
theme. Man shall not live by bread alone
even intellectual food; and If his normal
and legitimate craving for amusement
manifests itself in unwholesome ways and
even asserts itself above his intellectual
interests, the fact may frequently be ac-
counted for by the exhaustion and over
WEAKNESS Of his whole nature.
mo great amount of time need be taken
to speak of the really religious ideal of life.
All of us agree, l hope, that 1t Is not mar
row, not confined to things technically
called religious. Religion demands industry
of every one. BE diligent in business. Reli-
gion teachers the cultivation Of domestic ties
and. is the tap-root of domestic felicity.
Religion stimulates mans intellectual in
%terests. Few men can be scholars, but all
men have the capacity to appreciate and
rejoice in the work of scholars, IL they
have only the chance to exercise ii. | have
been told of a certain barber in Elkhar
who is really quite a scientific authority on
butterflies. That Is his Intellectual recrea-
ton. 1 met, this summer. a fine type of
laboring man, a stationary engineer, who
was widely read on the subject of game
fishes. This was his intellectual exercise
and he was a broader, better man for this
enlargement of his horizon. Religion makes
place for play. The ideal city which
Zechariah saw had streets full of boys and
girls playing.
THE LABOR PROBLEM.
but someone will ask. what has all this
to do with Labor day and the labor ques-
ton? 1 reply, much every way. This
broad, wholesome, noble, liberal ideal of
life taught in the Scriptures and by the
spirit forces upon us the two two most vex-
ing elements of the labor question-hours
and wages. If a man is to realize in any
measure an adequate and symmetrical de-
velopment of his nature, he must have
somewhat of leisure and somewhat of mon
ey. The late Pope Leo's now famous en-
cyclical on the Condition Of Labor most
admirably emphasized these two points In
this connection. He declared mans life
in the world to be the real base of the i'm
mortal life. Mans powers are limited like
his general nature and beyond these he can
not go. His strength Is increased by use
and exercise, but only on condition of due
intermission and proper rest In all agree
ments between masters and workmen there
is the condition, expressed or understood,
that there be proper rest for soul and body
Concerning wages the Pope declared that
1 Willie AL "oih hhah aIo CA
should enter into free agreements, there
is a dictate of nature, more imperious and
more ancient than any bargain between
man and man, that the remuneration must
be enough to support the wage Garner in
reasonable and frugal comfort And If
the workman through necessity or fear &C
cepts harder conditions because the con-
tractor or employer will give no better, he
is the victim of force and injustice.
Man shall not live by bread alone.
but it often appears as if the wage Garner
was expected so to live. 1t is an exceed
ingly liberal estimate to say that the av-
erage wage earner's yearly income is $500.
1t may be submitted that that for a family
of five Is a very meager allowance. ! sup
pose one-ffth TO be spent for rent. That
leaves 500 a year or $1.S4 a month, for each
member of the family with which to pro-
cure food, clothing, light, heat, medicine,
amusement, travel and incidentals. Do a
little ciphering and then ask yourself If II
Is very sinful to be somewhat DISCONTINUED
with such conditions. especially where
there is so much vulgar and ostentatious
and so much comfort and liberty even on
the part of the moderately we'll to do.
ANOTHER SIDE TO QUESTION.
But there Is another than the ideal side
to the question, and its perplexing and
sometimes provoking realism is well sug-
gested in Isiah's query, a question that
ought 10 be forced home on the laborer:
Why do you spend money for that which
is not bread and your labor for that which
satisfieth not?' 1t is the world-old story.
Isaiah found the people whom he was try
ing to help, whose oppressors he was I'M
sparingly c~ondemning. fiouting his message