The St. Louis Republic., 1904-12-12

. . . . . - . . . - . u
, Just distribution of wealth. and ii would
mean the recognition of morality and hu-
| man brotherhood seven days in the week
! And yet the first petition of our Lords
| prayer. which the church and all people
are accustomed to pray. means this. il ii
| means anything. The consequences OF any
| ether Interpretation Of our Lords teach
| ing are fatal.
1T was Tertullians boast in the Third
| Century that nothing was so foreign to the
was that the worst citizens alone ruled,
, and SO Christianity wrongly understood
became prominent cause in the downfall
| of the Empire. l believe there is lesson
| for to-day in that old history.
| Il know that while it is easy enough
! to indulge in generalities and urge obed!-
ence of the Golden Rule as great cure, cure,
| all. it is a very different question and
| harder to answer precisely what the
! Golden Rule demanGs in SPECIFIC cases.
| How shall We apply II? What does It re.
| Quire of us all in the case of a labor
strike? In the matter of convict labor!
| In the absorption by some monopoly like.
let US say. the gas works in some city, OF
eh, that to under iss peabe ans hep
emerges the entire question of municipal
| ownership of public franchises What
| about the maintenance of such a monop-
oily. through corrupted city and state
| legislation? What ought to be done at
| the time when degrading poverty appears
| side by side with almost equally degrad-
| luXuf1eS. lHt great qutSiiohS Va
cial reform. in all its. connections with
| capital and labor. the duties and restric-
! tions with the responsibilities or wealth,
and the extension to all classes e;,ro ot +baf bff
vitality concern the church il she IS ~
fulfill her highest mission. They mus.
be considered by the church. and upon
their correct solution depends in large
| measure the success and happiness or our
| future. Kindly and frankly. l lift these
| questions before you to-day Tor consio-
| Grafton.
| shall we ;ook for 4 minute at some
| specific instances? First. if you please
as to the extreme forms OF poverty that
| are seen about US on every side. and that
| to-day are growing in country as well as
| in the city How can the church apply
in this vast field the Christianity of Christ?
And | answer, in the first place by ae
| toilins men and women themselves Tine
| heart lying dead, said Carlisle. the eye
cannot see. We can never properly con-
| slider the cause or causes of poverty.
| whether dissipation, thriftleSsneSs or Tar
| deeper causes. unless we are able to rea iiza
the frequently sad inheritance OF physicai'
| mental and moral incapacity. poor educa-
tior and childhood training of the wage
: Garner. for which he IS not responsible,
| and his low wages and notwithstanding
all save bodily qualification. certain man
| when professor in Western university
at s2@e per year ear was , fond ,,.'f,,s Of telling
| cent. leaving behind him his parents and
having no influence in this country. yet
| in due time he secured work in Pennsyl-
| vana and accumulated enough by work
| ing with pickax and shovel to prepare him
| self for Princeton. There he supported him.
self by tutoring and prizes and graduated
with such honorS as to secure his present
| position. Every one of these complaining
| OF poor day laDorers. he would say. could
| do equally well in some position though,
| may be, it was answered. If these people
were born with such an endowment of
health. pluck, energy and native ability
| as you possess. But few have such native
| ability. Consequently we must not expect
| SO much of them. And while many deep.
underlying causes Of low wages, and child
| labor and poverty exist. causes which de-
| mand the deepest thought of our economic
students. it is also true that thousands
! receive all they earn, and. at the present
mode of spending. all they ought to have
| The problem is now to make them deserve
more. and. where they are not receiving
ths1T aesfsfs IS snotss1 otsst sbss ,hs inward
the church may be power in helping to
estab ab!ish the kingdom Of God on earth.
Ihis is by hearty corporation with. such
mooes res, OF education and factory legislation
erty and degradation. 1t is difficult to over
estimate the possibilities of good in the
education of our public schools. We are
thankful for the great strides that are
peing taken In the latest methods of train
ing; scbis beispeehally ,hll! in manual work We are
need now to teach moral thrift and we'll
being also. But there should be more
stringent laws prohibiting CHILDREN under
10 working in store. mine or factory.
These years form the time for education.
| The constitution is impaired, education
| neglected. fitness for future earning and
| enjoyment lessened if they are put at
work. Yet it is said that outside of Massa-
| chusetts. and. in some degree, two or three
| other States. our child labor laws and
compulsory education laws are farce;
L q fn ha ippn mol. n
enforcement. Only last February. on the
floor of the Iowa Assembly. at Des Moines,
the question of child labor was vigorously
discussed. and a proposed law was as
| vigorously opposed.
You and i have only to open our eyes
in the stores of our city and to look on
the streets to see the boys and girls of
tender years that are being fed into the
nav of business, when they should be at
that moment at school under such in.
| sruction as will make them intelligent,
healthful American citizens.
Did time permit should like to say a
word regarding the duty of the church III
the education and reformation of con
victs. What can be done 10 reduce the
commitment of crime? And this comes
closer home and to the heart of the
! church when We remember that nearly
one half of the convicts in our prisons and
penitentiaries are Young men under 30
years of age. Whence come they? How
can the prisonward tide be stopped?
These are mighty questions for the
church. The question for the state is
serious one. for some of our States can
not build prisons fast enough to Keep up
with the demands for space. The ques
| ton is far more vital to the church In
! the name of Christ And where shall the
church stand. l ask, kindly and interest
| edly. as to the various s.iikes lockouts.
| walkouts, competitions and combinations
| that are about us daily? Closely related
to this industrial situation, in indeed many
places forming a very important part of
1t, is the question Of marriage divorce
and the maintenance OF the home These
questions are pressing for solution ap1
| are most important. What shall the
| church do? She cannot refrain from
acting If she is to hold power and re-
spect.
"Just here. as an aside. there is a very
as to what position the church members
ought to take regarding bargain counters
and sweat-shop prices that are low, oft
times at the cost of blood and woman's
virtue.
What, again, shall be her position re-
garding the present luxuries? l mean the
extreme luxuries of life. and 1 ask this
has said Luxury is expenditure whose
main purpose is enjoyment instead of the
better development of our powers.
| Whether we fully agree with that definf-
ton or not, the truth remains that to-
day there is much foolish and wasteful
expenditure of money. This expenditure
has its influence upon the entire Industrial
situation. There can be no question that
1t greatly tends to foster discomfort. Peo-
their walk or position in life. Is 1t right
to give a banquet for few friends costing
u00 or more plate, when many are suf-
fering for the very necessities Of life?