The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-11-25
PROBLEMS OF LABOR
Rev. Or. Talmage breaches {
Labor Day Sermon.
The Labor Problem an old One-Les.
sons From the History of
the Israeiites In
Egypt.


preacher expresses his sympathy Will
the hard lot Of the workingman ano
points out some of the conditions which
Increase his difficulties. The text is
Exodus 1, L, "The more they afflicted
them the more they multiplied and
grew"
Some virtues" wrote Joseph Addi
son, are seen only In afillct.on." But
from the Egyptian standpoint 1t would
take very long and very useless
investigation TO find any virtue in the
national catastrophe which, as the text
would indicate. was about TO over
whelm the Egyptian kingdom The
mightlest foreign foe ever assembled
upon the borderland drained by the
arteries Of the gigantic Nile was not
to be feared as much as was the host
of enslaved Hebrews who were living
among them. II was only a few hun
dred years before that little handful
of Hebrews, with thei' flOcks and
herds. had migrated to and settled In
the land Of Goshen during the pre-
micrship Of Joseph. the famous states
man. But since that time the de
scerdants Of old Jacob had multiplied
so greatly that now they could be
counted literally by the hundreds Of
thousands. Not only in numbers were
they to be feared, but in mental power
also.
what shall we do? What shall we
dor was the one question that was
upon almost every Egyptian lip.
"shall we allow the Hebrew people TO
become the dominant factors upon the
banks Of the Nile and to sit upon the
throne of the pharaohs| This ques-
ton was not only asked in the street
but Il was anXiOusly discussed in the
kings palace. Tonight we see the
lights blazing in the privy council
room. AS we enter the council cham
Der we see the king sitting at the end
of the long room, surrounded by MS
best and strongest ministers. After
the question has been talked over long
and earnestly l see the king rise. lie
looks straight at his councillors Of state
as he says: Gentlemen, we are facing
n condition, not a theory. We dare
not and cannot deport the Hebrews
from our realm. They are now essen
tlal 10 our national welfare and pros
perity as laborers, clerks and servants.
But we can debar them from holding
nropertv. We can forbid them study
ing In our schools. We can enslaYe
them and make them the chattels OF
our people. We can degrade them by
ignorance and Overwork. Thus saith
the king. l here and now decree the
Hebrew men and women and children
from henceforth TO be in perpetual
bondage. They shall be compelled to
make bricks without straw. My min-
listers will see that my decree is car
ried out. When the king speaks the
kings will becomes the law. Gentle
men of the privy chamber, the council
Is dismissed"
This royal behest was carried our 10
the letter. The Hebrew people living
in Egypt were disfranchised. Not only
were they deprived Of the rights or
citizenship. but they were degraded to
the most abject and humiliating seryi-
tude. Their property was taken away
from them, and they could not even
claim their wives and children as their
own. Yet, strange to say, and yet
not strange after all, the more the
Hebrews were cursed and struck and
III used and murdered by the Egyp-
tians the more their numbers grew,
and the more Of a menace they became
to the Egyptian government The Ia
Dor question, on account Of the oru-
talities practiced under the shadow OF
pharaoh's throne in 1878 B. c., be-
came as imminent and dangerous as is
the labor question in the United states
OF America in 1904. A. D.. under the
shadow Of the statue Of the Goddess
of Liberty which stands in New York
harbor, and with uplifted arm declares
that all men in this land are free and
equal.
This Is the first Sunday in Septem-
her. Tomorrow is Labor day. Many
preachers this Sabbath morning will be
talking to the mechanics, the clerks
and the farm hands. TO the masons, the
carpenters and plumbers, and to all
those who work with their hands. 1t
Is not inappropriate that this morning
l should present some Of the conditions
that are affecting American labor. II
I'm this talk should speak frankly con-
cerning capital, I shall speak with
eoual candor concerning labor, for /
firmly believe, as dear friend Of mine
said 10 me a few days ago, that the
greatest curse labor has to bear today
does not come from capital, but from
labor itself" One sided or biased
treatment Of the labor question viii
never help to solve the labor problem.
"The more the Egyptian master af-
hicted the Hebrew slaves" says our
text. "the more they multiplied and
grew. and the Egyptians grieyed be
cause OF the children Of Israel La
Dor q NlllltAlNllNs w nANA NM INV III
i'm the American laborer being COM
PEELED to compete for work in home
market that is glutted with foreign
immigrants. We find them in the great
army Of invaders which each year dis
embarks. at Ellis island. New Nork's
Castle Garden Of the present day. We
find them in the impoverished Italians
and the Bohemians and the Portuguese
and in the human offscourings OF
Europe who each year come 10 our
manufacturers and foundrymen and
contractors and say: let me handle
your pick" "Let me lay your asphalt
pavement" let me dig your mines
let me chop your wood" LET me
work in your foundries." I'VE are for
eigners. We do not intend TO become
citizens Of the United States. As soon
as we can save up little money we
intend to return to our native land and
live there. But meantime we will work