The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-08-10
INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT
sright Sunday Sermon By Rev. John
D. Long.
Some Wholesome Advice About Present.Day
Problems Discomfort and R,medy.

byterlan Church here, Sunday morning
the Rev. John d: Long, pastor. preached
on The Industrial Conflict" The text
was from Ecclesiastes ii:22: "What hath
a man for all his labor?' Mr.. Long said:
The writer of this text was asking as tc
the rewards OF life. Let us accommodate,
It to the conflict now waging between cap
ital and labor. II is the old question oI
teachings OF Holy Writ on .he question?
=. Here, as elsewhere, we believe that the
Gospel applies, for as Ruskin suggests, the
Gospel bears upon life at every point and
IL either good for everything or good foi
nothing.
Civilization is based upon abor--human,
animal, mechanical. What we call capita
is at bottom only accumulated labor The
day laborer lays brick in a wall; that is
labor lie saves up a part of his wage,
and that becomes capital. Mechanical la
Dor, by which most of the worlds work is
now done, IS human labor invested in ma
chlnery, and working through the same.
Of course, money or capital is secured
not only through saving and invention,
but in many other ways; vet human effort
Is back of it all, and it becomes a sort OF
call loan upon the bank of labor. Was il
not Emerson who said, "He that hath
dollar Is master of all to the extent OF that
dollar"
Vast fortunes have been piled rp by
those who have invented machines by
which mechanism may take the place OF
human hands. Thus the inventor is en-
abied to Graw the wages ol thousands. We
all know how largely the machine has su
prrseded the naked hand in the manufac.
ture of thousand ard one articles oil
daily use. Take, tor example, pins and
needles and nails.
To be sure. many great fortunes have
been made by other means thai. by ma.
chlnery, but in the main the wealth OF
modern times is founded upon mechanical
labor
Before asking what the letter or spirit Of
the Bible teaches on the labor question, LEI
US face the situation of to-day. Organized
labor and capital are in conflict There
arc strikes and rumors of strikes Each
strike is battle in the wal.
1t may be well to observe that organized
labor has as yet only fraction of the totaI
labor army, but it IS a fraction that is in.
creasing
Why this warfare? Be, ause labor ON the
one hand is dissatisfied with its share oil
the rewards OF industry, and because. or
the other, capital constantly seeks to re
duce the cost OF production by opuos, no
the demands of labor.
Other factors, however, enter into the
situation. One arises from the develop
ment OF the modern corporation Whath
er corporations have souls or not they lack
IN large measure the element of personality
and the personal touch. Men who worl
Tor corporation are working in the main
for an unknown entity. Now We remcm
Der that among the old-time Romans the
word Tor stranger was also the word loI
enemy.
Further, there has been much dishonesty
in corporate dealings. Take such things as
the corrupt purchase OF public franchises
below value, the increase in cost of certain
necessities of life by reason of unjust com,
blnations to keep up prices These and
o.her, similar crimes against the comnu.
nifty have done much to inhame not only
labor, but the general public against capi.
tai
Also, the rising standard of life, by which
the living wage gets further and further
from the meagre pittance that would sui.
nee to support the frugal Chinaman, leads
the laborer to constantly demand a more
and more generous wage
Stlll other grounds of hostility might be
referred to, such as the natural, though
sinful, envy OF the rich by the poor; the
ostentatious luxury OF the rich, the growth
of class, distinctions between the poor and
tine rlch and the inequality OF pecuniary
rewards The men who discovered the
priceless boon OF anesthesia--who found
that surgery might be rendered painless by
the use OF such agents as chloroform and
ether-gained but little money from their
discoveries. They doubtless might have
traded on the worlds fear of pain, and by
using the patent laws and secrecy secured
wealth beyond the dreams of avarice, but
to their honor they did not. On the other
nand, the men who introduced such i'm.
proved and cheapened methods as the Bes.
semer process of producing steel gained
money by the hundred millions So peo.
pie are tempted to ask, Have not some
men been rather selfish, to say the least
in the acquisition of their wealth? And
may they not have obtained little more
than their share"
Before we 90 further let us ask what is
TO be the probable outcome of the war be,
tween labor and capital? Is it an irrepres.
slbie conflict, or can the opposing interests
De reconciled! The answer is already be.
ing gwen. Take such situation as may
now be seen in the coal trade oil Chicago
After bitter fighting the dealers and the
teamsters have come together 10 nionopo
ilze the coal trade OF the city and keep out
all competition. Wages and profits have
been put mp at the expense OF the oucsde
public. This is likely to 60 on more and
more.
The ultimate outcome, unless the tend
ency Is checked, will be organization all
along the line until we have collectlyisnl--a
vast organized machine, in which men will
De eogs and individual initiative and per
sonality VIII be restricted to an extent that
VIII largely arrest the progress of civiliza
tion.
But let US take breath and turn to the
blDle. What are the teachings of the Bible
IN regard to labor and wealth? The Old
Testament is plainly anti-capitalistic In
proof OF this you have but to read the laws
regarding capital in the Book of Leyiticus
Laws that, II enforced, would compel
plain living as surely as the iron coin of
Sparta. Hear what was laid down there
Land was allotted in small parcels to the
families OF the tribes, and could not be
aiienated except for the term of fifty years.
And ye shall hallow this fiftieth wear,
and, proclaim liberty throughout ali the
land unto all the inhabitants thereof: il
shall be a jubilee unto you: and We shall
return every man unto his possession, and
(Leviticus XIV: :l0).
4. interest could not be charged on loans.
And II thy brother be waxen poor. and
fallen IN decay with thee; then thou shalt
relieve him; yea, though he be a stranger
or solourner; that he may live with
thee. Thou shalt not lend him thy money
upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals sor
increase" lLeviticus xxv:35-6).
FINALLY, there was the statute of limita.
tons with reference to loans. "At the end
i. OF every. seven years thou shalt make a re.
lease. And this is the manner of the re.
lease; every creditor that lendeth auoht
unto his neighbor shall release it," 1Deu.
teronomy xv:l-2)
The attitude of the Old Testament to.
ward wealth is perhaps best reelected in
the prayer of Agur-"Give me neither
poverty nor riches lest he f,,iI
and deny Thee, and say, Who is the Lord
or lest ! be poor, and steal, and take the
name OF my God In vain lp.o...LS