Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-09-09
Calnase
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt rslrnsse. D. ID.


sermon, which is specially appropriate
10 the Sunday before Labor day, the
preacher expresses his sympathy with
the hard lot of the worklngman and
points out some of the conditions which
increase his difficulties. The text is
Exodus l. j. 1.-The more they afflicted
them the more they multiplied aud
grew"
Some virtues" wrote Joseph Addi-
son, ARE seen only in atIliction." But
from tho Egyptian standpoint it 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
mightiest foreign foe ever assembled
upon the borderland drained 10y the
arteries of the gigantic Nile was not
to be feared as much as was the host
of enslaved Hebrews who We're living
among them. 1t was only a few hun
dred years before that little handful
of Hebrews, with their flocks and
herds, had migrated to and settled in
the land of Goshen during the pre-
miership Of Joseph, the famous states
man. But since that time the de-
scsndants OF old Jacob had multiplied
40 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. With the proverbial acquisitlVe-
ness OF the Hebrew. these people were
absorbing much of the wealth OF the
Kingdom Moreover, the 'signs OF the
times" declared they would soon be-
come rulers of the nation. BY a silent
revolution they threatened to take
possession Of the Egyptian govern
ment as long afterward the descend
ants Of the old Aztecs, whose fathers
had been conquered by Cortes, bided
their time and finally worked out their
own governmental salvation by elect
ing practically q full blooded Indian TO
the throne of the Montezumas-Por-
tirio Diaz, president of the Mexican
republic.
What shall we do? What shall we
do" 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 pharaohs2' This ques-
ton was not only asked in the street.
but 1t 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 his
best and strongest ministers. After
the question has been talked over long
and earnestly see the king rise. He
looks straight ut his councillors OF state
as he says: Gentlemen. we are facing
condition, not theory. We dare
not and cannot dcport the Hebrews
from our realm. They are now essen
tial to our nstional welfare and pros
perity as laborers, clerks and servants.
But we can debar them from holding
property. We can forbid them study
Ing In our schools. We can enslavc
them and make them the chattels OF
our people. We can degrade them by
ignorance and overwork Thus saith
the king. 1 here and now decree the
Hebrew men and women and children
from henceforth To bc in perpetual
bondage. They shall be compelled 10
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 or the privy chamber. the council
is dismissed"
Acknowledgement of Hebrews.
This royal behcst was carried out To
the letter. The Hebrew people living
in Egypt were disfranchlscd Not only
Were they deprived OF the rights OF
citizenship. but they were degraded to
the most abject and humiliating scrvi-
tude. Their property was taken away
from them, and they could not even
claim their wives and children rs their
own. Yet, strange 90 say, and vet
not strange after all, the more the
Hebrews were cursed and struck and
jill used and murdered by the Egyp-
uans the more their numbers grew,
and the more of a menace they beca me
TO the Egyptian government. The Ia
Dor question, on account Of the bru-
talities practiced under the shadow OF |
Pharaoh's throne in 1873 =. c.. be-
came as imminent and dangerous as is |
the labor question in the United States !
OF America In 1904, A. H., under the |
shadow OF the statue OF the Goddess |
or 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- |
per. 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 |
! should present some OF the conditions |
that are affecting American labor. Ii |
in this talk should speak frankly con-
corning capital, / shall speak with |
equal candor concerning labor, for / |
nrmly believe. as dear friend OF mine |
said to 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 will |
never help TO solve the labor problem.
1.-The more the Egyptian master af. /
hlcted the Hebrew slaves" says our
text, the more they multiplied and
grew, and the Egyptians grieved be-
cause OF the children OF Israel" La
boris Affections! We first find them
In the American laborer being COM
PEELED to compete for work in a 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 York's
castle Garden of the present day. We
find them in the impoverished Italians
and the Bohemians and the Portuguese
ana In the human offscourfngs of
Europe who each year come to our
and foundrymen and
contractors and say: "Let me handle
your pick" Let me lay your asphalt
'Let me dig your mines"
Let me chop your wood" "Let me
work In your founuries." I'VE are for
eigners. We do not intend to become