Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-08-11
INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT
Bright Sunday Sermon By Rev. John
D. Long.
Some Wholesome Advice About Present'Dal
Problems Discomfort aad r medy.

the laborey and his hire. What are the
teachings N Holy Writ on the question:,
Here, as elsewhere, we believe that the
Gospel applies, for as Ruskin suggests, the
Gospel bears upon life at every point, and
is either good for everything OF good foI
nothing.
Civilization is based upon labor human,
animal, mechanical. What we call capita
is at bottom only accumulated labor. The
day aborer lays brick in wall; that is
labor. He saves up a part of his wage.
and that becomes capital Mechanical la
Dor, by which most of the worlds work IL
now done, is human labor invested in ma
chinery, and working through the same.
Of course. money or capital is secured
not. only through saving and invention,
but in many other ways; yet human effort
is back of it all, and it becomes sort OF
cal! loan upon the bank of labor. Was 1t
not Emerson who said. "He that hath a
dollar is master of all to the extent OF that
dollar"
Vast fortunes have been piled up by
those who have invented machines by
which mechanism may take the place OF
human hands Thus the inventor is en-
abied to draw the wages OF thousands. We
all know how largely the machine has su
pcrseded the naked hand in the mamfac.
ture of a 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
chinery, but in the nain the wealth OF
modern times is founded upon mechanical
labor.
Before asking what the letter or spirit oi
the Bible teaches on the labor question. let
us face the situation of TO-DAY. Organized
labor and al in conflict Thor,
are strikes and rumors OF strikes. Each
strike is a battle in tn" wa,.
1t may be well to observe that organized
labor has as yet only a traction OF the totR
labor army, but it Is fraction that is IN
creasng.
Why this warfare? Be, ause labor on the
one hand is dissatisfied with its share OF
the rewards of industsy. and because. 81
| the other, capital constantly seeks TO re
duce the cost OF prediction by opposlIg
the demands of labor.
Other factors, however, enter into the
situation. One arises from ;hc develop
ment OF the modern corporation Wheth
er corporations have souls or not. they lack
in large measure the element of personality
and the personal touch Men VINO WORK
for a corporation are working in the main
for an unknown entity. Now, we remCm
Der that among the o'd-tmc Romans tn,
word Tor stranger was also the word tor
enemy.
Further, there has been much dishonesty
In corporate dealings. Take such things as
the corrupt purchase OF public franchise,
below valne, the increase III cost OF certain
necessities OF life by reason OF unjust com.
blnatons to keep up prices. These and
other similar crimes against the comm,l
NIFTY have done much to lnhame not onl,
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 pttanCe that would sui.
hce to support the frugal Chlnaman lcads
the laborer TO constantly demand a more
and more generous wage.
Still other grounds OF hostility might he
referred to- such as the natural, though
sinful, envy of the rich by the poor; the
ostentatlous luxury OF the rIcn. the growth
OF class distinctions between the poor and
the rich and the inequality OF pccrnlaiy
rewards. The men who discovered the
priceless boon OF anestheSla who found
that surgery might be rendered painless l.,
the use OF such agents as chiorofolm and
ethcr-galned but httc money from then
discoveries. They doubtless might have
traded on the worlds fear oi pain, and hy
using the patent laws and secrecy secured
wealth beyond the dreams OF avarice. hut
to their honor they did not. On the other
hand, the men who introduced such i'm.
proved and cheapcned methods as the B"s.
semer process of producing steel gained
money by the hundred millions SO PEG.
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 Il little more
than their share
before we go further let us ask what is
TO be the probable outcome OF the war be.
tween labor and capital! Is II an irrepres
sibIe conflict, or can the opposing interests
be reconcied; The answer Is Already be-
ing given. lake such situation as may
now be seen IN the coal trade OF Chica 20
After bitter lighting the dealers and the
transfers have como together to monopo.
lie the coal trade OF the city and keep out
all competition Wages and profits have
been put mp at the expense OF the ous!dc
public. This is Likely to 60 on more and
more.
The ultimate outcome unless tbo fond.
ency is checked will he ora,ri,,t;on al
along the line until we have cniIn,t,,;sn, a.,
vast organized machine in which NAM -, ~
be cogs and individual ,ni,;,,;,n and n mn'
sonality will be restricted to an e>tant H. ;
will largely arrest the nroorsss Of n;v,iina'
ton.
But let us take A breath and turn r. tho
Bible. What are the toanhinr 49, ~ ~ p LIZ
in regard to labor and wnaf,b| - ~! Tto n NJ
Testament is plainly apti.rani,,,,sti "e IN In
proof of hi. Won have hnt ~ re,I ,ne law, ~
regarding capital in the Rooli of ' nt law
laws that, II enforced wouid '', cnn,nai
plain living as surely a. the ;ron co U"p oi
Sparta. Hear what was laid down J there %
Land was oIlotted IN We" Mi H'u uoMh 'htIe,
families of the tribes and p nnnId n W ' LIE
aenated cxcept for the term NJ ,;ity ' ve,r ne
"And We shall ba|low th;s 6ftiati, vo aS
and proclaim liberty tbrnnohnmt Vi al , a.,
land unto ali the inhabitanfs tbersof. ''i Il
shall be a jubilee unto YOU: and W sh,lil
return every man unto his possession and
ye shall return every man unto his family
(Levlticus XIV: lO).
:, Interest could not be charged on loans.
And If thy brother be waxen Door, and
Hnp1r . l., , Il. I.