The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-08-11
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
THE INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT"

THE INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT.
The Rev. John ID. Lon~ Gives Some
Wholesome Advice About Present.
Day Problems-The Causes OF Dis
content and the Remedies.
BABYLON, L. In the olG First Pres
byterian Church hc:e, Sunday morning,
the Rev. John D. Log, pastor: preached
on "The Industrial Conflict The text
was from Ecc.esiastes ii:22: What hath
man for all his labor:" Mr.. Long SAID:
The writer OF this text was asking as 10
the rewards of life. Lcr LIS accommodate
1t to the conflict now waglng between cap
ital and labor. 1t is the old question OF
the laborer and his hire. What are the
teachings of Holy N'rc On The question?
Here, as elsewhere, We believe tnat the
Gospel applies, 70" as Raskin suggests, the
Gospel bears upon lie az every point. and
is either good Tor everything or good for
nothing.
Civilization is based upon labor-iuman.
animal, mechanical. What We eel! capital
is at bottom only accumulated labor. The
day laborer lays brick in wall; that is
labor. lie saves up part or his wage,
and that becomes capital. Mechanical Ia
Dor, by which most of the worlds work is
now done, is human labor invested IL 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
call loan upon the bank of labor. Was it
not Emerson VINO said, He that hath 4
dollar is master OF all to the extent of that
dollar"
Vast fortunes nave been piled up by
those who have invented lraG:lines BY
which mechanism may take the place OF
human hands. Thus the inventor is en-
ab;ed to draw til" wages 81 thousands. We
al know how largely the machine has su-
perse6ed the naked hand in the manufac-
ture of thousand ard one articles OF
daily use Take, for example, pins and
needles and nails
To be sure, many great fortunes have
been made by other means than by ma
chinery, 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, let
US face the situation of to-day. Organized
labor and capital are il conflict. There
are strikes and rr!Gors OF strikes. Each
strike is battle in the War.
It may be we'll to observe that organized
labor has as Yet only traction of the total
labor army, but it IS {; fraction that is ia
creasing.
Why this warfare? Because labor on the
the rewards of industry and because, on
the other, capital constantly seeks to re-
duce the cost Of production by opposing
the demands OF labor.
Other factors, however, enter into the
situation. One arises from the develop
ment OF the modern corporation. Wheth-
er corporations have SOUS or not, they lack
In large measure the element of personality
and the personal touch. Men who work
for corporation are working in the main
for an unknown entity. Now, we remcm-
ber that among the ol6-tine Romans the
word for stranger was also the word for
enemy.
Further, there has been much dishonesty
in corporate dealings. Take such things as
the corrupt purchase OF public franchises
below value, the increase IL cost o. certain
necessities OF life Ey reason Of ciuSt COM
binations to keep up prices. These and
other similar crimes against the comEiu-
nifty have done much to irEame 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 tnat woaid suf-
fee to support the frugal Chinaman, leads
the lahore: to constantly demand a more
and more generous wage.
Still 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 poo: and
the rich aad the inequality Of pecuniary
rewards. The men who discovered the
priceless coon OF anesthesia-who found
hat surgery might be rendered painless by
The use OF such agents as chioroioTm and
,ther-gained but little money from their
discoveries. They doubtless might have
raded on the worlds fear of pain, and by
lsing the patent laws and secrecy secured
wealth beyond the dreams of avarice, but
% their honor they did not. On the other
hand, the men who introduced such in
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, 70 say the least.
In the acquisition of their wealth? And
may they not have obtained 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 end capital! Is it an irrepres-
sib.e conflict, o.: eau the opposing interests
be reconciied? The answer is already be-
ing given. Take such situation as nay
now be seen in the ccal trade OF Chicago.
After bitter fighting the dealers and the
teamsters nave conc together TO moaopo-
ize the coal trade OF the city and keep out
all competition. Wages and profits have
been put uo at the expense OF the outside
public. This is Likely to so on more and
more.
The ultimate outcome, unless the tend
ency Is checked, viii be organization all
along the lire until we haze coilocswisn,-a
vast organized machine, in wncn men viii
be cogs and individual initiative and per-
so2alty viii be restricted TO all extent that
VIII largely arrest the progress OF civiiiza-
tioI.
But let us take breath and turn to the
Bible. What arc the teachings OF the Bible
in regard to LABOR ard wealth? The O,d
Testament IS p.ain.y ant;-capita..istic. In
proof OF this You have bur to read the laws
regarding capital in the Book OF Leviticus
laws that, ii enforced, would compel
plain living as surely as The iroa coin of
Sparta. Hear what was laid down .here.
Land wSs allotted il small parcels to the
families OF the tribes and co-.,d not he