The daily sentinel., 1905-09-05
REV. WEIR's SERMON
ON LABOR QUESTION,


ed verS strong and highly interest
ing address upon the relation of the
laboring classes to The church. TAX
ing for his subject. The Church and
Labor.
A large congregation was out to
hear the discourse and in the aud
ience were many l0boring men.
in Uueuins his sermon Rev. Weir I
stated that the Bible was full of ref
erences to the subject he had in hand |
therefore he had chosen no particu- |
lar text but would simply take for
his text the subject, "The Church and .
Labor" In the forty minutes of dis /
cussion that followed the eloquent /
minister brought out many great
thoughts involved in the momentous /
labor problem and presented them in
a clear, convincing light.
He declared that for ages efforts
had been made to solve the labor
problem but II had not been settled
and in all probability would not be
settled for many years to come. 1t ]
was well however to see how the
church stood in its relations with the
so-called labor classes.
The speaker stated that in his
mind there could be found no distinc-
tion between men following an hon
orable pursuit or vocation, that is to
say, that the man who tolls in some
higher profession, who labors with
the mind as well as with the hands,
is just as much a laboring man as he
who digs the bitches or carries the
hod. However, in the common &C
ceptance of the term, 'laboring class
es, only those men who toll for wag-
es, are laboring men,
From time to time the assertion
has been made that great chasm
divides the church OF modern times
and the laboring men. 1t is stated
on every hand that the churches pand-
er to the rich, and that the working
man never finds hearty welcome in
the average church. That this i'm
preston is general has been proven
repeatedly. The speaker gave one
instance in which noted Presbyter-
ian divine sent out two hundred let
ters to different laboring men over
the country asking their opinion as
to the relation of the laboring class
es to the church. With but one eN-
ception every answer received from
the labor leaders attacked the church,
stating that it pandered to the rich,
that the labOring man is not warm
/ ly welcomed within the doors of the
church and that in reality the church
is the rich mans club.
Rev Weir declares that while the
church is largely responsible for such
a state of affairs still it is not wholly
responsible, the laboring classes are
to blame to a large degree. It is
true that some of the so-called so
ciety and rich churches of the larger
I cities pander to the rich and wei
come not the poor or the laborer, but
that these churches are few and far
between and must not be taken as
the average.
A better understanding can be
reached between the church and the
laboring men if the laboring men
will more generally attend church.
The church is the best friend of the
Ilaboring man and has always been.
The real laboring classes of the world
make up the membership of the aver
age and true churches of the world.
There is no hope in the society
churches but the hope of Christian
civilization lies in the churches in
which the true Christian spirit stlll
, prevails and where every child of God
is warmly received and welcomed in
/ to the house of prayer.
The action of the so-called society
churches in cringng for the rich and
neglecting the poor has had bad in
nuence on all churches, but to a
great extent labor has not been just
. in its consideration OF the church.
The church is for the laboring man
for it is for all classes. God said ia
the working man and all, Come
X Unto Me all Ye that are Weary ana
! Heavy Laden and / will give fe
= Rest. ." God is not a respector of per
4 sons. the rich man and the poor man
g the capitalist and the laborer, are
all his children and he makes nc
distinction.
/ ..The preacher who does not love
the struggling son of toll is no
IS worthy to be a minister declares
! Rev. Weir.
i The real difficulty that prevents
the strongest afIliation between th'
/ church and the laboring classes Il
o not with the laboring man alone no
IS is it with the capitalist Neither u
e the church responsible, but there ar.
numerous other difficulties, for whicl
D. the people in general must be hell
r responsible, that make the breach
70 Dissertation of the Sabbath b.
y sunday excursions, base ball games
J. and other disrespectful practices o.
n that holy day; in temperance am
is greed for wealth. and other kindte e.
$ evils are responsible
/ Rev. Weir believes that as yeaI
4. 20 by the labor organizations WI
y come nearer and nearer to the c1urc
IS of God. Every true Christian shoul
)i exert his or her influence in the Woi
of welding the church and labor.
s. Many other fine thoughts wer
Or brought out during the disCoulSi
" The manner in which Rev Wei
n handled his subject showed that h
j. ral given the ever-momentoTs prol
r. lem the highest and closest conslder-
a ION. Those who heard the di.
ne course were deeply inmprease
10 was a sound, logical and uheN SCI
- mon.
in Observation-Disclosures
an x
at x PARK OPERA HOUSE
K
a x Edwin A. Haskell, Manager. !
d. x