Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-26
RELIGIOUS NOTES
AND COMMENTS

Already plans are afoot in Philadelphia
churches to celebrate Labor day by meet
ings especially in the interests of working
men on the preceding Sunday. The most
extensive of these is ia thered by the arts
tocratic Second Presbyterian Church, ODD
and Walnut streets, which maintains sum-
mer services at Lemon Hill, with Rev DIR.
James b. Ely in charge. On Sunday even
ing, September 3, there will be held four or
five Simultaneous services at Lemon Hill
with the cooperation of various labor or
CARNATIONS.
The movement is new Ibis year. 1t had
its inception with Rev Charles StelZle, SUI
perintendent of the department of church
and labor of the Presbyterian church. He
has issued a call to every Presbyterian pas
tor to preach at least one sermon on the
subject on the day preceding Labor day.
Ministers of other denominations are known
to be adopting the suggestion.
The department of church and labor
analogous in name 10 the government s
Department of Commerce and Labor-of
the Presbyterian church has established
headquarters in the y. M c. A. building,
Chicago, which it aims 10 make a general
clearing house on the labor question. Mr..
Stelzle who has repeatedly addressed both
ministers and labor unions in many cities
says:
Fully six times many men in the labor
unions of this country are not touched ny
the churches as are In all of the Presby-
terrain churches combined. Add to these
the masses of non-unionists not in the
church, and one will get some idea of the
field in which the department of church
and labor is operating. Practically every
immigrant is a workngman. AT any rate,
he is in the workngman class, using that
term in the popular sense. Hence, the
whole problem of the immigrant social and
religious, comes within the scope of our de-
partment, so far the practical, every
day side oil the question is concerned.
The labor question is fundamentally a
moral or a religious question. 1t will never
be settled upon any other basis. Therefore,
the church has a most important part In
the solution of this world problem. And,
because IL is world problem, ii must be
studied in the most comprehensive manner.
No little two-by-four scheme will solve this
question. Our office is a clearing house.
Into ii comes with almost every mail, from
various and world wide sources the latest
and most exact information affecting every
phase of the workingman problem as it
concerns the church. Out of 1t goes with
even more frequency, by mail, messenger,
telephone and telegram the carefully di-
gested ana Systematically tabulated infor-
nation to editor, pastor, to Christian work
er, to student and to teacher"
One Of the unique achievements of this de-
partment of church and labor has been the
adoption of a plan of "fraternal delegates"
between the Ministerial Union and the Cen
trail Labor Union. The scheme is already
working N about fifty cities, says Mr.
StelZle who describes 1t thus:
so that both the Church and Labor may
see each other with clearer vision, the plan
of the exchange of fraternal delegates be-
tween the Ministers Association and the
Central Labor Union has been adopted The
fra ternal delegate goes unpledged to Sc
crecy. He does not have the privilege of
voting, but he has the right of the floor on
all occasions. He practically becomes the
chaplain of organized labor in his city,
which places him in position In which
he can say some things to workingmen
which he could say in no other capacity.
Working together, the Ministers Asso-
citation and the Central Labor Union may
bring about many municipal reforms. In
deed, united, there are few things in this
direction which they may not accomplish
In the cause of good citizenship indepen-
dent OF partisan politics. Especially in
those matters which involve moral issues
such as the saloon, gambling, the social
evil, Sunday work, child labor, sanitary
conditions in tenement houses and facto-
ries, and everything else that influences the
moral life of the community-may these or
ganiZations cooperate"
A missionary to South African tribe has
translated Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress
into the language of the people. The illus
trations have modern and unusual aspect
but serve to make the story palmer to the
understanding of jewellers IN that region
The slough of despond' is the mudhoe of
the weld Christian starts from a "kraal."
A war-dance feast serves to represent Van-
ity Fair. Apollyon Is formidable crea-
ture, having the head of a wolf, the scales
and tail of crocodile and the eyes of an
owl.
The eighth annual convention of the fed
GRAFTON of churches and Christian workers
of Wisconsin is to be held at Sparta Oc-
tober 10 and II and is to be followed by a
two days session of the Wisconsin, Sunday
Rest Day Association. The federation EN-
braces ten state UNCONVENTIONAL bodies and
six moral reform associations among
which is the Sunday Rest Day Association.
The American baptist missionaries at