The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-03-09
THIS SERMON SOUNDS GOOD
A Methodist Minister of Lincoln Talks Straight
From the Shoulder About Unionism, Giving
Praise Where Due and Not Sparing the Gen.
sure When It Is Deserved-Rev. w. M Balch
Friend of Organized Labor.

One of the best and strongest, and at the
same time one of the most remarkable sermons
ever delivered from Lincoln pulpit the
one delivered by Rev. w. nj. Balch from the
pulpit of Trinity Methodist Episcopal church
last Sunday evening. One OF the best ana
strongest because it took up subject OF sur
passing interest and dissected it thoughttuly
argumentatively and with exact justice One
of the most remarkable. because 1t handled
without gloves great and growing question
that is so often dealt with in the abstract and
too seldom dealt with wholly without fear or
favor 1t left the hearer without doubt as TO
where the speaker stood on the question OF
labor organizations and while he freely pointed
ont the mistakes Of labor unions he dealt giant
blows at evils too often condOned by silence
'The Labor Union and the. Brotherhood OF
Man, was the subject of Rev. Mr.. Balch s SER
man II being the first in a series of four SER
mons on kindred topics The Wageworker
earnestly asks every union man who sees this
paper to read the following incomplete synop-
sis of this splendid sermon. Then be present at
Trinity Methodist church next Sunday evening
and hear the second sermon in the series. Last
SUNDAYS sermon was the talk OF square
man. who has studied the union labor prob
lem and is therefore speaking with knowledge.
Rev Mr. Balch said in part:
"The gospel means good news. main item
in the good news is the brotherhood of man.
For that was news when the gospel was first
proclaimed. AS Max Muller has pointed out.
the idea of our common humanity was then so
entirely new that Christianity had to invent
new words to make it known. Up and down
the world they went those earliest heralds Oh
the cross telling men that humanity is God IS
family and calling them to live together like
brothers.
"The text marks one OF these lines OF dlshar-
mony, the relation of master and man. Vexa-
tious in the beginning vexatious still. Phlle-
mon, a Christian gentleman, friend OF ST
Paul is the master, Onesimus, the worklngman.
They quarrel and something like strike oc-
ours. Onesimus forsakes his master and ms
work Wisely he resorts to st. Paul and some
thing like arbitration ensues. Paul sends the
,yorkingman back to the master requiring that
he no longer be received as servant, but more
than a servant, a brother beloved.
.'There you have the labor problem and it's
solution-the problem, the falling out of the
master and servant, the solution, their recon-
citation in the brotherhood Of man The chief
difference today is that Onesimus instead OF
resortng to the apostle has joined labor
union.
THAT may move MS directly to inquire
wherein the labor union approaches and where
in it contravenes the brotherhood OF man. Let
me first of all say that am not going to scolo
the union for the unbrotherly and unlawful
things which is often charged. r
1t might be easy to draw up quite formid-
able indictment of this sort. but don't know
who can come into court with clean hands.
Surely employers cannot, their blacklists are as
atrocious as the unionist' S boycott. Surely cor
porations cannot, the mob violence and the ag-
vravated violations of law too often chargeable
to labor unions are only drop in the blood red
bucket of lawlessness compared with the enor-
nous crimes and inhumanties of our great cor
porations
''Nor can the church itself resent the indict-
ment. 1t was only a few generations ago that
Cranmer. Ridley. Latimer, as Dean Hodges
saws. were burned at the stake as non-unon
bishops and the ANA lgamated association of
Congregatonalsts and Presbyterians whipped
the non-union Baptists and the non-unoI
Quakers, beating them with scourges through
the streets of chief cities.
And so without denying that labor unions
might afford an obvious mark for moral brick
bats now and then, it is still apparent that no
body is competent to east the first stone.
".Put Yourself in His Place is the appro
pirate title chosen for great work OF fiction
dealing with the labor problem. But, nnfortu
nately, while compelling MS to put ourselves IL
the non-unionists's place, Charles Reade fails
to put himself in the place of the unionist Put
Yourself in his place is useless unless applied
all around, but if applied all around it solves
the problem. 1t is not possible for lis all to fee
lust alike about these matters. but it is neces
sary for each to understand how others feel
Rember we must really be one family, and il
every good family it is common thing to say
We all know just how brother feels abou
those things and we govern ourselves accord
ngv.
Brothers who compel themselves to talk
each Others point ,pf view, may disagree, bu