Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-18

ton to back up their requests or demands
for justice.
On May IL an open meeting was held, in
accordance with the action of the previous
meeting, at Woods Commercial College, on
East Capitol street, which was attended by
just twelve clerks Encouraging addresses
were made by President Samuel Gompers
and Secretary Frank Morrison OF the Amer
lean Federation of Labor and several other
gentlemen prominent in the affairs of Wash
ington.
After considerable informal discussion It
was decided then and there TO form tenn
porary organization, and Mr.. B. T. Davis
was chosen as chairman and D. F. Manning
secretary
Before leaving the hall that evening we
had formed a permanent organization and
the press of the next few days heralded the
the news among the many employees of the
stores that the retail clerks had at last been
awakened from their lethargy and had
banded together for their mutual aid and
protection.
Prior TO February, 1900 our union. while
small in numbers, was active, aggressive
and persevering in preaching its principles,
It's objects and its aims Few clerks were
there. indeed. who had not either been
spoken to of our organization or promised
to become a member thereof So thoroughly
had the field of operation been canvassed
and so diligently had the few members OF
our local worked. that with the advent of
the early closing of the stores on Saturday
nights, February, 1850. we initiated into our
ranks more than four hundred clerks at one
meeting, thus surprising anything that had
ever been known in the ranks of organiza-
ton within the District of Columbia II is
from this time that Local 262 dates its birth
as an important factor in local labor circles.
The union owes much TO its officers who
have worked faithfully and INCREASINGLY To
make the organization what it is today,
the largest in our international association
and one of the strongest and most progress
i've within the District OF Columbia
The action of the Presbyterian Church in
taking the initiative in affiliating with or
gani2ed labor will be followed, it is said,
by other denominations.
The EpiscopaIians and the Congreeation-
al1sts. in their last general assemblies put
themselves clearly on record as affirming
the necessity, as well as the justice of labor
organizations says the Rev Washington
GLADDEN. in the International Quarterly.
Other churches may have done this All
ought TO do it. 1t is a matter of the gray-
est Importance There Is involved in 1t
the right to life and liberty of the working
class On that question the Christian
church cannot afford to hold an ambiguous
position So long the church hesitates
to utter a clear voice on this central issue
she Is powerless to rebuke the violence or
misconduct on the part of the unions What
do they care for the disapproval of a church
which does not recognize their right of self
preservation, and If her eensures do not
deter them much less will the invitation at
tract them
The fact must be admitted that the wage
earners of this country are largely outside
of the churches. The breach has been
steadily widening. Conditions are worse
now than they were ten years ago. One of
the strongest reasons for this Is the fact
that the churches have not recognized so
clearly as they ought the equalities of this
conflict 1t is a grave failure. They ought
never TO have suffered such an alienation to
occur between themselves and the people
who constitute the very bone and sinew OF
our civilization.
The Rev Thomas ]. Gasson, S. j., of Bos-
ton College, in recent address before the
Boston Central Labor Union, said in part:
NO rejecting man can contemplate the
present conditions Of life without being
deeply impressed by the fact that the para
mount questions OF the hour are those
which deal with the relations between capt.
tai and labor. between the employer and
employee.
In fact the labor question, as 1t is called,