The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-03-16

the comfort of the families who will live in this
house which | have built strong and sound
enough for 100 years | am an engineer; thank
God Tor Skill to take the traveller safe to his
journey end, and God grant more skill sooner
than more wages. / am merchant how can /
best use my expert knowledge of meat and gro
cerles to promote, the health and prolong the
lives OF my nelghbors. | lawyer; how
can l best serve truth and justice, and deserve
the beatltude OF the peacemaker? | am capi-
tallst; how can | best employ my resources and
organize my business to bless my employees in
their tolls and homes and render honest and
generous returns to the public. | am man
How can render to humanity my best recon-
pense for my gains and then how can I return
to humanity the largest giving out Of my gain
ing?
''Second, The principle that business is ser
vice means that private property is a public
trust Something of all men s welfare is in
volved in each man s wealth. More than that
some wealth is not the product of the owner s
labor, nor the reward of his merit. Resources
OF the soil, the forests and the mines, advant-
ages OF situation and of public franchise
these are due either to the bounty of nature or
the progress of society," and the man who con-
trolls them IS strictly trustee, enjoying no in
herent rights therein but only such as society
deems best to allow him and owing every DOS
slbe service to the common welfare and God s
glory.
THE third meaning Of business as service is
that civilization is partnership. Co-partners
share the gains and the losses of the common
enterprise. Since the gains of industrial pro-
gress accrue to all Of us, the incidental losses
ought never to fall, as too often, on Individuals
Non employment, over-employment, and acci-
dents to life or limb when they cannot be pre-
vented, ought to be generously Undermined by
the pubic which prospers at such costs. Not
only must each be servant of all, but all must
be servant of each, for Christ is the head of the
firm and His the great seal Of the corpor-
alton.
But social problems are not solved by state
ment OF truth How shall turn these truths
into lifeo
q First, by the regeneration Of the unregene-
rate. This is no theological technicalty It
simply signifies any and all means whereby God
prepares a man for society with his felowmen.
1t is obvious that men who insist that business
is business and not service need to be remade
and their remaking is SO big task that none
but the Spirit Of God can undertake it. Marvel
not that I said eye must be born again
Second, the enlightenment of til gene-
rate man is no less necessary. Sup man
has experienced religion; the Que still
remains, what sort OF religion other men
now going to experience from him? That de-
pends not on hew 'soundly converted he has
been, but on how well he understands the moral
demands of his situation. So long as he thinks,
however honestly, that wrong things right
LnngS he is just as sure TO dO wrong as the
unregenerate man. AS Henry D. Lloyd says,
sGhange of heart is no more redemption than
hunger is dinner.
Third, the ehristianization Of the public
conscience is requisite to the Christianization
of business. A may keep faith with his
principles, but can do but little for the
Christianizaton Of the business world SO long
as he is only part of system which is worked
largely on non-Christian principles. But we do
not have to wait for everybody to be converted.
For it has ever been the power Of Christianity
to establish and higher standards of right
eousness recognized not only by those who pro-
fess to be converted but by all who profess to
be civilized. Thus it is that slavery has become
impossible. Thus it is that unchastity and
drunkenness have become disreputable. Thus
it will be, if testimony by precept and ex-
ample continue true and tireless, that the pub
tic conscience will join Christ in declaring that
business is service and will brand the CRATER
with infamy as black as the counterfeters, S, the
monopolst with disgrace manifest as the
burglar and all private greed with the fam
ing colors Of public shame.
''To give such testimony and live up to it at
any cost-that nothing is the calling of the
Christian. Let us believe that we are brothers.
Let lis believe that we are family. Let us be-
lieve because God is our Father that loving
sacrifice, even crucifxon can never be ultimate
loss. -