Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-21
SAYS EMPLOYERS
WANTING MARTYRS
REV. A. S. PHELPS GIVES SEC
0ND SERIAL SERMON
Believes Men Should Drop the
Muekrske and Pick Up the
Hoe and Go to
Work

"Once upon a. time there was a huge
package; they undid the package and
found Imagination. In Imaginatio
there was bundle: they undid the
bundle and found Speculation. In Spec
ulatiOn there was a bale, and in that
hale they found Discussion. In Dis
cussion they found chest, and In that
chest, Theory; they undid the hogshead
of Theory and found Political Plat
form In the Political Platform they
found a barrel, and i'm that barrel the
Labor Problem. In the Labor Problem
was box; they undid the box, and
found man. The labor problem is
man."
With these words, Arthur S. Phelps,
pastor of the Central Baptist church,
introduced the secon of his Sunday
night picked Topics by Picked Men"
His text was, Thou shalt not steal"
and the topic, Master and Man, or
Mistress and Maid in the Kingdom of
Heaven" which had been sent him by
Golden Rule Jones" of Toledo, o.,
when he was partisan candidate for
governor He said
"As S. M. Jones grew from obscurity
and the depths of poverty to wealth
and power the politicians began to fight
him. Both capital and the rascals were
afraid of a man who refused to allow
the usual signs of No More Help
Wanted to hang in his store, and SUBJ
stituted for them the golden rule of the
gospels, and specially as he lived up to
II in the wages he paid and the mes
sages of brotherhood in Gods kingdom
which accompanied the pay envelopes
The temperance party said such loose
trust in vagabonds as his would give
free rein to the saloon. Statistics
showed that the saloons rapidly disap-
peared
Problem of Capital and Labor
From the time that man first ap-
peared on earth down to our own day
four elements have conspred to make
the problem of capital and labor
namely, mans needs. his materials. his
ability and his neighbors. From the
great trust, which is combination of
corporate capital for the purposes of
mutual advantage, down to the house
hold, with it's mistress and maid, the
problem is essentially the same. 1t is
difficult of solution, on account of our
mental limitations. Even our highest
courts arrive but slowly at the real
truth regarding the business methods
of the trusts. Inherited instinct, with
Its insistence on the struggle for life,
has given us a. bias in the wrong direc-
tion for the solution of the labor prob
lem There is no more subtle sham than
the notion that mankind gains anything
by self-defense. Tried first in compe-
tition. and now in combination, it is
equally unsuccessful.
"The misuse of power, taking advan-
tage Of another's ignorance, and an all
consuming greed for gain, are the
threefold card that pulls employer and
employe apart. Face the situation. Let
the church bring sympathy to bear.
Stop fighting and lend hand. Let the
laborer remember that sef-pity is as
fatal to character as self-hattery.
Don't cry over your face in the mirror,
but get to work. Employers are not
looking for martyrs. Drop the muck
rake and pick up the hoe. Your situa-
tion is your opportunity. l call for a
sharper competition-the competition of
honor and sympathy in the spirit of
Jesus Christ, your Master