The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-10-06
STELzLE Says PAUL
WAS TRADE .UN|ON|s1
Worhngmen's Guilds Were
Quite the Popular Thing in
Time of Christ.
Not Necessary to Prove That
Guilds were Similar to Pres
ent-Day Unions. !!

Stelzle, in his weekly letter believes
that the Apostle Paul was a trades
unionist. From his researches he
writes as follows:
The sources of information concern
Ing the workingmen's guilds of two
thousand years ago are very meager,
and for the most part, very unreliable.
But 1t has been clearly established
that there were powerful labor guilds
IN existence at that time, and that
practically every workingman be-
longed to the guild composed of those
who practtced his craft.
IN tnose days nearly every Jewish
boy learned a trade, no matter what
MS social position may have been. So
1t happened that Paul, the greatest
missionary in the history of the early
cnurch, earned the trade of tent
maker, even though his father was so
prominent man as to have the honor
OF roman citizenship conferred upon
MIN, and even though he had the ad.
vantages OF thorough training at the
university Of Tarsus.
This apprenticeship made Paul eli.
g1Dle to membership in the Tent-mak.
ers' Union or the union which com.
pr1sed the tent-makers of that period.
1t Is altogether likely that he became
member Of that organization, We
find, in sacred history, that on at least
one occasion, Paul made his head
quarters IN the city of Corinth with
Aquiia and Pricilla, simply because
they also were of the same craft
namely, tent-makers. Here he worked
side by side with them, preaching in
the synagogue on every Sabbath day.
We have 1t from Paul's own pen
that he worked with his hands as he
travelled from place to place, depend.
Ing upon his skill as a mechanic to
earn his livelihood. It is fair to as.
sumo that Paul always worked at the
trade with which he was most famil-
lar, In the cities that he visited, and
1t Is In entire harmony with Paul's
general policy, to- suppose that he
took advantage OF every opening
which presented itself, 'becoming all
things to all men" in order to more
successfully carry on his great work.
Because OF the necessity for constant
travel and becouse of his dependence
upon his trade for a. living, it. is more
than likely that Paul identified him
self with the organization that would
he most helpful to him in order toJ
secure employment. -:
1t Is not unreasonable to suppose
that parts OF the day and surely every
evening. were given to preaching to
the Workingmen of his craft and other
crafts, as he met them in the public
squares and in the meetings of the
labor guilds. Indeed, according to the
best information to be had, so effect
i've were the great apostles labOrs in
this respect. that the labor guilds OF
his day became the most important
centers of Christianity of that period.
He met with no reader response any.
where than among his fellow-crafts-
men. 1t Is interesting to note that
Paul visited first of all and established
his greatest churches in the cites In
which trades unionism was strongest.
UnQuestionably, he operated very
largely through the labor guilds In
these cities.
1t Is not necessary to prove that
these ancient guilds were similar to
present-day labor unions. OF course
they were not-in every particular.
But If one were looking for faults in
these older organizations, as one finds
them In the more modern ones, it
would not be difficult task. It is
easy enough to say that these guilds
were composed of workingmen, some
times including the employers, in
order to improve the condition of the
toilers of that period. And that is pre-
cisely the object of the labor unionism
Of this generation, although it is
adapting itself to present-day needs,
through present-day methods.
1t should be an inspiration to work.
ingmen everywhere to read the won
derful letters which this apostle-work-
ingman wrote to the members Of
those early labor guilds. for, while not
addressed directly to them as an or
ganization, nevertheless they were in
tended for the unionists who had been
so loyal to him, when he was q strang-
er In their city.
Thirteen of the books In the New
Testament were written by Paul. Read
his plea for the slave Onesimus In the
letter to Philemon. Read his master
tul presentation of the universally Of
the benefits of Christianity in every
one of these ep1stles. Read that beau
tiful "love-letter" which he sent to
the working-people of Philippi, when
they sent him missionary basket
when he was in the Roman prison.
Follow him in his ght for the com
mon people of every. nation as 1t Is
told in THE Acts of the Apostles"
and go with this workingman-preacher
as he travels over almost the entife
then-known world, bringing message
of Joy to the masses, who, for genera
tions had been told by the philoso-
piers that they had no souls that
they were made Of the same stuff as
the dog which upon his death was
kicked into the ditch-and then say
that you are proud Of Paul-Paul, the
apostle-trades unionist.
~ AFTER THE FALL.
From the Cleveland Leader:
Il always pitied Adam and Eve for
being driven out Of Eden Ia such in-.
suffipient clothing, Just 40 winter was
beginning IS
How DO You know itswss wintsr3.s