The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-03-02
SOME LABOR HALL EXPERIENCE

Minister Gives an Interesting Little Account
of Some Things Seen and Heard in Halls
Where Union Men Gathered to transact
Business for Their Organizations
Charles Stelzle's Observations Among the
Men Who Toll with Hand and Brain
What's the use of talking about the moral
aspects of the labor question: ~ Indignantly de-
manded socialist at meeting which recent
ly addressed. .'Don t you know that all sin is
due to povertys' he continued. Is that so,''
l replied, ''then | suppose you would say that
all the capitalists saints
There were about a dozen Of then,-cioar-
makers-waiting in the anteroom for a special
order of business.
They were talking about various phases Of
the social question: when the sergeant at arms
remarked, with emphasis: You fellows ought
to study the Bible if you want to learn some Of
the greatest truths ever given mankind Take
such sayings as Paul's as Charity begins at
home, and Know thyself Are mt they
greatg" The crowd took it in very solemnly
the learned brother gave them a little ser
mon on the mystery of the latter text But if
there had been a man in the bunch who had had
even Sunday school scholars training in the
scriptures, he might have made the speaker
feel like thirty cents, for neither of his texts
can be found anywhere in the Bible.
[ was not responsible for the discussion but
after had finished my address, the boys began
telling me and the rest of the crowd why they
had given up going to church. was naturally
very much interested in the reasons presented,
although there really wasn't new thing said.
Finally, the business agent of the brewery
workers remarked, with something of blush
TWell, suppose you have all told the truth
about yourselves, but want to say that don t
go to church any more because I Just plain
'back-slid y And his candid expression dis
counted several Of the fancy little speeches Of
his brothers.
He was long -whiskered, oud-mouthed, and
he supported bad breath He happened to be
present because it was an open meeting. When
he found his feet, he gave us some pretty good
advice-from. his view point.
He did say some fine things about the beauti-
full spirit of Jesus Christ, and he very earnestly
reminded us that he had accepted the teachings
of Jesus as the guiding principles of his hfe-
But in the very next sentence, he declared, with
fury: ssIf had my way, I'd send every capi-
talist to hell! At the conclusion Of this fiery
speech very modest workingman arose and
quietly remarked: my brother, you had bet
ter go home and learn your lesson over again
You haven t quite caught the spirit of Jesus, if
oI9A 9I9ql puV ~! @noqB Su!qlAue MouE
speaker.
A delegate reporting for his local.
'sWe initiated FIVE candidates at our last
meeting" he said, "and it required five differ
cnt Interpreters to obigate them. =
[ wondered what kind Of proposition it.
must be to get anything like harmony in that
labor union, even under ordinary circum-
stances l thought too, of the report of the
United States labor commissioner, in which he
declared that the labor union is doing more to
Americanize the foreigner than any other in
stitltion in the country