The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-03-16
PLACE FOR MINISTER
IN LABOR DISPUTES
Preacher Should Not Remain Sill.
ent When Words From Pull
pit Might Help.
Great Opportunity Offered to
Clergymen to Mould Opin-
ion for Right.

Is it right and is it just for a min
ster to remain silent on the labor
question, when words from his pulpit
might ameliorate much hardship and
suffering?
It seems to us that in these days
when capital and labor are at their
wits ends, devising ways and means
in which one may get the best Of the
other, that there should be some way
in which this continual warfare could
be eliminated from the category of our
daily ills.
Take the capitalists, for instance:
they are all members Of the same
church and are looked upon by their
fellow members as being good Chris
tians and exemplary citizens, because
they are liberal in their donations to
the church and it's allied associations.
Their actions in case of labor dis
turbance in any Of their mills or work.
shops are never questioned or COM
mented upon by the minister or the
congregation, because they are afraid
that they would be insulted and to
insult or offend them would mean the
loss of just SO much cash, which is in
most cases highly necessary in order
to meet the expenses of the congrega-
ton.
Under these circumstances one can
not blame too harshly the minister
for not taking hand in trying to bring
to a peaceful settlement any labor
fro, 10 11yhi ito1 ictio =
Of his flock may be instrumental in
rrolonging, through their bullheaded-
ness and selfshness, in refusing to
grant any request Of their workmen or
! even listen to a proposition for arbi-
tratlon.
But we say to these ministers of the
Gospel, is it right? Is 1t just? Is it
Christianity to remain silent at a time
when a few words spoken by you, in
| private or in the pulpit. might be the
| means OF preventing much suffering
| and many hardships among the wives
and children Of the workers who are
| involved in the disagreement between
| capital and labor? Would it not be
an act Of Christianity to throw the
| mercenary side Of the case to the winds
and take up the workingmen's side Of
the trouble and explain to the capt.
talists in your congregation that the
men are only asking for increased
| wages commensurate with the in
creased cost of living and for the
shorter workday that they must have
| more time to spend with their families
in rest and recreation, which will en-
able them to better fulfill the strenuous
duties of tomorrow's labors; that the
shorter workday is also for The pur-
pose of giving the rapidly-increasing
population Of this great, God-fearing
country of ours an equal chance to
earn an honest livelihood?
Surely there is nothing selfish on the
part of the wage-.workers in asking for
| a shorter workday! The employer
reaps a benefit In securing more satis-
| factory service and the unemployed are
given work, which in many cases is
the means of bringing many new faces
into the church.
The employer will in all cases say
that he cannot meet the requests of his
men on account Of the increased cost
! of the articles he manufactures Don't
worry; he won't have to bear the in
creased cost; the consumer pays that.
and would pay it willingly, If that were
all that was added to the selling price:
but in nearly all cases where an ad-
vance in wages is given the selling
price is advanced more than 26 per
cent over and above the increased per
cent amount of wages.
Let the minister Of the Gospel take
| a hand a. strenuous hand, in the set
lement Of labor disputes and the
clashes between capital and labor will
be fewer and in time to come will be
| a rarity