The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-25
'LABORING MEN
THRONGEO HALL
Mass Meeting for Men Under
Auspices of PreSby-
terian Assembly.
JOHN B. LEMONS ADDRESS
CHURCH DISCUSSED FROM A
UNION STANDPOINT.

C1O nOT OtOOO OO6O EnS" -
UNION STANDPOINT.
. Kansas City. May 24-Presbyterian
evangelism among lahoring men was the
theme of the addresses at a great mass
meeting for men at Convention hall to-
day delivered by Rev. Charles Stelzel.
superintendent OF the Presbyterian COM
mittee of church and labor; Governor
FOLK OF Missouri and John Is. Lennon.
treasurer of the American Federation OF
Labor. Rev. Stelzel made personal in
Vltation to every union labor man in the
tity. Non-unlon men were also specially
Invited and a magnificent audience greet
ed the speakers.
Rev. StelZel who was himself formerly
union machinlst, organized the depart
ment of church and labor I'm the Presby-
terrain church and he devOtes his energies
20 the effort of bringing the church and
the men workers of the world closer to-
Eether. This department. is rapidly be
coming one of the big things of the Pres
byterian church, as il is a potent agent
IN enlsting men In the service of the
church, work which is also one OF the
greatest functions OF the Presbyterian
brotherhood.
Music a Feature.
feature of the mass meeting today
was the music, led ny Charles NJ. Alex
Mr., Alexander has charge of the music
at all the populsr meetings incident TO
the general assembly. Mr.. Stelzels adj
dress was A comprehensive discussion of
the relation of Christianity 10 the labor
Ing man and a strong argument in sup
port of the position that laboring men
should be Christians Mr.. Lennon in his
address said:
Mr.. Lemons Address.
Upon the request Of Mr.. Stelzel, who
is at the head of the department of
church and labor of the Presbyterian
afternoon. The growing Importance of
sociological questions warrants their
consideration and study and discussion
by every man and woman in the world
that is interested at all in the welfare
of humanity. All other questions are
fading into insisnificance compared with
those OF economic nature.
First Movement in Church. Il
'1The Presbyterian church. represented
in the conference now being held i'm KAN
sas City, is the first church organization
that has officially recognized the press
ing and eyer-groWing Importance of the
labor movement by establishing a de-
partment In their church 10 bring about
a better understanding between the or
ganiZed church and organized labor. /
say the organized church because while
there may be possibly some individual
Christians who are not in the church,
they are of no force or potency in the
world and II they save themselves, they
certainly are dong nothing TO save any
body else. l speak of organized Ia Dor be-
cause IL is the only labor that is in po-
sitiOn 10 give expression TO their protest
against unjust conditions OF impOsitiOns
that are placed on the shoulders of labor
by the employers of the world. The UNI
organized wOrkingmau or woman is of
no more potency in the labor movement
or for civic betterment or for moral up
lift than are the dumb-driven cattle.
Therefore whatever of cooperation there
NAV be between the church and labor for
human uplift of the Wage-W0rking classes. /
IL must necessarily be between the or
ganized church and organized labor, fOr
il cannot be between anyone else and
bring am results
Church Has Forgotten.
The religion Of Jesus Christ. as l ua-
deTstand il. may be divided fundamental
Is into two important phases, one teach
ing the duties of man TO his Creator and
the other teaching his duties towards
his fellow man. The church and labor
have drifteG apart, in my judgment be-
cause the church has in a measure at
least forgotten that part of Christ's re-
ligiOn which teaches as 20 the relations
of man 10 man, and have given nearly all
their energy 10 the spiritual phase OF
Jesus religion, which teaches as 10 man
duty 10 God. In dealing so much with
the spiritual they have forgotten that
which is practical ana has TO do with
tGnQltloNS tNaL We are III the luluSL OF
while still in this life. The wage-WOrk-
ers. seeing no interest or but little inter-
est manifested IN the church in the hu-
man side of the religious question. OF in
the question of bread and butter and
decent living. have naturally drifted away
from the church 20 d very great extent. 4
and ! am constrained 10 believe that they
are not going hack I'm large numbers until
the church will emphasize Just as strong
IL the human side Of fine religion of Jesus
Christ as they do the spiritual side"
Mr.. Lennon, after reciting the progress
~ the trade union movement, continued /
in part as follows:
Force of Trade Unlonism. II
I'VE have no apologies To offer to any
one for being trade uuiolists. The trade I
union is now and has been such a tre- I
mendous force in human society that il 1
must De admitted by any fairmindcd man I
that II the race is making progress /
mean the word progress in us hest sense /
the trade union must be and is a pow I
erful factor in bringing about that prog
ress. Our movement is misjudged and I
misrepresented by great many people /
who would he faiFminded if they woafd I
treat tails subject and this question lust 4
as they do all others. All that we ask /
for our movement is the same fair hear
ing that is given to every other. We ask 4
no palllauon for any mistakes and Of I
fenses that we may be guilty Of but we /
do ask that the records of the things
that we do In the interests of the moral 1
pioSiesS OF tilo race De given credit Tor. /
Strikes and Boyeotts.
Mr. Lennon declared that strikes and /
boycotts were sanctioned only as a last /
resort. and said:
where violence is used it is because /
the principles of trade unioniSm have
been departed from by individual trade
uniOnists' IL added:
"A great hue and cry has been made /
by many regarding the action of trade
unions in bOycOtting the goods OF unfair
establishments, unfair. 7 mean. against
the trade unions. They say il Is IN
American as well as unmanful. Possibly
our critics are all descendants of the
tories who lived I'm the thirteen colonies
prior TO the reVOlu touary war Tho
tories believed that the boycott imposed
by the colonists against the unjust laws
Of Great Britain was un-American and
unmanly and unWarranted. Ia seems i'm |
possible that there can be any descend /
ants OF those who made possible this gres1
republic. knowing the story of this early
boycott that can declare this weapon Of
the trade union un-American'
Plea Against immigration.
Mr.. Lennon spoke strongly against i'm