Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-25
MAKES PLEA FOR
TRADE UNIONISM
J. B. LENNON ADDRESSES CON-
VENTI0N
Presbyterian Church, He Says. Is the
First to Establish Department
for Benefit of Laborinq
Man

| BY Associated Press.
KANSAS CITY. Mo-, May 24--Pres-
byterian evangelism among laboring
men was the theme of the addresses at
great mass meeting for men at Con-
yention hall today, delivered by Rev.
Charles l.. Stelzel of the Presbyterian
committee on the church and labor;
Governor Folk of Missouri, and John
B. Lennon, treasurer of the American
Federation of Labor Rev. Stelzel made
a personal invitation to every union
labor man in the city.
Non-union men were also specially
invited and a magnificent audience
greeted the speakers. Rev. Stelzel, who
was himself formerly a union machin-
ist, organized the department of labor
in the Presbyterian church, and he de-
votes his energies to the effort of bring
ing the church and the man workers Of
the world closer together. This depart
ment is rapidly becoming one of the
big things of the Presbyterian church.
as it is a potent agency in enlisting
men in the service of the church,
work which is also one of the greatest
functions of the Presbyterian brother
hood.
Mr.. Lennon in his address said:
First to Have Department
1.-THE Presbyterian church, repre-
sented in the conference now being held
in Kansas City, is the first church or
sanization that has officially recognized
the pressing and ever growing import
ance of the labor movement by estab-
fishing a department in their church to
bring about a better understanding be-
tween the organized church and organ
lied labor. say the organized church,
while because there may be possibly
some individual Christians who are not
in the church. they are of no force or
potency in the world, and If they save
themselves they certainly are doing
nothing to save anybody else.
1.-The religion of Jesus Christ, as un-
derstand 1t, may be divided fundament-
ally into two important phases, one
teaching the duties of man to his Crea-
tor, and the other teaching of his duty
toward his fellow man. The church
has, In a measure at least, forgotten
that part Of Christ's religion which
teaches as to the relations of man to
man, and have given nearly all their
energy to the spiritual phase of Jesus
religion, which teaches as to mans
duty to God.
I'm dealing SO much with the spiritual
they have forgotten that which is prac-
tical and has to do with conditions that
we are in the midst of while still in
this life. The wage workers, seeing no
interest, or but little interest, mani
lcSlcu Tie CliuICii III tHC aluliuii SiNS
of the religious question, or on the
question of bread and butter, and de-
cent living, have naturally drifted
away from the church to a very great
extent; and am constrained to believe
that they are not going back in large
numbers until the church will empha-
size just as strong the human side of
the religion of Jesus Christ as they do
the spiritual"
Mr. Lennon declared that strikes and
boycotts were sanctioned only as last
resort, and said:
Where violence Is used it is because ,
the principles of trades unionism have
been departed from by individual trade
unionists."
He added: "a great hue and cry |
has been made by many regarding the |
action of trade unions In boycotting the |
goods of unfair esta blishments; unfair, |
I mean, against the trade unions. They |
saw 1t is un-American as well as un- |
manful. Possibly our critics are all de- |
scendants of the Tories, who believed |
in the thirteen colonies prior to the |
Revolutionary war. The Tories believed |
the boycott imposed by the colonists |
against the unjust laws of Great Brit |
ain was un-American and unmanly and |
1t seems impossible that |
there can be any descendants of those |
who made possible this great republic. |
knowing the history of this early boy
colt, that declare this weapon of trade |
unionism un-American."
Mr.. Lennon spoke strongly against |
Asiatic immigration.