Evening star., 1908-01-16
LABOR ANDTHECHURCH
ADDRESS BEFORE PRESBYTE-
RAN BROTHERHOOD.

In an address last night before the
brotherhood of the New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church. at a meeting held In
the lecture room of the church. Rev
Charles r. Stelzle. secretary OF the de-
partment of church and labor of the
Presbyterian Church. discussed the rela-
tion of the church toward the laboring
man. He took for the subject Of his
address. Capturing Men for the Church
Of Jesus Christ
In his opening remarks Mr.. Sickle
said: II want to refute a statement often
made and declare that l have yet to find
working man who does not believe In
Jesus Christ" He then told of the
work OF the Presbyterian Church through
Its department of church and labor, and
declared that 10 900 900 laboring men Of
the United states are being addressed
weekly through the mediums OF the LABOR
papers of various parts Of the country.
"The labor problem" he declared. lis
fundamentally a moral and religious one.
The preacher who is hitting sin today is
helping to a great extent to solve the
problem of labor. The work to help the
la boring man is going forward. though It
Is still in its infancy. The tendency Of the
working man Is towa rd the church and
not away from ii. To attract him the
church must first of all be sincere. Is II
surprising that the working man is sus-
picious when he sees the men who have
betrayed him. in instances. prominent In
church work."
Mr.. Steizle said the spirit of democ-
racy is what counts today in the church
II is that which attracts the working man.
lie told at length OF his early life as
boy in the tenement districts OF the east
side of New York city. where late at night
ne would awake to find his loving motner
bIsily sewing that bread might be Kept
in the mouths OF her small children. lie
told of the small wages she received for
the-work and of the two little rooms oc-
clpied by the family. where the lfgnt
and sunshine rarely peered in.
This" he said. was the life that has
brought me today to be a defender or
the rights of the laborng man and the
enemy of the sweat shop and child labor
in all forms.
Growth Of the Work.
He then gave a short account OF the
wonderful growth of the work OF the
church in the ranks of organized labor
the past four years. In conclusion. ne
said:
This is the era of the common man.
Will he be inspired by the high ideal
given him by the church OF Jesus Christi?
President Myron J. Jones of the brother
hood presided over the meeting and INTRO
duced the speaker OF the evening at the
opening. At the close OF his ADDRESS
Rev. Mr.. Stelzle invited questions rela-
tive to the work and the invitation was
accepted by Mr.. Justice Harlan. Rev. Dr.
Wallace Radcliffe, pastor OF the New
York Avenue Church; Rev DR.. Charles
F. Winbigler. pastor Of the First Baptist
Church. and a number of others in at
tendance.
President Jones. near the close OF the
meeting, announced that the committees
of the brotherhood will be announced
shortly. Rev. DR.. Radcliffe stated tnat
he Is ready to recommend to the members
of the executive committee OF the brother
hood certain lines Of Bible study work
which he was recently requested to IN
quire into.
The list OF those in attendance included
Rev. Dr. Radcliffe. Rev. DR.. Winbisier,
Mr.. Justice Harlan DIR. Howard Agnew
johnson, Mr. Charles S. Bradley, MT.
Edward p. Hyde. Mr.. William NJ. Con-
raj. Mr.. ]. D. ..McChesney. Mr.. III. Stewart
Beers. Mr.. Harvey S. Irwin. MI. Hoi-
con1be q. Johnson. Mr. Frank e. Edg1n-
ton. Mr.. N. ]. Jones and Mr.. Edward
Tarrtns.