Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-08
DISCUSS Social De8pon0encp|
Was Central Theme at English Church Conven-
tons Problem of Unemployed Must
BeSo1ved, Said Speakers.

Beaconsfeld? Which of our novelists has
the humanitarian ardor of Charles Dick
ems? The burden of empire brushes US
and we shrink from its responsibilities.
II shall be reminded. no doubt. that
the dependency of which ] have been
speaking is due mainly to the failure Of
our great legislators and phiianthropists
to bring US to the land of promise which
inspired their imaginations. The states
men who repealed the Born laws and
passed the factory acts and reform bills
were deceived in their forecast of the
future. They believed they were opening
exhaustibfe prosperity. Their dreams were
so far realized that the wage-earner to-
day receives higher wage than before.
and his wage represents an immensely in
creased purchasing power. The strength
of the privileged classes is diminished.
The power of labor to organize itself and
to dictate terms to employers Is vastly
increased. Yet there is profound dis
ern Industry. The legislators of the Vic
torian age never foresaw the rise Of the
power of capital, the opportunity they
were making for the rich to multiply
riches without concerning themselves
about the condition Of those who worked
for them. They made it no part Of their
concern to consider the dangers which at
tend the use OF abstract terms. By talk
ing about labor and capital we may easi-
ly overlook the fact that the character
capitalist mean much more to the state
than machinery or products. They never
anticipated the possibility that England,
free and prosperous. might yet have SO
great a proportion Of her population on
the brink of restitution through unem-
ployment They based their calculations
on enlightened self-interest. but they mis-
calculated the diffusion of enlightenment.
"Our subsequent discussions on social
ism and on methods of relieving poverty
will give US abundant opportunities OF
Offering, as individual members of the
church. our several contributions TO the
solution of the problem of unemployment.
The church. as body. Is not committed
and ought not to be committed to any one
of these solutions. though the church, as
a body, is bound to witness the neces-
sity of solution being found. We shall
be strenuous advocates of sanitary and
that promotes temperance. of protection
Of the weak. Of just dealing for the OPP
pressed, of the removal of public incite-
ments to betting and gambling and TO
justice as the foundation of all civic vir-
tue, on the sanctity of the marriage tie
as the Divine ordinance for safeguard
ing the home. At the same time we shall
laws which are as much matter OF
strict scientific investigation as all other
laws OF nature"
x X
The Baptist Union. which met at Brad
ford, also took up the same line OF
thought, and it was agreed that there Is
something wrong In the present social
system The union adopted this resolu-
ton as expressing best its sentiment.
THAT the members Of the assembly Of
the Baptist Union OF Great Britain and
Ireland desire to express their deep con-
Germ at the large numbers Of the unem-
ployed in the great centers of population
and their sympathy with them in the con-
sequent suffering and poverty. They ex-
press their strong conviction that meas
ures should be Immediately devised by
the municipal authorities and by the
government to meet the situation by pro-
viding, employment on comprehensive
and adequate scale. They further urge
the members Of the Baptist churches to
aid and encourage such measures to the
utmost of their ability"