Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-27
WAGES AND BUSINESS

morning Republican cOntempO-
rary has published what is intended
TO be an attack on former Governor
Folk of Missouri The outburst is
vicious and virulent, but not effective.
1t is a mere rhodomontade-a farrago
of malevolent stuff and malicious non.
ity than for cunning.
incidentally it contains an ignorant
and incorrect allusion to the founder of
Christianity, which by many readers
will be regarded as vapid blasphemy.
The writer of the article makes the
following statements:
1.-The Rabbi of Bethlehem was a re-
former, as Mr. Folk tries to be- But
the great Reformer made his work tell
in the world and prove effective to our
time so that he is still preaching be-
cause he did not make money his re-
ward. The blacksmith may he paid for
his services to the world more or less
adequately according to circumstances.
The true reformer cannot be paid in
cash. All the wealth of the world
would not pay the man who teaches
the world an important truth. Perhaps
it is the love of money, the root of all
evil, which makes some reformers'
work so Ineffective
The writer of this article is evidently
badly informed as to Jesus and his
teachings. In the first place, he was
not rabbi of Bethlehem" He was
horn in RatbIabor,o baca,,sa bis nathan
and her husband had taken a journey
from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the head
quarters Of the clan or family of
David, to which they belonged, to re-
port for enrolment in accordance with
an order from the emperor or Caesar
Augustus that a complete census of
the Roman empire should be taken,
and that in the census returns his Jew
ish subjects should be grouped as far
as possible according to their lineage.
OF the family of David, Joseph and
Mary were also Nazarenes or Naza-
rites. The Nazarenes claimed descent
from the great Hebrew chief and hero,
Samson, who wore long hair. In honor
of Samson the Nazarenes wore their
hair long That was their unmistak-
able tribal mark. and of Jesus it is
stated explicitly that he followed this
Nazarene custom. He spent all his
earlier years In Nazareth, among his
own orthodoxy hating and Pharisee-
despising people. In chapter of
Luke's narrative the statement is
made. HE came to Nazareth, WHERE
HE HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP, and
AS HIS CUSTOM WAS, he went into
the synagogue on the Sabbath day and
stood up for to read" He was there
fore rabbi, not an orthodox or Phar-
isee rabbi. He was Nazarene.
And what We're the teachings of
Jesus on the subject of work and
wages, which in spite of our misguided
and misguiding contemporary, are ex-
plieit and clear? Let us quote some of
his sayings on this important social
subject:
Love thy neighbor as thyself'-give
him square deal Don't use his work
and his reputation and pay him pitt
full pittance with a threat of starva-
ton If he is not contented with it.
Neither cast We your pearls before
swine, don't work for ingrates
Therefore all things whatsoever We |
would that men should do to you, do |
we even so to them, for this is the law |
and the prophets" If this doesn't |
mean, "Give your fellow man a square
deal in the matter of work and wages"
then, pray, what does it mean?
Love thy neighbor as myself"
This commandment seems to settle be-
yond cavil the question of wages and
business.
In Matthew, chapter 20, our friend
will find some teaching which he will
think is extremely radical. 1t relates
with approval that an employer equal
lied the wages of all who worked for
him on a certain day, at the end of the
day making a fair division of wages.
In Luke, chapter 10, verse T, Jesus
is quoted as having said: THE LA
BORER IS WORTHY OF HIS HIRE"
He did not believe in cutting wages or
in taking a mean advantage of the re-
lation of an employer to an employe,
Paul, writing to Timothy, quotes
this saying in the fifth chapter of his
first letter: The laborer is worthy of
his reward"
The teaching of Jesus with regard
to wages and business was explicit,
forcible and incapable Of any eXplana-
ton save one. and of any interpreted
ton but that which is obvious. He
meant what he said, every word of it.
There was sincerity in all his teaching
as it came from his fearless lips, line
upon line, precept upon precept, and it
is impossible to dodge, wriggle or !
crawl out of the necessity of believing
him.
But we will not prolong our analysis
of the remarkable article published by
our contemporary; which can only be
explained by the fact our neghbor has
taken a leap in the dark and has land
ed in the wrong place, on utterly I'M
familiar ground. The scriptures seem
to be a terra incognita. o tempora!
ROCKEFEILER