The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-06-19
CHURCH !, AND LABOR
HOLD MASS. Meeting
Denver Auditorium Filled to It's
Utmost Capacity by the #@
ILL., Crowd.

h DENVER, June 1.-THE auditorium
at Denver was crowded on Sunday aft
ernoon, May 23rd, upon the occasion Of
the annual labor mass meeting under
the direction Of the Presbyterian de-
partment Of church and labor. It was
undoubtedly the greatest labor meeting
ever held in Denver. The audience
was: composed Of the trades unionists
and their families with hundreds Of
delegates who were attending the an
byterian church. J.. ~
Accusing Of Interest.
The Denver Trades and Labor As
sembly had appointed strong COM
mite with Max Morris, vice presi-
dent Of. the American Federation Of
Labor, as chairman, to visit the local
bodies in order to secure their inter-
est. Seventy-fve of the locals ap-
pointed vice presidents, who were
seated upon the platform. The local
Musicians Union volunteered a band
OF forty pieces, under Satriano. the
famous bandmaster of Denver, who
rendered selections which were
! cheered by the immense audience.
Gov. John F. Shafroth presided and
the principal address was given by the
Rev. Charles Stelze, superintendent Of
the department Of church and labor.
MIR: Stelzle spoke on "A Square Deal"
| and said in part as follows:
Labor Question Continuous. .
| The most important thing about
| the labor question is to give the other
| fellow square deal. The average
"orklngman is too close to the labor
! question to understand it; but what
| IS true Of the average workingman is
PROBABLY just as true of the average
| employer. Thousands of men are be-
| ing deluded by the vain hope that il
they can abolish the labor union they
! VIII nave solved the labor question.
Ihese men forget that the labor union
IS not the labor question. If everv
labor union in existence were to he
abolished today, the labor question
would still be present.
Trades Union Symptom.
Inc trades union is symptom. It
IS the effect and not the cause of thu
industrial evolution through which we
are passing: 1t has been accused of
| numerous indiscretions and there have
neeh occasions when some employers
nave oeen justified in relentlessly FIGHT.
! ing unreasonable demands: bur the
:tiaoes union must pass though it's me-
riod OF hysteria, just as has been rhs
Ease IN practically every great reform
movement, including the church, for
uie need not go very far back in the
history of the church to find duplicated
everything that we deplore in Or
gan1zed labor today, even down to t,,4
Doyc0tting and the smuggling. However
else the church and labor may. dis
agree we can at least sympathize with
| each other in the mistakes that w.
| have made. :.
It's Ethical Value. -.
!he trades union has a moral and
ethical value which is rarely appre-
c1ated: It Is the greatest force in the
! onlted states for Americanizine the
! immigrant. It demands equal nav r:
men and women for equal work =
supplies liberal education in its
meeting halls and Though the 1ahor
press. 1t opposes child labor 1t strur-
s1es Tor better sanitary conditions. It
~ an influence for more temperate iv-
ing. 1t invites membership regardless
OF race creed or color and it is f1ehr
ing Tor universal peace. While recor.
h1z1ng the mistakes that the trades
union has made, let's give it credit for
| ~> o'eu eAAdI IL has accomplished.
| Mission of the Church.
AT recent sociological conferen, y:
somebody declared that during the nast
20 years the church had increased
| three-rold The speaker concluded thai
the church, as a means of keeptne
ao"n social unrest had been non-effe1
tive. AS though 1t were the business
OF the church to keep down social. mn
rest: Rather is the opposite true. It
Is the business Of the church to create
| social unrest. There are no labor
troubles In Darkest Africa, but if the
missionaries that the church is send
ing there are on to their Jobs, you will
sc on hear Of demands for better social
conditions among the workers. They
Will soon see the possibilities for them
In a Christian civilizations This has
oeen the history Of the church in pra,.
tlcaIly every generation. However dark
the age the church has always been
the wh1test light in history, and when
REFORM came to the church, 1T came
from within and not from without. The
church has made mistakes and it Is
ia!i1ng short OF it's duty in the world
1caay, but just as I would insist upon
square deal for the trades union, 80
would insist upon q square deal fo-
the church.
Duty OF tho Church,
! The church must preach a social
message. It must not fall to demand
that the American workingman is the
best paid workingman in ali the world.
compared to what he produces he il
! the poorest paid workingman in thu,
! world. - 80 ''0
! :: The church must also make q f1xhr
Tor the masses OF the people living ia
our great cities. The filthy Stun. the
f'unsanitary factory. the dark tenement.
the long hours Of toll. the lack of q
| living wage. the back-breakinE labor.
the inability toapay necessary doctors
b1tls in times of sickness. the poor ana
insufficient food, the lack Of leisure.
the swift approach Of old age, the dis
nal future, these weigh down tho
hearts and the lives Of the multitudes
IN our great cities. Many have almost
forgotten how: to smile; to laugh is q
lest art. The look Of care: has come
SO often and for SO long a period az
time that it is now forever stamped
upon their faces. Their ethical souls
are all but lost. They fear death le =
than they fear sleep. Some, indeed.
long for the summons, daring not "a
1 take their lives To aI,ot ,x,hot So.