The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-19


OF salt Lake City delivered notable
address on '"rrade Union Ethics" to
a. large audience at the First Congrera.
tional church in this city this evening.
In good voice, Mr.. bennett presented
his subject in n forceful and happy
vein, and his remarks were uniduc in
that Socialism found no place in his
discussion. He spoke as follows:
Ladies' and GentIemen--I naturally feel
this evening for reasons which are quite
apparent. ! am not A public orator IN
any sense, and ! must admit these sur
roundings arc wondrous strange. Yc, In
my embarrassment | must md consola-
lion In the thought that many church
mcmoers are indeed surprised at such an
cuuac,ous venture on the part OF the Rev
Ar. Eiderkln In permitting the use Of his
pulpit on this Sabbath evening for the
uiScussion OF tradcsunionism,
Yet why such conditions?
why wonder at the determine ton OF
many men wearing the cloth 10 invcstl-
gais INC principles OF modern tradesun-
w. y. Prescott. an ex-president OF my
nIeanl1h ,ion. IN = recent address before
j. tAc second PrcSb! tcTian church Congrc-
cation az Evanston, H.. very aptly said:
somehow We wonder why the church
was not always interested IN these great
questions. for II Is through the solution
of living social problems. and by no 9TH
or means. that We can ever expect 10
sce Thy kingdom cone ON earth as IL is
gratifcd TN inc0auilty and injnStico arc
wiped out. Ny observation has been that
quoting Biblical similes in defense Of his
. position. For instance. the story OF the
cNodus Is llkened 10 a great strike against
unfair conditions with Moses as The sen
tcntious walking delegate and Aaron az
The asitator. These designations may
shock some. hut the history of the pro-
scornful rejection finds it's couktcrpar, in
many labor struggle: MANY recent
dsy strikers. likc the Israelitcs nt old
never reach the promised land but they
jrskc IL easy of acccss To others. Jesus
Christ and His philosophy have always
'msdc an especially strong appeal TO
HOSTILITY toward the church" Father .
Huntington the well-known F.piscopa-
ono OF his eloquent addresses in labor !
assemby there We're hiss"s when he re- !
1erred 10 The church. hut loud cheers !
greeted mention Of the name OF the Naa. /
nrcne. This incident Is recalled. mol for |
The purpose of app,aud!ug that method |
'"f showing dissent or dlsspproval. but !
jnh"rd: there seemed I" il" . suspicion ,
th0t the church was rot.uding rather |
shnn ,.,I InriherlnS practical Christianity.
|"chris; was and Is the friend nr the poor
md tho worker II did no, take pro-
found knowledge Of th" Bible To the
error IN that statement Christ Was not
n fricn1 Of th. worklngman and Of tho
poor. lie WAS workingmsn and He Was
poor He might have risen above that
rlass. and taken His plac" among th"
teachers and lawyers Of that day, and
from that position preached at the work.
.crs. but He remained with them, laborcd
'disciDies from among what We now call
a low class or labor-ish"rmcn.
Carroll D. Wrights View.
4 Carroll u. Wright. for MANY years com
missioner o; labor Tor tho United States.
referred 10 this In "A course oC lectures be !
Tore a divinity class In Philadelphia. As
! recolect. he said that whii6 II was not
proved Christ was n labor agitator IL is
certainly true much OF Ills philosophy
was In keeping with the labor demands
of that time. which accounts for Ills
did not regard the scvVilc people as pos
sessing Souls-thcy were something apart
from and lower thau the rest OF the
world Christ preached the tathcrhood OF
God and brotherhood OF man. which ut
once placed ali mankind on a level That
opened the way 10 the bettcrments and
equality TO origin and Gnal reward
Armly established. the emancipation OF
u comes We may believe thc gospel OF
moved labor men IN all tn" I
centuries. have seen many carpenters
proud OF their calling because il was n
trade that Christ followed. and His cX-
ample OF remaining worker has had un
told effect In giving dignity 10 labor. and
also been !nstrumeDtal I'm inducing many
men 10 remain in the ranks fighting for
labor when other avenues opened TO
|
Those behind this church movement
need not be surprised II they are not re-
ceived with great acclaim. The work
now what YOU should have had an unn
corrupted history OF doing. II am in the
labor movement said Mr.. Prescott,
TO have a church In Toledo offer It's |
parish house five nights "A week for un lon
meetings. and TO have hundreds Of union
men addressing church meetings; 1t
means n spreading of the light, n mighty
force coming To pour oil on the troubled
thereby Fastening the day when
questions thai now provoke rancor and
even boodshed Will bc discussed calmly
and dispassiorately.
do not wish 10 be understood as pro-
claiming the trade union an ideal insti-
tution. Indeed In themselves they are
not desirable, and In the sense that they
arc both restrictive and reprcsslvc they !
must he termed necessary evils. BUT
They are the inevitable result OF exist
ing economic conditions, and must re-
main a potent factor In the great struggle /
OF the toiler to better his condition, men,
tally. morally and physically. Evils. then.
fairs. those whose environments are such
That they unable To investigate their !
many virtues. accept this plea for their
destruction. To such as these we ask:
What have you TO offer In their stead?
BY destroying organization. would YOU
have US become anarchists? Or would
YOU have US return 10 the yoke scrfs2
A study OF labor's progress through or
canization. especially from the guilds OF |
Tile Fourteenth and FlltceHtn centuries
to the present. is most interesting and
should be given some attention before
these queries are answered :
Was IL not by combination Of thc toll
FRS that FIRST enabled them to strike OF I
the ehackles OF serfdom and place their 4
feet firmly in the path that led To liberty 1
and progress?
was Il not the labor unions that dis {
PEELED the superstition that some men
ruled by divine rieht-that some wcr"
choscn 10 live in luxury and case, Will" !
The great masses must increasingly toi! ;
with scant remuneration? d.
4 m those are facts, is Il not fair 20 pre- |