The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-04-19

aIsS.guite apparent. l am not a puo-
lie Orator in any sense, and I mus:
admit these surroundings are wond-
rous strange. Yet in my embarrass-
mept | must find consolation in the
thought that many church members
are indeed surprised at such an auda-
ciouS venture on the part Of the Rev.
Mr., Elderltln in permitting the use
OF bis pulpit on this Sabbath evening
for the discussion of tradesunionism.
Yet why such conditions?
Why wonder at the determination
vcS,igate the principles of modern
tradesunionism?
". b. Prescott. an eXpresident OF
my organization, In a recent address
tefore the Second Presbyterian
church congregation at Evanston. ILL.,,
yer3 aptly said:
Somehow we wonder why the
church was not always interested in
these great questions, for 1t is
through the solution Of living social
problems, and by no other means,
that we can ever expect to see Thy
kingdom come on earth as 1t is In
eratif1ed TIL inequality and injustice
are wiped out My observation has
been that the average trade unionist
is fond of quoting Biblical SMILES
in defense of his position. For In
stance the story of the exodus is
likened to a great strike against un-
fair conditions, with Moses as the
sententious walking delegate and
Aaron as the agitator These desig-
nations may shock some, but the his
tory of the protests TO the Egyptian
ruler and their scornful rejection
finds its counterpart in many labor
struggle Many recent-day strikers,
like the Israelites OF old. never reach
the promised land, but they make II
easy OF access to others. Jesus
Christ and His philosophy have al
ways made an especially strong ap-
peal to workers who were even bitter
I'm their hostility toward the church"
father Huntingdon. The well-kno"h
E.piscopalian. said twenty years ago
that during one of his eloquent ad-
dresses In a labor assembly there
were Kisses when he referred to the
church, but loud cheers greeted nell
ton of the name of the Nazarene.
This incident is recalled. not Tor the
purpose OF applaudlng that method oil
showing dissent OF disapproval, Dut
as indicative of the feeling that en-
igted Indeed. there seemed TO be
suspicion that the church was retard-
ing rather than furthering practlcal
Christianity. The churches came 10
us and said, Christ was and Is the
friend of the poor and the worker.
1t did not take a profound knowleoSe
OF the Bible to see the error IN thal
statement. Christ was not a friend
of the workingman and oil the poor
He was a worISngman and He was
boot He might have risen above
that class, and taken His place among
the teachers and lawyers OF that day.
and from that position preached a'
the workers. but He remained "l'h
them. labored among them, ana BE-
iected some of His disciples from
among what we now call low CLASS
OF labor-hshermen
Carroll d. Wright, for many years
commissioner of labor for the Uniteu
States, referred to this in course
of lectures before a divinity class IN
Philadelphia AS | recollect. he said
that. while 1t was not proved CHRIST
was a labor agitator. it is certainiy
true much of His philosophy was III
Keeping with the labor demands oil
that time, which accounts for His 1ol-
lowing among the lowly. Inc 10
mans did not regard the servile peo-
pie as possessing souls-they were
something apart from and lower than
the rest OF the world. Christ preach-
cd the fatherhood OF God and Drother-
hood OF man. which at once placeu
all mankind on n level That opened
The way TO the betterments and Tree
dom that have come since. WIN
euuality as to origin and final reward
firmly established, the emancipation
of labor had taken a great step lot
ward So It comes we may belieYe
the gospel of Christianity moved la
nor men in ali the centuries. nave
seen many carpenters proud ol thelr