The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-12-23
THE CHURCH
AND LABOR
How Far Can the Church Stand
tor Organized Labor---Ry the
Rev. Charles Stelz1e.

few days 60 an excited trades -un.
ionist official held me up in a labor hall
by reading a telegram sent to him by the
secretary of central labor union some
where on the Pacific coast, which tele.
gram insited that l. should immediately
change the decision of the trustees of a
certain church who had awarded a CON
tract for new church building to a nom
union builder. I had never heard of the
church, never heard of the preacher and
hadn t the slightest notion as to who the
trustees were. The contract had been
agreed upon, and, presumably, the build
er was already on the Job. And simply
because am trades unionist, and have
repeatedly stated my convictions as an
individual that trades unionism is a good
thing, and that every workman should be-
come member of the union, it was as
sumed that L could accomplish by the
wave of the hand or by threat of ex-
COMMUNICATION or some other dire calamity
the task which these local trades -unionists
had failed to perform. Because I frank
ly told my challenger that really could
not reverse the decision of these men, he
Aooi dpuSeu IuC III his local labor
paper. 1 did not mind the abuse. I
have become quite accustomed to getting
1t both from the church and from labor
But the incident gives me the opportunity
to make just one point which should be
perfectly clear in the mind of every
trades-unionist when he critciscs the
church for not heartily endorsing organ
lied labor as such.
L have repeatedly stated on the plat
form and in the press that the church
cannot advocate socialism or and other
economic theory, because there may be an
honest difference of opinion concerning
these matters among the membership of
the church. However, the workman has
perfect right to insist that the church
shall stand by him in his fight for better
living conditions, reasonable number of
hours, living wage and a square deal in
every other particular, but-and 1 saw
this with perfect frankness-the trades
unlonists has no right to expect the church
to help him maintain his organization
any more than the -churchman has a RIGHT
TO insist that the trades unionist shall
maintain the church. If it is right in one
case 1T must be right in the other If the
trades s-unionist declares that the church
must stand uncquivocally for organized
labor, then the church member has an
equal right to insist that the trades-un
lonist must stand unequivocally for the
church, for they both declare for higher
standards of morals and ethics, better
homes, better schools and better living in
every way.
1t seems to that for the church to
say that the contentious of organized Ia
Dor for improved conditions are lust
without committing itself in any way to
particular system whereby these con.
dltlons are to be secured, is all ANYBODY
has right to expect of it. The church
must not stop the point of passing reso-
lutlons, but it must be given the right to
work with every or any movement which
is fighting for the securing of fairer con-
dltlons. The Catholic church, the Prot
estant church and the Jewish church NAV
work together in this struggle. even
though they may not accept each other g
religious platforms, but in so far as they
agree uDon the things for which they ,re
contending, they should present united
front. If this liberty is granted the
Church, 1T will be very much easier for
the church to work together with the un-