Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-05-19
Ministers
Uphold Slavery
South Bethlehem Preachers and
Priests Line Up With Charles
M. Schwab.
OF CHRIST
FAVOR SUNDAY LABOR.
Church Collects Its Pew Rem
Through Steal Company's Office
One Reason.

II T.
Christians to contemplate, is sent to
Rev. Charles Stelzle, head of the
Church and Labor Department of the
Presbyterian church, and is a de-
scription of conditions In South Beth
ekem by Jacob Tazelaar, organizer
n the American Federation of Labor.
Pie daily papers have been too busy
Dfo print this:
South Bethlehem, Pa, May A, 1910.
OPEN Letter to the Rev. Chas. A.
/ Steltze, Supt Dept. of Church and
Labor, Presbyterian Church, New
York City.
Dear Sir
In continuation of our short inter-
view last week / write you fully re-
garding the attitude of the church in
The Bethlehems, Pa, towards the
striking workingmen of the Bethle-
hem Steel Company. / desire to say
hat the church nearly as whole
the Protestant as wei las the Catholic
church, gave no al dto the men who
were fighting for a great moral issue
one in which every civilized institu-
zion should be deeply interested.
For years the workers employed
by the Bethlehem Steel Company
have been compelled to work long
hours and regularly perform Sunday
labor: The question of wages ! think
lit unnecessary for me to dwell upon
for. every intelligent man knows and
newspaper readers very well remem-
Der how Mr.. Schwab has boosted that
he employed the cheapest labor in
the world under un-American and
revolving conditions.
| Not being able to increase his force
due to the low wages and terrible
conditions, he decided that the men
must continue to work long, excess
i've hours in addition to the regular
day of 10 hours and Is minutes and
labor on Sunday.
In an orderly and respectful man
ner, though unorganiZed at the time,
which was January of this year
committee Of the machinists waited
upon the company to discuss the mat
ter and enter protest which led to
the discharge of the committee by
] the company and a strike by the
workers on February 4th, which ex-
tended through the whole works,
! terminating in a general strike Feb
ruary 25th, involving every branch,
Numbering $500 men.
The saloons were closed Immediately
by order Of the County Judge and re-
manned closed for nearly seven
weeks, and were not opened until at
least a majority of the saloon keepers
had obeyed the orders ofNMr.SchWab.
by turning against the strikers and
using their influence to prevent the
men from using municipal hall and
all other halls.
The strikers at almost every daily
meeting appealed to the ministers
and invited them to join in the
crusade against labor on the Sabbath
day. In fact they passed resolutions
and the executive committee sent
the ministers public invitation and
later challenge to the church to
state it's position, as to whether or
not the church was against Sunday
labor or for the Bethlehem Steel
Co.
| During all this sstruggle, lasting
several weeks, only two priests,
Father Fretz and Father Valarky
took advantage of our standing in
vitation to address the men upon
this great moral issue, both speaking
feelingly, declaring. their sympathies
with the men.
The Protestant Ministerial Associ-
alton, as body, practically cham
pioned the cause of the corporation,
land went as far as excusing or trying
to find excuses for men Decorating
the Sabbath day.
1t is publicly known here that the
church can collect its fees and dues
through the corporations office 1t
is stated here by the workers that
the company has taken money out of
the pay envelopes of the laboring
men without their consent and paid
same over to the clergy, and that
there is standing offer to all the
ministers by the Bethlehem Steel
Co. to have the church dues collected
through the company's office.
Whether this has anything t do
with assisting the company and adj |
vocating the men to return to work |
under the old conditions, Sunday
work included, and wages from -
l-2 cents per hour to II L. and
20 cents for skilled mechanics I do
not know. the clergymen can tell.
The facts are that priests admin
listers alike. excepting one or, two,all |
urged the men to go back to work,
practically acting as agents for the
company.
Mr.. Chas. M. Schwab was never
known to be a cheap man except in |
labor. He owns private cars, steam
yachts, builds palaces and to show
that he will go the limit, may CALL