Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-03-17
we will publish them in the Majority
Yours for the truth,
o. BOWEN HUGO.

Martins Ferry, March %, 1907.
Editor National Labor Tribune
The other day sermon appeared
in your paper by Pastor G. T. Russell
of Allegheny, that made me think of
a conversation had with working
man some years ago. why not at
tend church," was asked him. well
Hugo" said he, II will tell you.
When ! was young man ] used to
go to church and thought the preach
eTs to be the lit" but when i begun
to read study and observe, ] asked
myself How do the priests and the
preachers know SO much of the future
and SO little about this? The unright-
eous gospel Of competition has driv-
en- the workers out Of the churches
and nothing but righteous Gospel Of
cooperation will bring them back.
Mr.. Russell may pursuade some OF
US that he knows great deal about
the theological heaven and hell
may pretend to know 1t all from here
"to hell and back" let US inquire
what does he know of the hell upon
earth that SO many of our fellow
men are engulfed in.< In the above
referred to sermon CD he says that
the natural increase of population the
number Of laborers and it is not diff
cult to forsee what would be the con-
summation of the present system of
competition along the lines Of sup
ply and demand Does our Hell
and Back" preacher uphold the doc
trine OF Nautilus? Does he claim
that the population grows to rapidly
and that the newcomers cannot find
room at the feast of nature? It Is
evident, however, that this Reverend
classes laborers with lumber, pigs,
and potatoes, cattle and cabbage, oil
and oysters, ETC., to be governed by
the so-called claw of supply and de-
mand."
Again says he, THE supply Of lab
orers is constantly increasing, the
supply of labor-saving machinery Che
undoubtedly means wage-saving ma
chinery, Hugo represents still furth-
er increase while the demand for la
Dor will only be to the extent that It
will yield profit to those who have
come to- be possessors of the worlds
wealth"
Not a word of explanation how
these "possessors Of the worlds
wealth" came into possession or pro-
test. against these exploiters do we
hear from this Russ-Hell preacher.
Again says he: 1.-THE outlook Is now
dreaded by many of the thinking
poor who are crying out for Socialism
the public ownership of the wealth
producing agencies which they hope
would bring competency at once and
bye and bye wealth to all. Such non
sense. Why should the thinking
poor" have dread Of competency or
the full social value of their coin, the
only thing that Socialism promises
and will secure to each worker. Mr..
Russell knows Tor ought to know
that it is the parasites of society or
those living on the labors Of others
that the outlook Is dreaded. There
is no reason why our thinking poor
will but welcome Socialism which
will bring competency at once, Dut
not wealth to any through the labors
of others. ITO everyone according
to his deeds Is the foundation OF So
cialismx4lbuts it will bring conditions
SO that injustice cannot be instftu-
tionalized. But says the Ale
gheny man, "we are not advocating
Socialism because we believe 1t is
thoroughly Impractical. An old
song coming always from the
capitalistic class and their retainers.
What about the great majority OF our
preachers, lawyers, editors and other
necessary evils" of the present In
dustrial system? They cannot dig
Tor rather it would be impractical
for them to try) and to beg they
would be ashamed except by the col
lection basket method). Would 1t be
practical to have the moral law N
operation? II the injunction "ThTa
shalt not steaP' would be put in oper-
alton it would be thoroughly imprac-
teal" 1t would put Wall street out
of business, all bankers, safe-makers,
Iocksmiths and a great many Of po-
licemen. bulls, lawyers, chaplalns,
Judges and other parasites. If the
Injunction Thou shalt not commit
adultery be obeyed 1t would be i'm
practical. It would throw out OF
business another army of lawyers,
judges, divorce court officers. keep
ers of insane asylums, nurses, doc
tors, saloon keepers and keepers OF
houses Of prostitution and the supply
of laborers would be greater than
ever.
But now comes the climax Of wis
dom (?) from the Russell divine.
Saws he. Our knowledge Of human
nature (where did he ever see 1t but
II. a perverted form? Hugo.) leads us
TO believe that those who now possess
the wealth of the world hold it with
such a tenacity (The Dondon Times
calls 1t "the tenacity of vested rights
Hugo) and such selfiishness that they
would allow the entire social struc-
ture to go to wreck: Rather than
release their hold on the special
privileges they now hold. These few
words proves that he is entirely ig-
norant Tor that he Is prostituttHg
himself) OF the evolution Of industry.
In the next letter will analyze the
last sentence and other portions OF