United labor bulletin., 1910-12-01
KIRBY AND srELzLE CONFLICT.
Extract from Address Given by the
Rev. Charles Sickle at st. Louis
u oF NAnunnkfop

Extract from Address Given by the
Rev. Charles Sickle at ST. Louis
a. F. of L. Convention.)
A little while ago Mr.. Kirby sent out
to the editors of our church long letter
In which he said some very strong
things with reference to my personal at
titude towards organized labor, and es-
pecially about the attitude of the Presby-
terfan church with regard to these mat
ters will not read all the letters, but
l viii read a few extracts.
"The attitude of the Presbyterian
church in encouraging and promoting
the boycott in spite of the many court
decisions, including the supreme court
of the United States, that 1t is unlawful
and wicked; the closed shop; the depri-
walton of opportunity for our boys to
learn trades of their choice and the level
ing down process of all working men by
afiliating through officially authorized
delegates with the American Federation
of Labor and thus condoning its record
of barbarism, is SO repulsive to me and
from my viewpoint SO out Of harmony
with the laws of God and the teachings
of Christ that that church processes to
promote that my conscience will not per-
NIT me to assist in extending it's infiu-
ence Indeed it would be the height of
inconsistency for me to do so. / not only
criticise but / condemn the wisdom of
such a policy. The spectacle of Pres
byterian minister authoritatively repre-
senting the Presbyterian church in affili-
alton with such an anti-Christian organ
ization as the American Federation of
Labor and boldly advocating its doc
trines, boasting that he is a member of
the International Association of Machin-
lists and carries a union card and pro-
claiming his approval of the closed shop
and the union labels is so abhorrent to
me that l wonder what material is man
made after ALL This deception has lasted
for five years or more and its influence
is stronger today than ever"
Some time ago in a six-column article
Mr.. Kirby roasted the speaker to finish.
I want to read a paragraph of this roast:
In the opinion of those who have op-
portunity of viewing the entire field of
organized labors activity, studying its
plans and analyzing its motives and have
the acumen to understand what they see, |
hear and read, the time has come when
every friend of the Y. NJ. G. A, every |
advocate of the cause and every worker
in the field of Christian endeavor, should
give intelligent, earnest and conscien- |
tious consideration to the plans and
methods of the American Federation OF
Labor for capturing this great move
ment which has for its purpose the |
moral intellectual and social uplift of
the young men of America-of the civil |
lied world. That it has such plans and
is carrying them out can not be sue |
cessfully denied.
1.-The same advice and warning is
equally applicable to those who are pro-
noting the movement to Take the !
Church to the Working Man by which |
the plotters against the non-union work
man and the subservient representatives
of the American Federation of Labor
mean its capture. its rule and domina-
tion by Gompers' trades unionism. Debs'
socialism and Emma Goldman's anarch-
ism-then, Revolution"
Another paper said:
"The conviction has been growing that
the influence of Mr.. Stelzles work is
bad; that Stelzles efforts to take the
Presbyterian church over to and into or
ganized labor should be condemned and
opposed, and they viii be in the near
future and in a general and surprising
way, one which will attract general at
tention in and outside of the Presby-
terian church."
Here is another:
"Rev. Charles Stelzle. superintendent
OF the Church and Labor department of