The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-09-05
LABOR'S DEMAND
finds Defender
Oakland Clergyman Declares
That Unions Are Check on
Rapacity of the Few
Christ Is Quoted, The LabOrer
Is Worthy of His Hire"
by Pastor

or the request OF the American fedora
ton Of labor that the churches OF tn
country hold services Of particular in
terest 10 the working people the Sur
Gay preceding Labor day. devotions
exercises Of an interesting characte
were held at the First Congregations
church tonight. when Rev. Charles I
Brown, pastor of the church, preache
q sermon the subject Of which wa
The Claims Of Organized Labor"
The main body Of the church was oc
cupied by a large delegation from tn
different labor unions. to whom III
trustees and deacons Of the church ha
extended an invitation TO attend.
program Of sacred music was rendere
by the augmented choir of the churc
under the direction Of Alexander Stew
art
The pastor who Is a fraternal dele
gate from the Ministers association {
the central labor council. took 4 posi-
tive stand for labor unionism In tn
course Of his address Rev. Mr.. Brow
said:
II was Christ. the carpenter Of
Nazareth. who said The labore~ is
I.
His wages are not to be regarded
as friendly gift or a bit of gener-
osity from his employer but as his
right The working people are not
asking for charity but for justice.
Ihey want an equitable share OF
the wealth which they help 10
create.
In order TO secure justice. they
must stand together. The cause Of
one must become the cause Of
many. What chance would an indi-
vidusl worker acting on the old
principle OF personal bargaining
have against powerful corpora
tion2 Il is q matter OF Indifference
TO the corporation whether John
Smith as an individual is satisfied
with his wages and the hours or
not II he does not like his job let
him get out and make room for an
other. But If a thousand or ten
thousand John Smiths, representing
all the competent labor available in
that trade. are organized and act
ing together. then the powerful
corporation will sit up and take
notice.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
The Bottom principle of organized
labor is that Of collective bargain
ing. The individual working man
does not attempt to bargain person
ally with his employer, but accepts
the teens Of a joint contract be-
tween his union and his employer.
This wiser arrangement accom-
plishes thsse four things;
First, it prevents workingmen
from bidding against each other in
the labor market. The single man,
because he can live cheaper than
man with a family. does not under
bid and take away the married
mans Job. The Asiatic cody. con-
tent with a lower standard Of Nv
ing. does not put himself in effect
i've competition with men Of our
own race. The organization Of
labor maintains q living wage, rea-
sonsble hours. equitable conditions
against the rapacity of the few
who would in their own private in
terest seek 10 lower the standard.
In the second place, one mans
refusal to accept less than a living
wage. is supported by the refusal Of
all the men in that trade where
labor IS organized and thus be
comes effective. The contention Of
one for justice and equity becomes
the common contention OF all the
men in that group.
In the third place, the fair
minded employer who wants 10
deal justly with his men is saved
from the competition that unfair
employers, ready TO squeeze their
profits out OF underpaid men, would
thrust upon him The organlza-
tion Of labor gives all employers
an equal start. Each one knows
what his competitors labor is cost
ing him and he knows that he viii
not be un6ersold in the market by
some INSCRIPTIONS manufacturer
who Underbids him because he can
squeeze profits out of his working
men. The organization Of labor is,
therefore. q protection to the fair
minded employer as well as TO the
workin gman-
CAN INFLUENCE LEGISLATION
And fourth. organized labor can
r~-H f-1~ q
beautiful II legislatures were ready
TO enact laws touching the safe
guarding Of dangerous machinery,
the proper ventilation of mines,
the proper liability Of employers
IN case Of accident, the restricting
Of immature child labor, the pro-
viding OF sanitary cOnveniences
bearing on health and morals OF
men and women employees and all
the rest without having pressure
brought to bear. The facts, how
ever. are the other way. Whole
some legislation has only been
secured as working people have
in ORGANIZED fashion made their
demands heard
The benefits of organization go
deeper than any question Of wages
and hours. They are seen in
higher efficiency and in the fact
that the reaction upon the en-
ployers themselves is wholesome.
II is bad for any man or set of men
70 deal habitually with those who
are helpless, who can be controlled
without being consulted. II pro-
duces the spirit of the autocratlc
master rather than the attitude Of
. a servant Of the larger good. The
G whole drift Of modern civilization
Is toward a broader distribution Of
power, toward a more democratic
spirit in the control of our in
dustries.
You men who belong to the
unions viii march tomorrow under
a noble banner and in the interests
OF a great cause. Match your high
profession Of faith with a noble
spirit and a truly fraternal pur-
pose. You crave a larger measure
Of popular support. Show your
selves worthy of II by the measure
Of reason and righteousness you
put into your efforts for better
You have sometimes complained.
and ] think Justly. that the
churches have not shown sufficient
interest in the struggles CT the
workingmen. May ii not be that
IL some union men had spent more
time and shown more interest IN
the churches and had spent less
time. shown less interest and In
VesJed less money In the saloons
they would have been accomplish
ing more 10 advance the general
Wellbeing2 The community Will
show itself active to safeguard the
interests Of the man who is
good asset. and the only man who
is genuinely good asset Is the
ligence and character, the man who
seeks from God that surprising
gift of power and Of love and OF
sound mind"
From many other pulpits in the cas-
side cities pastors preached on theme