Norwich bulletin., 1910-09-19

daily declare our fraternal interest in
the aspirations of the laboring classes
and our desire to assist them in the
riShting of every wrong and the at
tainment of their highest self being"
And listen to this advanced position:
I'VE recognize that the fundamental
purposes of the labor movement are es
sentially ethical and therefore should
command the support of Christian
men" And more: I'VE recognize fur
Their that the organization of labor is
not only the right of the laborers and
conducive to their welfare but lis Incl
dentally of great benefit to society at
large in the securing of better condi-
lions of work and life in it's educa tionaI
influence upon the multitude concerned
and particularly in the Americanization
of our immigrant population" Surely
no laboring man could find fault with
such utterances as these. They are in
perfect keeping with the spirit of
Christ and our powerful Christianity.
The church may have been remiss
and slow but that it is the natural and
firm friend of every honest toiler is
equally true. it cannot be a foe of labor
without proving traitor to it's Divine
head and it's principles. 1t irs some
times urged that rich rascals run the
church but there can. be no doubt that
the large majority of the officials of
the churches are men of moderate in
comes and sympat hetic with the toll
ers.
Labor Movement and the Church.
The constitution of the American
Fed Grafton of Labor shows the close
ness of the labor movement and the
church. 1t says: I'VE are pledged to
the emancipation of our class from
poverty ignorance and SelfiShneSs: to
be respectful in word and action to
every woman; to be considerate to the
widow and the orphan, the weak and
the defenseless. and never to discrim-
mate against a fellow worker on ac-
count of creed, color or ma tionality. To
defend freedom of thought, whether
expressed by tongue or pen. To edu-
cate ourselves and our fellow workers
in the history of the labor movement.
We promise that we will never know
ingly wrong a brother or see him
wronged, if in our power to prevent it.
We will endeavor to subordinate every
selfish impulse to the task of elevating
the material, Intellectual and moral
conditions of the entire labOring class"
Can any Christian man object to
such noble principles as are here enun-
ciated2 Certainly not Doubtless they
were written by someone reared in
Christian home and possibly he himself
was once a member of some Christian
church. These are the conditions which
the church has always endeaVOred to
produce. They are in keeping with
garded as the constitution of Christ's
kingdom on earth. While the labor
movement has accomplished much
without the direct aid of the church,
yet the church has rendered invaluable
indirect aid by creating a moral senti-
ment in every community without
which the labor movement would have
utterly failed. Here is one vital point
at which labor needs the church
without question the mightiest of all
forces in creating and directing whole
some public sentiment is the church.
Never before has the group of toll so
deeply required the moral support of
the church as in these passing days.
To my thought nothing can be surer
than this: Laboring people can never
attain unto their truest well being
without the valuable aid of the church.
And the church can never accomplish
its divine mission to mankind without
the valuable aid of laboring people.
Why should there longer be alienation
between these two? Their real inter
ests are identical. 1t is only on the
surface that they seem to conflict
When the church and the laboring
people realize they need each other, and
cheerfully work together in establish
ing the supreme authority of Jesus
Christ over all industries and in all
hearts then. and not till then. will life
here be what God would like to have
IT for His favored children.