The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-05-13

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short interview last week | write you
fully regarding the attitude of the
church in the Bethlehems, Pa, towards
the striking workingmen of the Bethle
hem Steel company [ desire to say
that the church nearly as n whole, the
Protestant as well as the Catholic
church, gave no aid to the men who
were fighting for a great moral issue.
one in which every civilized institution
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 it unneces
sary for me to dwell upon, for every
intelligent man knows and newspaper
readers very well remember how Mr..
Schwab has boastcd 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 con
ditions, he decided that the men must
continue to work long, excessive hours
in addition to the regular day of 10
hours and 25 minutes and labor on
Sunday.
In an orderly and respectful man
ner, though unorganized at the time,
which was January of this year, COM
mittee of the machinists waited upon
the company to discuss the matter and
enter a protest which led to the dis
pany and strike by the workers on
February 4th, which extended through
the whole works, terminating in a gem
oral strike February 25th, involving
every branch, numbering $500 men.
The saloons were closed Immediately
by order of the county judge and re-
mained closed for nearly seven weeks,
and were not opened until at least
majority of the saloon - keepers had
obeyed the orders of Mr.. 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 upon the Sabbath day. In
fact they passed resolutions and the
executive committee sent the ministers
a public invitation and later a chal-
lenge to the church to state its posi-
tion as to whether or not the church
was against Sunday labor or for the
Bethlehem Steel company.
During all this struggle, lasting sew
eral weeks only two priests, Father
Fretz and Father Valargy, took advan-
tage of our standing invitation to ad-
dress the men upon this great moral
issue, both speaking feelingly, declar-
ing their sympathies with the men.
The Protestant Ministerial associa,-
ton, as body, practically championed
the cause of the corporation. and went
as far as eXcusing or trying to find
excuses for men desecrating the Sab
bath day.
It 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 company to have
the church dues collected through the
company's office Whether This has
anything to do with assisting the CON-
pany and advocating the men to re-
turn to work under the old conditions,
Sunday work included, and wages from
l2h cents per hour to l7h and 20
cents for skilled mechanics l do not
know, the clergymen can tell.
The facts are that priests and min.
isters alike, excepting one or two, all
urged the men to go back to work,
practically acting as agents for the COM
pany.
Mr. Chas NJ. Sehwab was never
known to be cheap man except in
labor He owns private cars, steam
yachts, builds palaces and to show
that he will go the limit, l may call
your attention to the statement made
by him that "it cost him one million
dollars to land the Argentine Republic
contract" How he spent the money he
did not say. nor did he say how much
it cost him each year to secure nine
million dollars worth of work from the
United States government.
i If | were asked my personal opinion
about a priest or minister who would
silently give his consent to labor upon
the Sabbath day, particularly under
such revolving conditions as exist here
or find excuses for the corporation,
would say to you that he was an enemy