The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-05


 The eight day campaign of the Men
 and Religion Forward Movement was for
 mally launched yesterday afternoon when | Dr. Charles Sickle delivered an excellent
 address before nearly 1000 men at the First Methodist church. The audience was composed for the most part of working
 men who displayed a marked interest in Dr. Stelzles remarks and roundly ap- plauded several of his suggestions about | capital and labor.
 | The speech yesterday afternoon was
 Dr. Stelzle's first appearance in Birming- ham. He is the dean of the team of
 experts who will conduct the campaign
 here this week, and is one of the most | foreeful speakers ever heard in the city Widely travelled, acquainted with not only
 the centers but the hooks and corners of the earth having his argument well
 in hand and knowing exactly how to ex- press it, pr. Stelzle presented the ques-
 ton of the relation of the church to l the working man in a forceful manner. 1 The large crowd of men absorbed the 1 speakers every word and when he had
 finished and Bishop Mccoy had pro- AANAA
 swarmed forward to grasp pr. Stelzles
 hand and thank him for bringing such
 message to them.
 Local Chairman W. NJ. Cosby had
 charge of the meeting and introduced
 Robert E. Gang, president of the State
 Federation of Labor, as the first speaker.
 MT. Gang spoke long enough to say that he was heart and soul back of the Men
 and Religion campaign and he called on every union in the state to recognize
 the movement and "get behind and push"
 He was followed by James Bowron, vice
 president of the Southern Iron and Steel company Mir Bowron voiced all of Mr. Ganz's remarks and heartily indorsed
 the movement
 Lets lay aside our differences and get together" said Mir. Bowron. One of the most dramatic incidents ever seen in Birmingham was when this vice pres ident of a corporation and Mir. Gang,
 president of the labor union, both de-
 vout Christian men, stood together on
 the platform with clasped hands-both
 heart and soul in the same great move ment-both representing immense power
 and both calling on the entire commun- ity to accord with the Men and Religion movement for the betterment of all the people. The audience of laboring men responded to- the scene with full hearts
 and roundly apphuded the two leaders.
 pr. Stelzle was then introduced as the
 main speaker of the afternoon, and took
 as his topic. "The Church and Social
 Unrest" In the course of his address Dr.
 Stelzle said:
 "Twenty-five years ago famous French
 statesman said that the social problem
 was a fad upon which serious minded
 statesman should waste no time. Today no serious minded man will question the fact that the social problem is one of the most important which confronts us,
 and this awakening has come none too
 soon for already the horizon is dark with clouds of social unrest which may either
 distill into blessed showers or break upon us in a storm of fury. Like a great whirl pool the city is drawing to itself these elements which constitute the social un- rest.
 "The city is the product of the newer civilization. It is the outcome of modern economic and social conditions from which there is no turning back. The city will | unouestionably dominate the nation. The | factors which are developing our cities | will never disappear. Notwithstanding the best intentioned efforts of philan- ! thropists and capitalists to induce the | immigrant and other laborers to move l on to the land, they persist in remain ing in the city. With the rapidly de- veloping transportat ton facilities, the bus iress man who makes his money in the 1 city can easily make his home in the
 suburbs. and usually he assumes no re- sponsibility for the city's civic and re- | ligious life, often leaving 1t to those who are the least capable.
 Dangerous Mistake More dangerous than any opposing re- ligious system Is the church's apparent failure to recognize the influence of | the social and physical conditions which affect many of those whom we are seeking to win to Christ. The filthy slum, the dark tenement. the insani- tary factory, the long hours>of toll, the 1 lack of a living wage. the back break ling labor, the inability to pay doctor | bills, the insufficient food, the lack of
 
 | liesure, the swift approach of old age these weigh down the hearts and lives
 of vast multitudes.
 "To smile is lost art. The look of care has come so often and for so long q period at time that 1t is now for ever stamped upon their faces. "Talk about preaching hell fire to such people What they want to know | is how to get out of the hell in which they are now living. TO such it does not matter whether the doors of the church are closed or open. What att | fractions have flowery sermon or a polished oration, what meaning have the Fatherhood of God or the brother hood of man?
 Where is God" they ask. and What cares man." they say? It is to meet the