Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-08

every man is entitled to the privileg
/, of working six days in seven and tina
no one has the right to deny him tina
opportunity" declared Rev. j. w
Graves, of Des Moines, to the men a
the banquet in the First Congregation
al church. His address on Has
Christianity Any Message or Respon
sibility for the Commercial and In
dustrial Conditions of Today?' Whicf
is as follows, held the closest atten
ton of his audience: Z
"The commercial and industrial
conditions Of today are not normal
Supply and demand are no longer de
termining factors in the market values
of commodities In a land of plenty
it has become possible, even for men
who work. to become desperately poor
or extravagantly rich. The enormous
profits of the 'middle-man' often ex-
ceeds both that of the employer and
employee. Great corporate interests
and com binations of capital secure
control of LIES necessities and hold
the world by the throat until it pays
their price: Labor has felt driven to
organized opposition for protection OF
Its rights and life. The people alone
seem helpless. The purchasing power
Of dollar is decreasing month by
month. Instead Of hearty and
I sympathetic cooperation in the fields
Of production, a general strife seems
On between capital and labor. The
recent confessions Of the McNamara's
demonstrate to what lengths some
men are willing to carry that strife,
and to what extent the general public
% t., I~$h
life. Socialism like pain in the body,
sounds the warning that everything IS
not satisfactory.
eff Christianity has message for
these conditions then it must be de-
iivered, and to the extent that 1t is
not fearlessly and efficiently deliver
ed it becomes implicated In the con-
sequences. There is no doubt put
that Christianity has message.
These conditions have their roots IN
greed, and selfishness and disregard
for the interests of others. 1t is the
inordinate love for gold, the lusting
after power and the passion for per-
sonal pleasure and qualification, which
mixed with the normal struggle for ex-
lstence that produce hatred, oppres'
sion, injustice, strife, crime and MUIR
der. Every principle Of Christianity
thunders it's message against these
sins. 1t demands that a man shall
love God with all his soul, might,
mind and strength, and with equal IN
sistence that he shall love his fellow
man AS he does himself. But the
church has not, always and every
where, without fear and without IA
yor insisted that this message be
made practical in the lives of those
who profess it's faith. It's message
has been preached, but not applied;
IN some instances it may have been |
because of blindness to conditions
which ought to have been seen, IN
few instances it may be even an un-
to see. But in either case |
has become involved in
he responsibility for existing condf-
lions, and has lost both opportunity !
md power
Christianity has a definite and par
ocular message for the commercial
and industrial conditions of today.
It insists that every man should work |
six days of reasonable hours, and rest !
one. that he is entitled to both these |
privileges. that every man who works
should receive living wage for him.
;elf and family, and that the man who
will not work should not eat. Six !
lays shalt thou labor and do all thy
work. on the seventh, Thou shalt not
10 any work In the sweat Of thy
lace shalt thou eat bread; the labor
or is worthy of his hire thou shalt
lot muzzle the OK when he treadeth
out the corn and If any would not
work, neither should he eat Work
S a part of the program of life. The
nan who strives to live without work
s a parasite on the body polite, no
matter whether he be manufacturer
Who grinds that privilege out of the
ives of men, women and children,
working on long hours and low wages,
he politician who steals that privilege
rom the public by means of ~corrup-
ion and graft; the gambler who
ricks his fellow out OF his hard earn
ID cash; the highway robber who
;lugs his victim and rifles his pockets.
,r the sluggard who fattens on char
ty-they are all in the same class.
The opulent and the INDECENT produce
Unrest in the social order.
.sSix days of reasonable hours
should a man labor The night cometh
when no man can work 1t was
lever intended that man should
work. both night and day. Work,
ecreation and rest fill days pro-
ram. Through elaborate experience
We have demonstrated that eight
lours is as long as the average man
an properly function his powers.
hat a longer work day means the de-
truction of human life and the junket-
ng Of our productive powers every ,
ew years.
can industry that does not support a
wing wage to those engaged in it is an i
business and should be +
bandoned. The increasing of the wage !
Gale and the decreasing of the pur- =
hasing power of the dollar can never !:
olive the problem. The man who works l
) entitled to living wage, sufficient [
o support himself and family. The
,orld can no longer regard that man !
8 a successful and shreWd business
aan who goes into the market and
uys labor-buys human life, as he j
,ould raw material, as cheap as he can
NY it. then sells labor's product at the
ighest price possible. often at tremen- S
IL.