The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-05-24
LABOR MUST GET WEALTH II PRODUCES
s2s BY REV. HENRY a. ATKINSON.

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I'VE are ut the parting st the roads
in this country. Unions we will have
to deny the privilege AEofz 90 operation
to the workers II to deny b f1nda-
mental right. The. vital eauestien 40:
What kind Of unions shallvwe have
constructive, raccofding to- the Ameri-
can program, Or unions ofganized for
purposes Of VET. asSin Europe ?'' i. j. i
:, Henry A. Atkinson. the speaker,
Is a thoroughly live. thinking parson.
He is young. vir1le,> honest and has
seen the social vision; ana bscausee
Of these things :he5:is national secre-
tary ct tho commission Of labor and
social service Of the Congregational
churches. in the United States. Z,
The laboring classes are, and have
been for some time, leaving the
church he continued; $50. the
church must go to them. The Christ
ian denominations: are It, last: alive
to the fact that their work: must in
clude. q fight for ; prad ticalc ppltcs,-
ton Of the ancient doctrine Of the
brotherhood 2, Of mars brotherhood
means eoRced ding 10 others the same
fundamental srtghts VI claim Tor our.
selves ~ =
*:'1t is tins: that :ths :sh1u 11i il Joined
the; fight abetWeen5 laho2 and capital
on the side OF the people t. ;, must
fight for better housi nj. better ia
cilities for: recreation better. advan-
tages for the poor CHILDREN, and, most
of all it must make it's fight against
conditions that increase poverty. and
disease" .:a.@.sE:+ r..
Just So I. agreed, t.but do you
realize that you are fighting the will
full ignorance Of the rich OF the con-
ditions under which the laboring
masses liver : = -r5,
ITO be: sure II realize it, One
branch Of our work is educating the
well-to-do. The social, service de-
partments that have within: the past
two years been established in the
Presbyterian, the Episcopal, the
Methodist, the Baptist and the Con-
gregational churches are in reality in
the position Of mediators between Ia
Dor and capital. Our duty is to
bring about such an understanding
OF Justice as will prevent strikes and,
In case a strike is declared, to in
vesttsate and make an impartial re-
port in. order that the community
may be informed as to the true mer-
its Of the struggle. AS our reports
generally advise compromise, we
please no one; but that makes no diff
ference. -
Strikes only occur where cond1-
tons are fundamentally bad. We try
to make our congregations understand
this and lend the weight Of their
moral influence for Justice.
What do YOU do,'' II inquired.
when yeu find terrible conditions be-
Ing maintained by some rich brother
high In the synagogue ?":"> +
First. we try to influence him. to
take his religion into his shops: II
he is too pig-headed to be moved by
his best light he soon finds himself
uncomfortable in his :hypocrite's
cloak. and he either becomes q credit
to his religion or EosA frankly out OF
the church. Never, ms the history. Of
our religion has the hypocrite found
so little comfort az at present. - .
1.-THE churches feet that the sit
uation is most grave, and that it 10
SAoAI :uutY W NnAh0 Cnetr appeal IO(
Justice to. the mon who eprofesa tho
Christian faith; we want men to prao-
tice the: >>tenets they profess. = ~
: The same forces th4t are array3d
against labor have always been ar
rayd against every effort of man to
be a man; and; the evil forces have
lost in every resolutions and will 1oss
In every one. 1t is inevitable; man
will always win in a contest with the
things he has created: Capital must
understand that to force this issue
10 to lose. We do not wish the issue
forced. The true way to correct
things is through education and a
gradual union Of all workers. -:
II am thoroughly, in sympathy with
the program Of the American Fedora
ton OF Labor. It's patient, construc-
tive, educational work. seems to me to
hold the ultimate solution Of labor's
and capitals struggle.
"Of course, the crafts unions are
but passing phases Of the ultimate
form OF union. They will give way
first to those made up Of all the crafts
in one trade, say the building trades.
The great unions Of, the builders will
include carpenters, plumbers, sheet;
iron workers. bricklayers. finishers
and all men who do any part Of tns
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