The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-10

and WITH al, thew soul ana with all thy strength,
and with all thy mind and thy neighoor as tny
self" And He declared that upon THESE W.
requirements depend the whole law ana the
prophets" The one that said love God also
said love thy neighbor-one Is as Imperative as
the other-and it is an undeniable TACT II we
love God will love our neighbor But me-
wishing to Justify himself, said to Jesus
Who liz my neighbor? Then Jesus told the
story OF the that journeyed from Jeru-
salem to Jericho and then asked who was nesh
Dor to the traveller And the answer, HE that
showed mercy on him."
Mr.. Editor let us stick to the cold facts DID
the mercy from the priestly ruling class
who tell what to do, or did 1t come from
the humble, one of the common peopleE Dlo
the mercy consist Of long sermons on moraHty
and virtue or did 1t consist OF actuai oeeas
supplying physical needs? I have listened to
longwnded sermons this subject. useless
waste of wind and words. to prove awning else
but the lesson Jesus was teaching ana wish 70
say as plainly as possible that understand
Jesus to teach that my neighbor Is not USE
less parasite Of society, but my neighbor Is one
who helps supply my physical needs, one VINO
bears the burden with men, who helps 90 the
thing necessary to the comfort ana WeAoelhs
of men. II this be the correct dfntion of neigh
Dor then / am to recognize all as my neighbors
who of the working, producing class. ana,
whether they be in Russia, Japan China or
America, 1t is the same-they are my neighbors
If this Is curious use of the Scripture and
blasphemy," l guilty.
If to espouse the cause of the poor and cry
out against the oppressor and to strive to Gre
ate a condition that will reduce the toll and in
Icrease the happiness Of the struggling millions
of men, women and children IL to put forth
my best endeavor to bring in happier and
better time (Which ] shall not live to see) Is
blasphemy, l am guilty.
In closing; / wish to speak Of the wage
slave" We of the working class are wage
slaves or slaves of the wage system, and the
working class is composed Of all who contri-
butte values to society. Anyone who depends on
salary wages, and that salary or wages is
dependent upon the caprice and will of someone
else. is wage slave. Presidents of railroads
track hands, editors. printers and the printers
devil the captain and the stoker, the bank
cashier and the porter-they all slaves of
the system: but of all slaves the one who thinks
he Is free deserves most pity 1t Is no disgrace
to be slave. but it is disgraceful and foolish
to be satisfied with being slave. Political
freedom Is good. but without economic freedom
it amounts to little.
We are supposed to enjoy perfect freedom
in America We vote for a bunch of lawyers
to go to Washington as congressman and sem
ators, to draw salary and incidentally make
a few laws, good and bad mostly bad. And
we who do the voting and paying are being
robbed of four-ffths of the product of
labor This is matter of cold facts Mr.. Edi-
tor. indisputable unless you deny the correctness
of government statistics. This being So tell me
the material difference between the serf who
worked for his lord four days and for his
family one. the chattel slave who worked for
his master six days, food, clothes and shelter,
furnished or the wage slave of today who pro-
duces values equal in dollar and gets twenty
cents for it. / fail to see the economic differ
ence Mr. Editor. don't be nothing is
| to be gained and everything Is to be lost by
grandiloquent proclamation of these wrongs
No doubt of the wise ones, possibly
Jewish editor, said the same thing to Isaiah, but
| If so his memory is lost in oblivion while the
words of Isaiah will live forever. ITO what
purpose is the multitude Of your sacrifices unto
me? saith the Lord: full of the burnt
offerings of and the fat of fed beast; and
/ / delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of
lambs. of he goats When ye to appear
before me. who hath required this at your
hand to tread my court? Bring more vain
/ obatons: incense is abominaton unto me;
the and Sabbaths the calling of
assemblies. Your new moons and your ap
pointed feasts my soul hateth; they trouble
unto me; / am weary to hear them. And when
you spread forth your hands / will hide mine
eyes from you; yea, when we make many pray
ers l win not hear: because your hands
full of blood" What did God require of them
before he would hear prayers or have any deal
| ing with them? The prophet gives the remedy
Wash you: make you clean; put away the evil
! Of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to
do we'll. seek judgment relieve the oppressed:
Judge the fatherless: plead for the widow" And
when this has been done, what does the Lord
/ say Come now. and let us reason together,
saith the Lord; though your sins be scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they be
red like crimson they shall be wool" Not
q word about doing anything for the Lord he
does not need our help, but he does require us
to help those who need our help Mr.. Editor Is
this curious of the Scripture? May ask
you 'Blievest thou the prophets?" If so listen
to the prophets. will the Lord be pleased with
thousands of rams, with ten thousands of
rivers of oil? Shall I give my hrstborn for
my transgression. the fruit of my body for the
sin of my soul?"
HE hath shown thee, O man, what is good;
and what doth the Lord require of thee, but
&c do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humby with thy God" Is this curious use
of the Scripture is 1t absurd?
How who does justly and loves
mercy endorse the present system Of oppression
and exploitation?
If to oppose and denounce injustice and to
believe the Scripture and to quote the prophets
Is disappearing, I just guilty man
can be.
r. A. TYREE.
II