The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-19

Egypt and have heard their cry by reason OF
with Isaac and with Jacob" II there anything
in these two verses but picture OF industrial
oppression? Your second quotation 10 Exodus
3: and Is. And the Lord said have surely
seen the afiiction OF my people which are In
their task masters; for know their sorrow.
And God said moreover unto Moses Thou
shalt say unto the children OF Israel, Inc
Lord God Of your fathers, the God Of Abra-
ham, the God Of Isaac and the God OF jacob,
hath sent me unto you; this is my name for
ever, and this Ia my memorial unto all gem
erations.' Is there anything In those two
verses but the same old picture, unbearapie
economic conditions and Industrial exploita-
ton? II there is fail to see 1t. Exodus =:
81 'And the people believed and when they
heard that the Lord had visited the children
of Israel, and that he had looked upon their
afiction, then they bowed their heads ana
worshiped" / can see them now great
throng Of slaves, old men and women, grey hair
and bent backs. hands knotted and calloused oy
toll their eyes dull and hopeless. their oodies
SCARED and scanned by the lash Of their masters
and when they heard that they were to De Tree
they thanked God. Who would not1
I young men and women and little chill
dren listening to The glad news, they are 10
leave the brickyards, leave this ceaseiess toll
and lashings leave country in which they
saw no 10y and were to go to land of plenty,
and they bowed their heads and thanked Goa.
They certainly had something to be thank1uI
for.
| Mr. Editor the quotations that you gave APP
pear to be more in favor of my claim than
yours: however. suppose they are the strongest
and best you have. You say whether Mr.. Tyree
has the faith that under socialism people will
not be required to work for their nvngs he
does not make quite clear, II, indeed, his Ideas
on the subject are understood by himself Let
me you the subject is quite clear to me.
expect, under socialism. people will work
for the living and luxury Of others who are
physically and mentally able to work for them
selves They will not work to support lot
of idlers be they miliionaires or tramps Have
made that clear? Thank you. Continuing.
you say. His point seems to be. however. that
IL man works for a fixed wage he is a slave
and not to be expected to know or have religion
OF any kind whereas. II he works for fixed
share of general product he is free and happy
person and may recognize that he owes some
duty to God"
Whether the wage Is fixed adjustable Is
not the question, but does the worker receive. in
return for his labor. sufficency of the things
of life, to enable him to have decent human
| life. Suppose, Mr.. Editor, you were to receive
thousand dollars per day wages and sup
pose you had not the education that you have.
that you were a common worker and your edu-
cation consisted Of the RS. or possibly no RS,
and you were compelled to work twelve hours
per day. seven days per week as the steel
workers of Pittsburg or the gashouse workers
of your city, think you because you received
a large salary that at the end of your twelve
hour shift you would feel like studying astron-
any, geology botany. physiology. theology or
any other ologyf
No. you would come home weary in body and
brain. you would eat supper and possibly you
would try to read the Virginian and fall asleep
in your chair be called by your wife that
you might prepare for bed you would tumble
in and sleep like log, you would be awakened
about 4:30 by alarm clock and you would
hustle to be the Job at s. Would you be-
cause of your wages be content with that kind
of life? If we know nothing of the won
derful things Of nature revealed by the
microscope nor OF the wonders of the heavens
aln hoay
appreciate the great God that created them?
Do worship God because of our intelligence
or ignorance?
Possibly my conception of religion is faulty and
perhaps my idea Of duty to God is altogether
bad but IL to pray with my neighbors Sun
day and prey upon them the other six days is
religion / haven't got bit. If to attend
church and sing hymns that are mostly rhyme
and no reason and pray to God that endorses
this system Of robbery and oppression Is reli-
g!on ] haven't bit. But If to know God as
the Mighty Creator of the Universe and to know
that he made the gnat's wing wit hthe same
care when he made man, and that all the ma
tons OF the earth are, to Him, the dust OF
the balance that He works all things after the
council of His will and that I can best
show my gratitude to Him by helping the be-
ing that He created in His own image II that
is religion then there Is some hope for me.
Let me try to dissillusion you the fixed
share Idea. Under socialism there would be
no fixed share. Everyone would receive the
full social value Of their production. and their
production would be limited by their capacity
to produce.
If you and were working on the same kind
of work and your ability twice as great as
mine and you produced twice much as / and
should claim half the total output 1 would be
claiming so per cent more than I produced
and be robbing you OF 25 per cent of your
product. Robbery in the cooperative Common
wealth would be as bad as robbery under
capitalism. 1t is robbery that we are trying
to eliminate. Have made that point clear?
If so will thank you for your space and pa
thence and for the present bid you a kindly
goodbye
| r. A. TYREE
Richmond Va.
An interesting Feature.