The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-03-17
For Labor and for Church
Rev. Charles Stelzle
Speaker in Barre
DECLARED BOTH
HAVE COMMON ENDS
Addressed Audience in the
Barre Opera House
Yesterday

! Under the auspices of the Central La
Dor union and several clergymen OF IL
city, Rev. Charles Stezle of New Yori
head of the bureau of social service 70
the Presbyterian church of the Unite
States, and widely known labor work
er, spoke on the Square DEAF befor
n mass meeting of some three hundre,
men in the opera house yesterday after
noon. Mr.. Stelzle contributed timel,
discourse on the labor question and dis
cussed phases of that large issue tina
lent the distinctive touch of new mes
sage to his words. Rev. j. w. Bar
nett, pastor of the Congregations
church, acted as chairman of the meet
| ing and local musicians furnished selec
tions
Seated on the stage with the speaker
and the presiding clergyman We're; Rev
j. b. Reardon, pastor of the Universal
ist church; Rev. George H. Holt, pastor
of the First Baptist church; Rev. Dun
can Salmond, pastor of the First Presby.
terian church; Alex. Ironside, of the Cen.
tral Labor unions legislative committee;
Fred s. Suitor, secretary of the Quarry.
workers international association; Gil.
bert Phillips, secretary of the Central
Labor union; John BJorn, of the paint
ers and decorators union, and John L
Callaghan of the retail clerks associa-
ton
The program began at $3.50 o'clock
with solo by Rev. Mr.. Holt, Miss
Gladys Gale acting as aecompanist. Rev.
Mr. Salmond offered prayer and Kenneth
Gale contributed violin solo, Miss Gale
furnishing the accompaniment. The
speaker was then introduced and his cd
dress occupied over an hour. Rev. Mr..
Stelzle was given rousing ovation as
he arose and the applause was continued
at frequent intervals throughout the
course Of his remarks. Before the meet
ing was dismissed at the conclusion Of
the address, the entire audience arose
and sang, America
Rev. Mr.. Stelzle spoke in substance
as follows:
'Thc most Important thing about the
labor question is to- give the laboring
man square deal. American working
men are the finest in the world, but
for work performed they receive the
poorest pay of the worlds laborers.
This statement is not furnished by any
labor organization; statistics corroborat-
ing it are to be found in governmental
reports. / was once machinist and
a member of trade union. | thought
then that | knew all about the labor
problem, but since then / have learned
differently. Ii seems to me that the
average laboring man as well as his EN-
-. - III L..
understand it. | say this adyisedly
and it is only after a period of ten
years in the service that | find this coE-
rlusion strengthened. But for all thar,
am fas. coming to believe that the
is nearer the problem and
It's vital issues than the employer.
"Many of the latter class think that
The solution OF the labor problem lies
,nly in the destruction of the labor un-
on. They could not go farther wrong.
To certain extent | agree with them.
Union labor is not the labor question,
Or does its operations involve all Of
he problems of great question. But
organized labor which may or may not
include millions of Socialists, millions |
II laborers of all classes in every part |
# the world, still has primary func- |
ion to perform in solving the prob
EN-.
Industrial Democracy Is In Sight
"This is the era of the masses; they |
re coming into their own. Within the |
ime when history has been written, men /
ave labored for religious democracy. |
they have worked untiringly for POI
itical democracy. They have gained /
10Th and the dawn of industrial democ-
acy is in sight. Nothing can stop its
pproach. And in this connection let |
ne say, that the labor union is only an
Incident in the great industrial revolu
ion that is silently going on. If you
SIX the enemies of the cause concerning
,bor, they will point to Mcnamara. {
ut Mcnamara, as the self confessed
ynamiter, is no more typical of the
lbor union member than is the Baptist
linister who confessed murder typi
al of the rank and file of godly clergy
len in this country today.
hurch and Labor Must Face Each Other
IL could stand here for five minutes
nd talk about the mistakes the church
as made. For another five minutes ]
,uld tell YOU about labor's failings.
he day has come when the church and
ie labor movement must look each 9TH
squarely in the face. They are two
reat causes and we must judge of both
' the best men within them rather
lan by the bad men and their mis-
seds.
TOO few Of us stop to think of the
oral and ethical value of the labor
ovement. l win mention but a small
action Of things for which labor right |
,usly stands. There is the abolition /,
all unnecessary child labor. / have !
ard a clergyman pray to God that help ,
ay come TO unfortunate little ones OF
e laboring class. With all due respect
prayer-when pray pray as though
ID were everything. and when | act I
Y to act as though the responsibility /
ere wholly upon me-with all due re-
ect, then, to prayer, let us determine
at the fight for our children should
put up to the legislatures as well a.
the Lord And remember that the
int is not only for our own children 7
IL for the children Of the state and
e nation
'Tlaen labor is advocating equal pay
\ 4. -. Il.