The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-07-22

The tensest night Of n conference
came when he spoke upon ~Ine on
Side of Syndicaiism, a =
representative Of the American Feoet-
alton OF Labor. A. j. Portenar. oifec'-
ly combated him. his theme being
The Perversioa of an Ideal This
session was the limit. The EXTREMIST
views Of industrialism, views "niCh
make socialism see mcenSefVatl'e,
were set forth without apology ana
with the ardor OF a devotee.
Right here was shown the great
value Of such a conference As TINS
one. Before a mob OF men ana "ofh-
en-, smarting under personal Grief-
ances. and unframed TO think. SUCH
a presentation as Giovannittis. with
its eloquent devotion to the cause OF
the ~toilers. would make a tremendous
apreal. But at Sycamore demagogu-
cry had not the ghost OF a SEoW.
Every speaker had to justify his case
before an impartial the
Judgment OF his peers These men
and women were, for the o part,
conyersant with all the social and
economic theories. When the l. W. W.
claim, based on sheer class feeling.
that the producers meant TO take All
business away from what 1t calls the
capital class and that it would make
no agreements concerning wages CT
anything else. that 1T would keep;
that it cares not for flag Or school or
religion, and that it jusrifies sabotage,
or the injury OF the machinery and
products of labor, because the present
situation is one Of War-When this
was advanced in all its bGidneSS. the
unreaSOnabieness, and futH-
ity Of it was made manifest. Inc
| labor union man quickly found the
joints in the 1. w. ". arznor; and in
the general discussion Of young Jew
ish socia list. himself a tOiler, made
a most typically American arraign-
ment of Giovannitti's case.
Yet everybody liked Giovannitti.
He is personally a loveable young
devotee. AS his Jewish critic said. he
needs to see more Of the world and
to learn more of life. He is unripe.
The present passion, which has made
| him a leader in the l. w. W., is the
same that sent him to Union Theolo-
gical Seminary to study for the Pres
byterian ministry. n that put him
in charge Of a Methodist rescue mis-
sion in New York. That the churches
did not afford him an adequate OK
preston for his social mission is ex
pressiye.
The Strike Leader and the Bible.
For two days and b half this con
ference ran on with scarcely an allu
SlOA 10 the CHuISD tACtVt LII ~
cisEn. Charles Ram Kennedy, Who's
naive egotism and repeated assurance
that ne is divinely inspired, made hin
the most picturesque figure OF the &C
casion, took several filings at the cler
gy. Altogether. h dozen or tw'
ministers present had the wholeSom
experience OF sitting through meeting
which either disregarded or condemn
ed the church. in the very problem
nf hpro0n Wn1faro which re her his
, toric province. That none OF the min
listers answered back was astonishing
The closing session made clear tina
the Christian thought back Of tn
t conference had not been without II
message. A young Jew mentioned
during h discussion OF Prof. Stein
! e.'s address on the immigrant. which
: by the way, was q remarkably cor
I structive, patriotic and Christian Vi
terance. that she had for the Ar;
time learned to see Jesus as a Soci
8 reformer. Several clergymen spok
: the church, but to h theme undo
> consideration, from a Christian stan(
point.
at this final session, not in defense
y Most significant Of all was the r.
n mark OF a bright ma the leader
st the Boston telephone girls in the
q strike. when she said Il am goiT
9, home and buy a Bible. 1t may shoe
< some OF 0 to know 1t, but i ha'
X never had a Bible in by hands. He
at Sycamore / find that the Bib
t seems to be the A. B. c. of these seci
II workers"
% Pr2csicing the Gospel Of Play.
Among the delegates was one
n the leading Y. M. c. A. secretari
re of the country. who had just con
e, from a faraous New England confe
Is ence OF Christian workers. After Il
a. close Of Sycamore conferen(
er while we sat watching the big bonfi
ae on the beach. he said to The ReiigiO
Is Rambler: This gets hold OF me mo
than did the conference at tnAmil
a place famous in religious circle
AZ lit is more fundamentally religion
ed Not only does it have the very paasi
~ Of Christ for the needy. but it's 1re
r. dom of utterance show his zeal t
IL ruth At these other meetings t
platform was carefully guarded /
e Somebody might say something Z
ne absolutely orthodox. A feeling Of
r straint was over US. Although the
present were strong men. they w
n "a 49, ..S~ -:+l 49, r4 -rs