United labor bulletin., 1913-09-06
DR.. Morse Talks
OfLabor Problem
Says Unions Are a Prime
Necessity
Horny Handed Workingmen the Noblest
Of Gods Creatures; Other Labor
Sunday Sermons

The Reverend Dr. Alfred H. c.
Morse delivered a Labor Sunday
sermon at the First Baptist church
last Sunday to a large congregation,
including many union working men
and women. His theme was: Chris
tianity and the Labor Problem The
doctor came out strong on the side
of organized labor and made clear to
| his hearers the necessity for unions
| and their advancement of the cause
| of humanity. Here is given a part of
his interesting discourse:
with a single exception the labor
problem is the greatest problem in
| the nations life; and the settlement
of that problem is likewise the settle
ment of all lesser concerns The prob
lem of labor is more important than
that of the tariff; more important
than that of armies and navies; more
important than that of the nations
temperance.
Workingmen Are NobIemen.
q wish to pay a tribute to the man
who does the work of the world; he
is absolutely indispensable to the
public veal. He may not dress ac-
cording to the canons of the latest
styles; he may not show the culture
of the schools; he may have to walk
while others ride. But the man of
toll, the man with the horny hands,
the man Injured to privation, and who
also does the work of the world-he
is the nobleman of the ages take
off my hat to him.
The principle of the union is plain,
clear and simple. 1t starts with the
recognition of the fact that under
present Industrial conditions the in
dividual workman cannot bargain ad-
vantaeeously for the safeSof his labor.
He has no money in reserve, so he
must have employment at once; no
knowledge of market conditions, and
so he cannot tell what his labor is
worth: no skill in bargaining and so
he is at the mercy OF the employer.
In the individual contract the
workman has every disadvantage;
and the condition of the worst and
lowest workman will be that which
the best and noblest must accept
Therefore. from first to last, always
and everywhere. the union stands op-
posed to individual contract 1t in
sists that craft or trade shall stand
or fall together 1t works upon the
principle that if the workmen do not
hang together. they will all hang sep
arately. The ideal of the union is to
cominbe in one organization all the
men employed in one trade; and by
bargaining Jointly to secure for each
of them a definite minimum wage,
minimum hours of labor. and the best
conditions of toll.
Strike Is Like Civil War.
1T is about these things that all
strikes have been waged. But what
is a strike? Well. it is many things;
but economically it is an attempt to
do by concerted action what could
not be done alone; TO secure individ-
ual rights oy the persuasion of ex-
tensive protest. A man cannot work
for ten cents less per day: but it is
useless for him to say so alone. so he
gets 999 other men to protest in his
behalf; to say that an injury to one
is an injury to all. that unless that
man has his rightful wage. then they
will all refuse to work. That is the
principle of the strike.
in the first place. strike. like a
civil war. entails great loss of prop
erty. There is the loss occasioned by
idleness; for during all this time the
men and their families must live
They eat from the nations table.
They are consumers but they are
producing nothing. They are not only
poorer themselves, but the country is
poorer at the end of the strike; poorer
because the industries h~.e been
stopped; poorer because the people
are poorer.
Differences Should Be Arbitrated
Every year witnesses an outbreak
in some part of the land, and always
in some place a strike prevails. What
then is to be done in these things?
Here is where Christianity offers its
cure. 1t provides stairway to peace.
1t first prescribes conciliation. and
asks for more confidence between
the employer and the employed. Is
there a grievance? Then let the of
flee door be open and let the ag-
grieved come freely in and talk the
trouble out
But suppose that the two cannot
agree, what then? The next scrip
tural step is arbitration. Submit the
matter to a body who can be fair to
both parties. Let the arbitration
board bo permanent, as 1t Is in the
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