The Socialist and labor star. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1911-1915, 1913-12-26
4 Socialist Sermon Tor Children
by Eugene Y. Debs

YOU will understand me when say
that in speaking to YOU OF Socialism.
| feel very near 10 all OF you. and |
know that YOU will believe me when
tell YOU that | would ii | could make
YOU all happy and keep you sweet
and loving toward each other all
your lives.
Most Of YOU are the chcildren Of
tie Door. some of the well-to-dO, anu
u few OF the rich. but all OF YOU are
children of the same Father. and all
Of YOU are sisters and brothers in the
same great family OF humankind.
fl any OF YOU feel that you are bet
ter than others because YOU wear pet
ter clothes or live in better houses
or 90 in what you think is bette
society,"" it is because your young
minds and hearts have been tainted
by wrong example and wrong educa-
ton. II is the wicked feeling that
cOrruptS the conscience ana haruehS
the heart and begets the envy ar
hate of our fellow-bein=s instead
their love and good will.
When that best friend the children
ever had on earth said Suffer llltIe
children to come unto me and forbid
Them not. for such is the kingdom OF
heaven" he meant all children. poor
and rich, but especially the poor. tie
loved and pted them the more be-
cause OF their poverty and suffering.
He Himself had been horn i'll man
ger and when he was grown Up he
said sorrowfully that he had no place
to Law his head" He did not desplse
little chcildren because they were
moor and neglected ana shabby ores
Sed, but he loved and pitied them al
the more: and as he looked upon
them his heart melted with compassion
and tears OF tenderness He'd his eyes.
And uhen he became grave and his
fair brow grew dark with wrath at
the thought Of those who sat III rlclI
church pewS pcws and pi0usly thank
ed the Lord that they were not as
other people He denounced them as
hvpocrites for pretending tn be reli-
giGus while they robbed the poor and
turned the little children into the
streets 10 suffer hunger. and fall
into evil ways.
Nearly twenty centuries have pass
ed since the suffering poor heard with
gladness the message Of the LOWly
Na2arpnc and since he was moved 10
tears at the sight OF the little children
of the street. but the world has not
learned the meaning OF his tender and
touching words, Suffer little children.
and forbid them not. TO come unto me
far such is lhr kingdom Of heaven.
# hr were. to walk the streets of
New York. or Chicago. or Lawrence.
or an. OF the cities where the mills
and SwuatSh0ps are filed with child
sIavcs-as he once Wake the streets
Of ,Ierllsaiem--he would grow sick ut
heart as he saw the little ones he
lOved pale and wan and worn, hHr-
messed to mOnStrOuS machines and
slowly put to death to swell the pro-
fits Of the greedy mill owners who
sit in the rich peWS OF the SynagnugeS
as did the Pharisees he sCOurged with
out merck twenty centuries ago.
The children Of the working peop''
have always been poor because the
world has never been just. For ages
and ages those who have builded the
houses. cultivated the fields. raised the
CROPS. spun the wool, woven the riCt'
supplied the food we eat and the
clothes we wear. and furnished the
houses We live in. have been the poor
and Gespised. while those who prOilted
from their labor and consumed the
good things they produced, have been
rich-and respectable.
Jesus himself was carpenuter
son and suffered the poverty OF his
class. and when lie grew up il was not
the rich and respectable but the poor
and deSpised who loved him. and
heard gladly his tender and comfort
ing ministry He was one OF them III
poverty and suffering and in all his
loving and Self-deuying life he never
forgot them. Had he deserted the
poor from whence he Sprang, had he
gone over to the rich as their preach
or. or their judge. or their lawyer or
teacher or Scribe--as so many OF his
pretended followers have donc-hc
never would have been CruCiticd. nor
would The world OF today know that
lie had ever lived.
II was because. and only hccaus"
Jesus loved the poor and served the
Door aud rebuked the rich who robbed
them. and threatened to array the
poor against their rich despoilers. that
he was condemned TO die and that tn"
cruel nails were driven into his hands
and feet on the cross at Calvary.
Jesus taught that the earth and the
air and the sea and the sky and all
OF he beauties and fullness thereof
were FOR all the children OF men! That
they should al equally enjoy the riches
Of nulnrn and dwell t0geIher in Deace