The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-02
ALL MEN MUST WORK.
SAYS DR.. COOPER.
Conduct Business Hoi For
Common Good and Not For
Personal Gain.

Last night at Central Methodist
church Rev. W. A. Cooper, the pas
tor. preached the fourth sermon on
christian Ideals the special sub
iect being The Christian Ideal Of
Business"
In part, he said:
Nothing in the history of the world
has equalled the growth OF business
in this country since the War Between
the States During the same period
great commercial revolution mad
been wrought. Business had been
changed from the indivdualistic to
the corporate method.
To-day" said the speaker, we have
social ownership rather than m
dividual ownership. A few years ago
vantages of combination. They could
eliminate competition, reduce the cost
of food production, convert waste
products into money producing prop
critics raise the price of commodities
and thereby declare larger DIVIDENDS
The effect of this change in the mttnod
of doing business, these man nave
grown rich beyond the dreams OF
avarjce and called today Captains of
Industry and 'Napoleons of Finance
There has been a concentration OF
wealth until nine. per cent OF the
people own seyenty-one per cent Oh
the wealth of the nation. and one
eighth OF the families receive more
than one half of the aggregate IN
come On the other hand there are
ten million people in our country Just
sinking poverty and four million are
in poverty, Here. is the modern
Lazarus at the rich mans gate.
THE" system of business, said MT.
Cooper, has begotten two classes IN
society. The land baron of Feudallsm
has been succeeded by the commercial
baron of democracy. These two class
es are more or less hostile One class
seeks TO purchase the labor OF the
other class at the lowest possible cost
and the labor class desires the largest
possible wage. Capital combines for
trade reasons and labor for mutual
protection.
Violated Teachings.
Both of these classes have violated
the ethical teachings of Jesus Christ
time and time again. The capltalst
has even denied to labor the right TO
organize, which is indefensible so long
as capital refuses to recognize me
right OF social bargaining Tor thelr
labor to men. so long Will capital per-
petuate the state of industrial war,
and so long will the anarchistic ele-
ments among the laboring men shock
the community by the destruction OF
property and taking of human life
"All business must he controlled,
declared the preacher, by the teach-
ings of Jesus Christ. Economics as
a science. might be independent OF
ethics, but economic relations must be
brought under the ethical elements OF
the gospel of Christ and business
must be controlled by the Ideals OF
Jesus.
Social Parasites.
1.-THE gospel of Christ demands that
some kind of useful service must be
must render an equivalent in serXice
to society for the blessings he receives
from society No man has right to
be idle and an idle rich man Is more
finimical to society than an idle poor
man Every man and every woman
must put into society as much as they
Stake out. unless they wish to be known
/ as social parasites. somewhere
! somekind of useful service must be
rendered or man belongs to the beg
gar class.
This. of course" said Mr.. Cooper
implies that every man shall nave an
opportunity to work, and any .ystenl
that puts in the hands Of the few the
power to take away from the man the
opportunity to labor is ethicaliy UNI
christian.
The gospel of Christ demands that
every man shall look on his work as
calling from God. All useful labor
ought to be held sacred and | would
break down the middle wall or par
tation," said Mr.. Cooper, between the
sacred and the secular. Every mans
calling is sacred and any business that
cannot be held as sacred ought never
be entered into. Any business that
! does not promote the welfare OF So
. ciety is wrong, hence no Christian car
/ enter into the whiskey traffic. nor rent
his property for immoral purposes. noi
enter into gambling enterprises, either
on the floor of a stock exchange or III
/ a poker-room. But when a mans
business promotes the welfare Of the
community. whether he be congress
I man or a cobbler. a broker or brick
layer. preacher or puddler. nc
ought TO throw his whole heart IN 1t.
Conduct Business Honestly.
THE gospel demands that the bust.
ness shall be conducted honestly an,
not for personal gain. but the common
good. Lay not up for yourselves
treasures on earth. said Jesus. anc
/ the emphatic words here are for your.
selves The love of money is the roo
Of two evils that are violations OF Tho
teachings Of Jesus. They are cut
throat competition and unrestrainet
monopoly. Jesus of Nazareth teache: