Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-05
Req. PerciOql H. Barker Tells of Duty
and Friendship of the Church to Labor
Task of Cooperation With
Unions Set for Itself by
Church.

it. How long will labor bear this
extra burden2
These are some of labors foes.
These are some of the powers that
prey upon the virility of our race,
and that threaten our young nations
life. Let us meet them as calmly as
we can, but as resolutely also. There
is no evil in the world before which
our Christianity should quail. In the
name of our great Leader, we can
conquer. if we try often enough and
hard enough.
Friends Of Labor.
Now that we have observed some
Of the foes to labor let US note some
friends of labor.
One of the best friends of labor Is
the honest laborer, the man who puts
his conscience into his toll and whose
work is never scamped. Such men
are the honor to their profession,
whether they labor at the plough or
In the pulpit. The elastic conscience
may smile at the foolish honesty that
puts conscience into paints and oils,
into harness and steel rails, into
wooden fabrics and ironclads, yet in
the end it will be found that the
nation of shoddy has been beaten in
the markets of the world by the ma
ton whose commercial instincts were
controlled by conscience. The years
are too long for paint and putty.
Sooner or later time uncovers all
rascals Nature is honest. Time ever
fights the battles of truth. The man
who seeks to win by fraud is throw
ing down the gauntlet to the uni
verse itself. All dishonest labor is but
short sighted folly.
Another fPiard of labor lie tho la h0T
union. There should never have been
any need of a labor union: but the
union sprang into being as reply tc
the palpable unfairness of the con-
ditions of labor. That 1t has shorten
ed the hours of labor and secured n
more adequate wage, viii be admitted
by all. That it has sometimes been
exploited by demagogues and men Of
weak moral fibre, is also true; that II
has sometimes intensified the bitter
ness between rich and poor may be
fact; yet we think, on the whole. 1t
must be acknowledged that 1t has
helped to exalt the laborer, and II
has helped to save him from the
oppression of constituencies wealth
The church has set itself the task 81
working in cooperation with the Ia
Dor union because 1t believes tho
union is endeavoring to improve the
moral and cultural interests of the
workingman. This moral uplift has
been a fact The union man is or
the whole more temperate. more man.
ly in his carriage, more careful In his
companions and amusements, more
conscious of a manliness to sustain
more eager to improve both his OWL
condition and that of his family.
But the best friend of labor is the
Carpenter of Nazareth. The carpen-
ter's shop of Nazareth has flung Its
halo over every dusty, grimy, noisy
workshop ON earth. Labor stands
| transfigured since Christ has toiled
Beside the wearied toiler in every
land stands the patient. peerless On'
upon whose shoulders also rested
labor's yoke: and in His Gospel lie'
pent the mighty energy that shal
| transform the sordiness of this sci
| fish world into the gold of justice
righteousness and love. Let us VIII
follow Him see to 1t that today W
stand where He stood: beside tn
poor and needy. preaching, no devil
| gospel of murderous, fire-eyed hate
| but rather the gospel of a deathles
love that sweeps unchecked through
! out the earth.