The Washington herald., 1914-03-15
What Churches Ought to Do
When the Strike Hits TO1pn

I selfshness is wrong in the midst of q
strike just as In any other case.
| But IL the man who works through q
strike honestly believes that the strikers
are In the wrong and feels he must defy
the opinion of the majority in order to do
right as he sees 1t. then the church must
defend such a man in his freedom OF con-
science
In the fourth place, the church must
insist, Just as strongly with labor as with
capital, and just as strongly with capital
as with labor, that under the law of
Christ an i'll deed suffered can never
justify an I'LL deed done In return.
The worst complication in all labor con-
fiicts is the habit of justifying meanness
on each side by the meanness that the
other side has committed before.
Necessity of Justice.
Jesus taught what the common sense
of men should long since have attested-
that the only return which effectually
quenches injustice Is the doing Of exact.
continuous. and unwavering justice, no
matter what provocations may accumu-
late to the contrary.
And this the church must say plainly.
II must steadily condemn wrongdoing as
wrongdoing without regard to the circum-
stances. The idea that right is fuctuat-
ing quantity which in times of stress
includes a lot Of justifable brutalities and
chicaneries is impossible for Christianity
to tolerate silently.
In all these points the church's attitude
Is to be, generally speaking, impartial and
meditative as between the contending
parties.
But in one particular the church Is
bound to speak in favor of the working
man. And this particular is the most
ir1porfant of all.
In peace or conflict the church must
always be reminding capital that Jesus
has hidden the strong to bear the burdens
of the weak.
Burden ON Employers.
There is no doubt who are the strong in
the modern industrial situation-the en-
ployers. Often they anect 10 oouot II
But their own achievements answer that.
The employers are the men who have
won-who have got on the world. They
are the strong
Their employees are the weak-those
whose capacities are insufficient for any
big successes. Therefore the Christian
rule laws il on the employer to bear bur- |
dens for his employees.
In industrial struggles 1t IS first obliga- |
tory on both sides to do Jus,ice. Then |
on the employers side il is obligatory |
much is possible. the church must not |
try to say-that is an economic question. |
But the Christian duty stands-something |
more than justice from the employing |
side.
One application of this it is well to |
make a little more specific.
Nothing is more absolutely unchristian |
han for an employer 10 pegrudge to
working people, individually weaker as
they are. the advantage they gain by |
associating themselves together for bet
.erment of their position in the world.
The meanest of all enyies is the envy |
which the man who has risen feels to-
Sard the man below who is trying to
Use.
To be sure. the man above may Justly
ontend against unrighteous or unsocial
Methods by which the man below seeks
o advance himself. But the way to
stop bad methods of self-advancement (
N the part of the disadvantaged man is
o open to him means of advancement by
light methods. 4
And worst of all mistakes Is to blame
lin for trying to get up. Anarchy needs
10 other opening than the spread Of that
emper.