The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-01-23
THE FIRST CHRISTIAN TRADE.
UNIONS

The origin Of craft guilds, or Chris:
tian trade unions of the Middle Ages,
followed, in the order of time, upon
the development of the. merchant
gilds. The purpose of these early or.
CARNATIONS of specialized craftsmen
was the mutual protection of their
members; the promotion of the com.
mon industrial and commercial inter.
ests Of the city as we'll as of the fra
ternity; and the fostering of that
spirit of brotherhood, based upon SUI.
pernatural motives, which was to last
through life and continue beyond the
shadow of death.
Agriculture was almost the univer.
sal employment of men during the pc.
riod of social reconstruction, after the
tidal wave Of pagan barbarism he
swept over the civilization of Europe
and the Church began anew her work
of Outstanding and civilizing the
world. Specialized craftsmen were
rare or unknown in communities
where each family built it's own home,
spun its own clothing, and drew its
sustenance from the flocks it reared
and the crops it planted. There was
consequently only very gradually
developing need of them. Over all
Europe the religious communities of
this period were the centers of eco
nomic development as they were the
hearts that kept alive the spark Of
learning beneath the cinders of almost
universal destruction. They were now
The first trade schools as previously
they had taught the cultivation of the
soil to the roaming hordes of barbs-
rions, and in due time were to hold
up for their descendants the torch of
learning and unseal for them the wis
dom of the ages.
An Early Need.
. It was still, however, a far cry from
the first scattered craftsmen, few
Of whom might suffice for the grow.
ing village communities, and the or.
eanized craft gilds which were to play
80 important a role in the life Of the
Middle Ages. AS civilization grew
more complex the free craftsmen unit
ed with other freemen of their com.
munities into the firth or peace
gilds for the prevention of theft and
the preservation OF order. In the
course Of time the merchant gilds
arose, particularly in ENGLAND. Since
craftsmen were likewise merchants at
this period they were now absorbed
into these organizations, in which the
great body Of burghers we're origin
ally united for the protection of their
own and their city's interest land
trade.
It is evident that in none of these
stages was there any call for special
lied gilds of artisans. But the towns
now grew rapidly in population. Eco
nomic conditions became more COM
pick. The villeins, or unfree work
men, were emancipating themselves.
The ranks Of free craftsmen were
constantly swelling. The merchant
gilds, where they existed, no longer
sufficed. The time was ripe for new
stage of economic development, and
the craft gilds, which answered to the
growing need, sprang into being. Soon
practically everywhere they had TAX.
en- their place throughout Christen.
dom.
Craft and Merchant GiIds.
Prescribing from the unions said to
have been organized among the serfs
the beginning of the craft gilds prop
er may be ascribed to the early part
of the twelfth century, although iso.
lated instances can be found even in
the preceding century. Thus we read
of the victory won, in the year 1882.
by the Flemish weayers of Courtrai
in the defense of their city. Mention
is made of the weavers of Mayence
in 1899. It is evident, therefore. that
no clean-cut chronological statement
can be made indicating the relative
dates of the origin of the craft and of
the merchant gilds. The rule that the
latter was prior to the former by an
entire century cannot be applied upon
the Continent as readily as in Eng
land. In fact, it is mainly to the lat
ter country that we must turn for the
universal systematic development of
this institution. Merchant gilds upon
the Continent were apparently more
T pARTc