The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1915-10-15
STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN

the opening meeting of the Inter
national Peace Congress, held in the
Greek Theatre, Berkeley, California,
brought out some points along the
same lines of thought; only Doctor
Lynch did not explain the contradic-
that law and morality are based upon
the utterly selfish desires of the rul-
ing class, anywhere, at any time For
instance, stealing or numbering by an
individual, even in defense of the
lives of self or loved ones, is "a ter
rible crime" in the eyes Of the rul-
ing class. This is because such acts
would render the exploitation of the
workers by the shirkers, the ruling
class. unsafe. But it is perfectly right
and moral GU for the ruling class to
rob the working class of the fruits of
their labor, or to murder them if they
rebel against capitalist-class oppres-
sion. 1t all depends upon whose bull
is gored. If we add to the word ma
ton, class, in DR.. Lynch's speech, we
understand at once the economic basis
of our anti-Christian capitalist-class
morals and Jurisprudence. To quote
a few remarks from DR.. Lynch's adj
dress. his subject being what Makes
Nation Great:
THE chief reason this terrible war
is sweeping the world is this: When
we act as individuals toward other
individuals, we act as Christians,
when we act as governments toward
other governments we act as pagans.
individuals are largely living by
Christian principles, governments by
pagen principles. What we call vices
and crimes in men we praise as vlr-
tues and noble deeds in nations. we
hang men for committing the deeds
for which we crown nations. 1t is this
double standard of ethics, one for
men, one for nations Zone for the
master class, another for the work
ing class - Ed, that is largely
responsible for the persistence OF
war. 1t will cease between nations
when we demand of them the same
high rules of conduct that we demand
of gentlemen. Fights between individ-
uals stopped when men became gen
tlemen. Today men are gentlemen
and nations are rowdies. (They cease
to be gentlemen and become murder
ers when dealing with the workers.
Ed ..
1--WE say that it is wrong for men
to steal from each other, but we
praise the nation that can steal the
most. Most of the colonies of nations
: were deliberately stolen and no one
ever thought of condemning the ma
lions doing the stealing until very re
cent years. Even now there are thou
sands of Christians who will justify
nation going to war for expansion,
who would shoot a man who began
killing his neighbors on that plea.
Stealing is a crime for men, a virtue
for nations.
I'VE say that it is wrong for a man
to kill his neighbor, we say it is
wrong to do so even in revenge, or
to get certain rights even when great
ly provoked We make it the most
heinOus crime. In many places we
take the life of a man who kills an
other man But, even if we do not
praise the nation which destroys an
other, as once we did praise, yet mil
lions of good Christian people con
done it and uphold by their lives laid
down the nation which does it. We
have the spectacle in Europe today of
millions of Christian people support
ing certain nations in a deliberate
act of destruction for which they
would have imprisoned any individ-
ual for life. This is in accordance
with the law of economic determin-
ism. Ed
"In most civilized lands even the
duel is under condemnation. But al
most all Christians in the world be-
lieve that this is just the way ma
tons ought to settle their disputes,
and see nothing wrong in nations
flying at each others threats on the
slightest provocation. When a diff
ference arises between two men, we
all think of Cancellation, law and
courts; when a difference arises be-
tween two nations the first thought
of these same Christians is war.
When a man makes certain claims
against his neighbor and his neigh
Dor makes counter claims we think
of arbitration when two nations can
not agree upon a question our first