Denver labor bulletin., 1917-01-20
Gnterview With Father John H.
O'Rourke, S. j.
Rv DANTE BARTON,


frauding the worker of his wages cries
out to heaven for vengeance, according
to the gospel declared the Rev. John
II. O'Rourke, a Jesuit Father, director OF
the Apostleship of Prayer, in an inter
view given to Dante Barton, of the COM
mittee on industrial relations.
Preaching the Christmas sermon in the
vast st. Patrick's cathedral in New
York CITY, a day or two before he re-
ceived his visitor. Father O'Rourke had
commented scathingly on many phases
of the treatment of the poor by the
rich. He had condemned the practices
of those who profit by labor to keep
the worker out of the just recompense of
his toll and then throw sops of small
restitution to Keep the oppressed poor
quiet. He had spoken of the willingness
of hard employers now to compromise by
arbitration since labor had grown strong
enough to resist the older cruenties and
injustices.
Defrauding the Workers.
Leaning towards his visitor, the stud
ious priest and teacher said:
This Christmas season has been made
the occasion for many bonuses by en-
ployers to employees. 1t has been signal
lied by many apparently voluntary in
creases in salaries and wages. But we
should examine closely these bonuses and
increases lest that great sin of defraud
ing the worker of his wages go unre-
buked and even unnoticed and persist
more strongly fortified than ever"
"a bonus to employees" he declared
earnestly, 'that is attained with the
blood and tears of women and children
and underpaid, overworked, and many
oil mo iG
Such bonus at its best is but Il small
tithe of restitution. At its worst it is
calculated, shrewd business investment,
designed to keep workers content with
low wages, designed to content them
with dependence upon others instead of
requiring that which is theirs-a just
share of the profits to which they have
right"
Expose Sins of Wealthy.
Father O'Rourke's kindly face showed
no sign of hate as he spoke of these
evils of modern industry, as he talked
intently of the duty to expose the sins
of hypocrisy and cruelty, the Unsuitable
greed of predatory wealth and the
dreadful and awful sufferings of the
poor. An occasional smile of under
standing and pity lighted the face over
the black robe.
Eve must examine these increases in
pay to see whether they do not mean
only bribes either to keep men from
munition factories where the pay is high,
or temporarily to make them forget of
the old wage conditions which will be
theirs when the competition and pros,
perity incident upon the war shall have
ceased. We must consider such gifts IN
almost the same class as the libraries
nd 1ltr NH Mt
institutions built mainly from moneys
which belong to the puddlers of Pitts
burg and other underpaid workers like
them"
Better That None Hunger"
The interviewer expressed his belief in
the great influence for good of the dis
semination of the ideas from altars and
pulpits such as had been preached in
st. Patrick's on Christmas day. The
opinion was expressed that what the
priest had said to the vast modern con
gregation in a large modern cathedral
had in it the soul of st. Augustine's
saying: Thou gavest bread to the
poor; but better were it that none hun
gered and thou hadst none to give to
him"
Quickly the answer came as Father
O'Rourke leaned forward.
"The logical, natural place and sym
pathy of the priest are with the poor.
Read the letter of Leo XIII. on the con-
dition of the workingmen. There you
have the attitude of our church on the
relation of the employer and employe.
No man can condemn more strongly the
injustice and cruelty of capitalism and
the greed for money than does the holy
father in that immortal document. Some
10 of nf Tath hr,li
is supposed to be antagonistic to the
workingman. This impression arises
from the clergy's opposition to socialism.
We need not fear socialism-socialsm is
the child of the cruelties of capitalism.
If we can ameliorate and cure these, So
cialism will die natural death.
Priests Come From Poor.
"The priests are antisocalist, but
man and his struggle for his rights
against injustice. They are heart and
soul with the laborer for better condf-
tions and better wages, better housing
better provision for old age, for fuller
and juster distribution of the profits OF
their own toll. Why should the priest
not take this attitude? 1t is the atti-
tude of the holy see, as expressed by
Leo XIII. Most of the priests have
sprung from the poor. The vast bulk OF
our Catholic people are poor. Christ
our master and our model, was poor
loved the poor, lived with and WORKED
for the poor Surely the priest can do
no less. We priests believe that the So
luton of the economic troubles is con-
tanned in the gospel of Christ Put this
teaching into mems hearts and you will
have united people which will be in
vincible"
After pause the thoughtful priest