The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-04-25
THE CHURCH AND LABOR


Middleton, Conn, who is now acting
as MONDAY Lenten speaker at Christ
Church Cathedral. DR.. Ladd is con-
sidered one of the best thinkers in the
Protestant Episcopal Church.
There are manifestations on every
hand of the interest Christians Of all
denominations are taking in the great
problems which today face the Amer
lean people connected with the reia-
tons of Capital and Labor. The re-
cent pamphlet entitled "S6cial Recon-
struction,1. put forth by the Catholic
War Board, Of which Archbishop
Hays of New York is an honored
member, is significant sign of the
times.
In the American Episcopal Church
and its sister, the Church of England,
there has long been a very great in
terest in social problems of all sorts
and particularly in the problem of la
Dor. Some of the leaders in this
movement are well known in st. Louis,
such as Bishop Williams of Detroit,
Rev, Irwin Tucker of Chicago and the
late Bishop Spaulding of Utah. A
striking truth of the Importance of
this subject in church circles is vol
ume of $50 pages entitled christian
ity and Industrial Problems" just is
sued in England. The committee
which issues this volume was appoint
ed by the Archbishops of Canterbury
and York and is composed of some of
the most eminent and representative
churchmen of the English church,
such men as Bishop Gore of Oxford,
Dean Norris of York, Lord Henry
Bentick, Mr.. A. L. Smith, the master
of Balliol College, Oxford, and Mr..
George Lansbury, the labor leader.
The committee has spent two years
investigating modern industrial and
social conditions and their relation to
Christian teaching. The conclusions
arcsvcry significant Of the trend OF in
terest in the church at the present
day. For example, this statement:
"The fundamental evil of modern in
dustrialism is that it encourages COM
petition for private gain instead of
cooperation for public service" And
this: "The preparation of the clergy
for the ministry should include a
training in economic and social
science"
The Episcopal Church, perhaps
more than any other, is the church Of
the wealthy classes. But this is a
mere accident. The church can know
no distinction of class. 1t is for all.
If the working classes of this country
wanted to come into the Episcopal
church and elect their own rectors
and. Bishops, they would be free 20 do
so.
An increasing number of the Episco-
pal clergy, especially the younger
clergy and students in our di-
vinity schools, are keenly interested
in economic and social subjects and
are earnestly studying these subjects.
They desire that the Episcopal Church
shall make some contribution toward
the solution of the many difficult So
cial problems which now confront the
nation. They believe the church must
have vital concern in these prob
lens, because they are fundamentally
moral problems, and any church or
religion which fails on the moral side
fails every way.
There is, of course, great diversity
of opinion among the clergy. Some
would be found to favor syndicalism
and direct action" as the right meth
cd for the lettering of social condi-
tions. Others would favor the more
conservative method of political &C.
tion," but as there is something es-
sentially radical in Christianity itself,
so many of the clergy doubtless tend
to the more radical economic theories.
There is certainly a thoroughgoing
discomfort with mere social service"
and the attempt to patch up the pres
ent social structure.
Perhaps the first thing of all to work
for is that Christian people should
be awakened to an interest in the
careful study of the labor movement.
Christians have, of course, no patent
ed solution and no off-hand remedy
for our social ills. We must be will
ing to hear all sides and to learn. A
forum, such as that which DR.. Percy
Grant has made so wonderfully sue
cessful at the Church of the Assem-
sion in New York, ought to be estab-
lished in many more parishes than at
present. One of the most encouraging
signs of the times is the rapid spread
of the forum movement. Whatever
happens, Christianity and the church
must stand for freedom of speech and
of conscience and the willingness to
learn and follow the truth.
The church, too, must be the foe of
every form of hatred and violence,
and we must remember that violence
has never been the monopoly of the
workingman. We have had plenty of
capitalistic violence in times past in
this country, and the war has bred the
spirit of violence in many unlocked
for places. When one hears refined
and intelligent women, communicates
of the church, saying they wish the
war had gone on longer, or express a
desire that Germany might be further
punished by withholding food from its
helpless and guiltless women and
children, one realizes that we have
come upon an age of violence. And Of
violence we are probably going to see
more rather than less. The church
must in season and out of season
preach good will, fellowship, reconcil-
iation, love. Nor must the church
take up the labor movement with any
idea Of gaining anything for itself.
1t must be absolutely disinterested and