The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-13
LABOR PROBLEM
CHARACTERIZED
AS CLASS MOVE

New York, July 1Z.-CaIllnS the -
emit labor situation essentially class
movement the Rev DIR. Ilsley Boone,
who has been active in the S6.OoOooo
Victory Campaign just ended by the Ma
tional Committee of Northern baptIsG
Iaymen, tonight averred the CHRISTIAN
church should emphasize the fact thot
any struggle within society must not De
a class struggle. DR.. Boone expressed
the hope that the church, both directly
and indirectly would espouse legislation
and civil enactments which promise a
lust and feasible method OF rightinS
those inequalities in our social order
which now afford ample ground for sin
cere and earnest protest on the part of
workers.
Commenting on the fact that the ac-
tivities OF the National Committee o.
Northern Baptist Laymen have just
been taken over by 5.ewly organized
general board of promotion, DR.. Boone
said that this radical REIMBURSEMENT with
In Baptist UNCONVENTIONAL affairs Will be
paraIellled by corresponding readjust-
ment on the part of the church toward
those great questions which are now stir
ring the minds of all thoughtful men ana
women.
This is day of great establishments,
said DR. Boone. THE social order is
undergoing the most far-reaching revo-
luton since the signing or Magma Charta
al Runnymede. 700 years ago. But the
"
found for they are well-night universal
and ramily into every department OF So
Cial and civil life. The radical demands
contemplate a complete reversal OF age
long customs. the demolition of institu-
tons which civilization with tremendous
energy sacrifice and devotion has been
centuries in building. That many rad
ical changes. will take place in America.
even as they have in Europe. no thought
full man or woman will deny. Revoiu-
ticn? Yes. But how? There is the Zig
question of today. BY what processes
will the inevitable changes come to pass;
and, for us who believe IN God and the
church, what part shall the church play
in the days that lie Immediately ahead?
The church must emphasize the fact
that the struggle within society must
not be a class struggle. In its inception
and in it's present state the labor move
ment is essentially class movement.
and perhaps inevitably so, but 1t cannot
remain such without the gravest danger
to all. whether radical. conservative ST
reactionary. In this struggle all are
equally concerned. The rights of labor
are sacred. But so are the rights of the
rich. Rights do not pertain to property
as such, nor even to labor such, but
10 men. And in this view there Is no
room for class struggle. There must be
common effort on the part of all men
10 readjust society, with due regard to
and with passionate devotion to make
them al they ought to be. For the work
ers to emphasize their rights and ignore
the rights OF those whom they regard as
their oppresors is just as vicious a mis-
take as that which they acuse the CAPT
talists of having mace. Within the
American democracy there must be no
Classism. but a common purpose to work
out social order that shall be equitable
fair and just, to rich and poor, 10 labor
and capital. TO high and low, to cultured
and uncultured, without regard to EN-
ployment race or creed or any other
marks by which men divide themselves
into groups.
"A second emphasis of the church must
be upon the note of universal brother
hood. IL was a great stride forward
when the seer OF ancient Israel announc-
ed the doctrine that Jehaviah was not
territorially limited to the land OF the
chosen people. To the ancient Jew, this
was a startlingly new truth. but il was
the forerunner of that cay when the
Greeks, representing the non-Jewish
world, sought Jesus. and the latter an
nOunced Himself as the one who would
attract all men TO Himself and create
thcreoy common human brotherhood
The One Big Union is not the property
of the radicals. The ties OF Christianity
have always been held theoretically %
stand superior 20 ties OF race language
Il.
and civil barriers have for twenty CEN
turtles stood In the way o. practical DEM
onstration OF this teaching on anything
like 2 universal scale The truth which
the church has announced for all these
years the Brotherhood or Man, is today
being forced to the forefront in our COM
mon consciousness. and is dema nding the
world 3 attention. The church cannot
ignore this opportunity 10 stress a doc
trine 80 fundamental 10 human welfare
Ind universal happiness.
Finally. the church. both directly and
Indirectly should espouse legislation ana
civil enaCtments which promise a lust
aud feasible method of rightlng those in
qualities in our social order which now
afford ample ground for sincere and earn
est protest on the part OF workers II
fhe war has emphasized any one thing
IL has been the extreme liberality OF the
common people and at the same time the
utter selfishness OF minority group
WHO have awaited themselves of every op-
Dortunity To make themselves tremen-
dously wealthy. without regard To the