The Washington times., 1920-09-05
PASTOR F[AyS
RAD|CALLABOR
Or. Johnson Hits Stand-pat
Capitalists Also In Sermon
at Petworth Church.


! ployers who refuse to democratize
Industry were placed in the same
| class by the Rev. Il. Ernest Johnson,
social service secretary OF the Fed
| ersl Churches OF Christ in America,
! who spoke this morning I'm the Pet
worth NJ T. Church. Mr.. johnson had
charge OF the recent Investigation OF
the steel Industry for the Interchurch
World Movement. the report rousing
a storm OF discussion from both sides
He declared that both the groups he
mentioned were OF the same anti,
| social type, a mensce Il the peace ana
| health OF the natio6
The only alternative To organized
| 90 cooperation, based on good viii.
said Mr.. Johnson, lis armed strife.
The enemy OF constitutional govern
ment is equally dangerous whether IN
| Industry or in politics. Whether h.
| is a soap-boX orator or the general
manager OF corporation makes no
difference. I was asked In tho presi-
d,nrs office OF ono OF the greatest
| corporations In America, II WI don't
prevent organisation OF our employes,
who is going to run our business ]
said IL you put II on that basis there
| is no question about who viii run II
in the end. There arc more OF them
than of you.
sTRIkE Is UNETHtCAL.
THE reliance OF labor upon the
strike as the method of securing it's
| aims is likewise in the last analysis
unethical. The strike can be tolerated
only so long as the community fails
to, make adequate provision for safe-
guarding the interest OF the workers.
The strike at it's best Is a form Of
warfare. The appeal to force must
be replaced by the methods OF Con-
stitutional Government. But In the
present situation, in which security
Is a matter of organized power, to
take away by law the right to strike
is equivalent TO forcing nation TO
disarm while it's chief rival remains
equipped for war. The mcthod ol
force Is spiritually b"rrcn-duitc as
barren when used by the community
as when employed by labor or capital
CLEARS CHURCH OF CHARGE.
"It has been charged that the great
church bodies which are advocating
democracy in industry have in par
tisan fashion Joined hands with Ia
Dor in an attempt TO force an OBJ
ject ionablc system upon employers
whose will. and judgment have not
been consulted. The ca<e is quite the
reverse of that. We have no par
ticuiar Industrial philosophy TO pro-
muleate and no schemes to exploit.
We have merely looked out over the
industrial world and we have seen
employers trying--with varying de-
arecs of skill and success, but try
iny-to apply In their shops the prin-
cipals of the Sermon on the Mount.
We have scon others, sadly numer-
Gus company, who were making no
i visible effort in that direction. We
have been telling what we have seen.
and have tried to give moral support
to those employers who are cndeavor-
ing to blaze a trail toward a fuller
humanization OF industry. This sup
port has been eagerly welcomed, ana
I want to say that we find no more
encouraging factor in the industrial
situation than those employers who
are seriously, and with moral vision,
working out these human problems In
their own way"
In support OF this position Mr..
Jc<nson quoted from the statement OF
twenty British employers. who said
Of the democratic industrial move
ment:
"This position involves the surrcn-
der by capital OF its supposed right to
dictate to labor the conditions under
which work shall be carried on. 1t
involves more: the frank avowal that
all matters affecting the workers
sh auld be decided in consultation with
them. when once they are recog-
nized as members OF an ail-cmbracing
human brotherhood
I'VE have In America, as well" de-
clared Mr.. johnson, industrial lead
ers who arc urging industrial de-
mocracy more aggressively than any
church statement that | have seen,
And il is discrediting to the churches
II .isk
have distanced their Christian com
petitors in their Interpretation and
application of the Golden Rule.
"The churches will not cease to in
tcrest themselves in industry and to
admonish those who resist the meth
ods OF peace and humanity whether
they are employers who refuse TO
enter into democratic relations with
their workers or employees who, hav'
ing signed an agreement which has
been accepted In good faith, lightly
ali AZ