Kentucky Irish American., 1921-08-06
High Mass and Sermon For the
American Federation of
Labor.
REV. Father McNfenamin, Former
Mine Worker. Says Unions
Are Essential.
saving Children From slavery and
Giving Them Chance For
Education.
CATHOLIC CHURCH DOCTRINE.

| Delegates to the recent conven-
tion or the American Federation oe
Labor in Denver-many OF them
protestants-attended high nasc az
tne cathedral of the Immac1Iata
conception and heard a sern,o,, ~,
the Church and Organized I,ahor ;,
Rev. Father Hugh MclMenamin who
worked as a breaker bov', IN az
coal mines OF Pennsylvania ,srha,
ne was only ten years old, spoke
| wilh such eloquence and pathos of
.ne nardships which must be en-
uuIeu Dy thousands OF American
,olers. that the delegates were Wis
,piy anected and many. could scarce
y reIrain from applauding. / thank
Sod Tor organized labor" Father
McMenamin declared in the course
of his sermon.
Father McMenamin's text was.
unless your justice abound more
than that of the scribes and phari-
sees, you shall not enter the King
oom OF Heaven" The sermon was.
in part, as follows:
ITO those who find fault with
the church and with churchmen for
what they call meddling in spheres
that are foreign to our purpose,
point, first of ALL" he said, ito my
text and quoting from Pope Plus
x, / say to them: That the ques-
tions regarding the conditions and
hours of labor, salaries or strikes
are not of purely economic char
acter, they are moral problems in
their very essence and can be set
tied only by having recourse to the
fundamental principles of justice
and charity There is no excuse
for an economic system which in
our land of peace and plenty pro-
duces millions of well-nigh starving
men, women and children, while the
few increase their wallets by tens
and hundreds of thousands of dol
lars annually. Too long have we
been preaching the doctrine OF
resignation of labor. Too long have
we been pointing to a home beyond
the skies where poverty and priva-
tion will cease and justice be meted
out to all. How ironical the So
licitude that held out death as the
only means to right the wrongs OF
the poori Whatever remedies are
found for Industrial troubles and
evils Father McMenamin de-
clared, 'it will be organized labor
that will put it into effect"
Continuing, he told his own story.
saying: 'Iet me briefly tell you
the story of a boy, one of large
family supported by father who
worked in the coal mines of Penn
sylvania. When this boy was ten
years old his father was brought
home from mine badly injured.
The sight of her mangled husband
almost cost his mother her life. A
few days later the boy took his
fathers dinner pail and applied for
work at the mine. He was put to
work at the princely pay of thirty
cents al day-$1.S0 week.
Through snow and rain he wended
his weary way each day, and sat
where water drenched his skin for
ten long hours and toiled until
often blood dropped from his finger
tips to help swell the unholy profits
Of the men who already were count
ed millionaires. At night he has
tened to night school. At the age
of nineteen he became teacher in
the very school where formerly he
studied. Then he saw a younger
brother die In the arms of his
mother. mangled into death by rea-
son of the greed of his employers.
brethren, that boy is appealing
to you today. He is asking God TO
forgive every heartless employer
who lives in. luxury while a single
employe is. in need. He is thanking
God for the labor unions that are
dragging from capitalists conces-
sions that are beginning to right the
wrong of labor. He Is thanking God
for the labor unions that are fore
ing legislators to pass the law to
save children from slavery and give
them a chance to obtain an educa-
tion. And he is praying God that
they may not cease their efforts un-
til they have made collective bar
gaining universal and so perfected
that every man will be in some de-
gree a profit-sharer in the enter
prises that he is helping.
TT Is generally conceded that
wealth is unjustly distributed. 1t
also is conceded that collective bar
gaining is the most efficacious
means at hand to correct that evil,
and since collective bargaining can
not be made effective without
closed or union shop. then do we
stand for that principle. | am con-
scious OF the fact that will be told
that ! am violating Fundamental
principles, the right of the indi-
vidual to join, or not to join a
union as he ses fit. answer that
there are many personal rights and
privileges that you and / are forced
to give UP because of higher rights
and higher privileges demanded by
the public good. The union shop,
some of us believe, is one of these.
In conclusion. Father McMenamin
said the views he had expressed
were not merely HIS personal opin-
ions. II have tried to state the
5ootrtna ~ fha 0afhnflc Chu.,.J, -