Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-03-10
Republican Candidate for
COUNTY TREASURER
PRIMARY APRIL II
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Appreciated
THE CHURCH VERSUS THE OPEN SHOP

The Catholic Church, the united
Protestant churches, and the largest
Protestant denomination have united
with labor in condemnation of the
open shop movement, and a definite
issue between thousands of manu-
facturers and employers on the one
hand and the official spokesman of
the Christian Church on the other has
apparently been raised. The tides of
controversy run high. 1t is charged
by the supporters of the so-called
American plan" of employment that
the Church, in thus taking up the pro-
gram of labor, is interfering in mat
tiers entirely beyond its concern. But
a Methodist minister testifying before
the Senate Committee on Education
and Labor, insists that anything that
has a broad bearing upon humanity,
like hours of labor, working condi-
tons, and rates of pay, is the bust
ness of the Church." With this view
OF their duty in mind, the Commits
sion on the Church and Social Ser
vice of the Federal Council of
Churches of Christ of America, the
social department of the National
Catholic Welfare Council, and the So
cal service committee of the Metho-
dist Church have issued statements
upholding labor's contention that the
open shop, or American plan of en-
ployment" is in reality but camou-
mage campaign for a closed shop, "a
shop closed against members of the
umon'--and warning us of dire perils
should 1t be established. Any such
step, we are told, must occasion
alarm, and Christian leaders, ''listen-
ing to the rumbles of distant thun-
der" point to conditions in Europe
as a warning example of what may
happen here should a crisis be evoked
by the present agitation. While add
yocates of the american plan" con-
tend that the laborer will be free to
work when and where and for whom
he pleases, the Church replies that
the movement for the open shop will
mean the return to wage slavery and
the loss of all that has been, and may
be, gained from collective bargaining
There is a widespread conviction that
an attempt is being made to destroy
organized labor, says the Federal
council statement, and any such at
tempt must be viewed with apprehen-
sion by fair-minded people," To
pledge a man against affiliation with
union, we are told, ''is as unfair and
lnlmlcal to economic freedom and to
the interest of society as is CORE
spending concern exercised by labor
bodies in behalf of the closed shop
Therefore,
1t seems incumbent upon Chris.
tan employers to scrutinize carefully
any movement, however plausible
which is likely TO result in denying t.
the workers such affiliation as will
In their judgment best Safeguard
their interests and promote their wei
fare and to precipitate disastrous in
dustrial conflicts at a time when tht
country needs good viii and cooper
alton between employers and EN-
ployes."
In the Catholic statement likewise
is found the conviction that the .Jres
ent drive is not merely against tn,
closed shop, "but against unionism it
sell, and particularly against collec
tive bargaining. Should il
succeed IN the measure that its pro
ponents hope, it will thrust far int
tne ranks of the underpaid body o
American is working people,
10 aim now at putting into great
er sabjection the workers in indnstr
70 pnna and foolhardy. The radio,
movements mo-" and disturbances in e,
s sppe ought to hold lesson for Il
va;ra ~ Oh America. And 4
to be raised in the snao people ougl
this lesson home" 'eaVor to dn'
Warning is also utteroa -. a., :,