The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1939-11-03
CHURCHMEN LAUD
LABOR UNIONS AS
BULWARK OF FREE,
Say 1t is Duty of Every Worker to
Become Member of Bona
Eide Organization.

racy is organized LABOR. 1T Is Cne
hope as we'll as the strength of our
free institutions.
Leaders of three great religious de-
= Jewish, Catholic, and
- joined this week in sup
porting that contention before the
Institute of Human Relations, in a
special symposium of "The Church
and Economic Reform" at Williams
town, Mass.
The Rev. Edward L. Stephens, di-
rector of the Diocesan Missionary Fa-
theirs, Richmond, Va, regards labor
unions as so essential that he de-
clared it was the duty of every worker
to become a member of bona fde
organization.
The church, he said, should become
an active missionary in building up
"these associations of free men which
are doing SO much to safeguard our
institutions and to make them work
in a truly democratic manner"
MAN is not merely a. commodity
for the use of industry" he empha-
sized. HE is a sacred personality,
bearing the imprint of God upon his
immortal soul, and comes into this
world with certain inherent rights
that may not be taken away from him.
at is not only the divinely good
right of every man to organize in
free unions, but it is his duty to join
a union for the protection of his fell
lowmen as well as society in general.
"Unbridled competition is an evil
and must be discontinued, because it
makes for cutthroat methods and dog
eat-dog' conflict and does not consider
the common good, which must, before
all else, be the controlling motive in
the matter of hours, wages, profits
and expansion.
mo wage may be imposed that will
be destructive of the life of business
or confscatory, but if company is
poorly managed or negligent, it may
not urge this culpable condition as a
defense against doing the honorable
thing by it's employees"
Bishop Francis J. Mcconnell of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, an out
standing progressive, urged church
men to take larger interest in eco
nomic questions. Too many, he said
gather their skirts around them
when they come close to labor prob
lens.
"The larger denominations are in
vestors in funds and employers OF
labor" Bishop Mcconnell declared
eff they must rely to any extent upon
income from endowments, they should
be willing to subject their invest
ments to the most exacting scrutiny
1t is nothing short of a scandal tC
find churches standing out against la.
Dor unions on the plea that all church
earnings go to benevolent causes.
"The most benevolent philanthropy
to which the church can devote itsel1
| is that of organized labor-and, Of
course, being interpreted as support
of labor in it's struggle for justice anc
square dealing"
DR.. Robert Cords, lecturer on the
Bible at the Jewish Theological Sem
mary of America and rabbi of Rock
away Hebrew Congregation in New
York City, cited biblical law as sane
| tion for his contention that the ''la
borer is worthy of his hire" and a.
authority for churches to work fo
economic justice and human rights.
This, Rabbi Cords said, can bes
be done by supporting labor unions.
Calling upon churchmen to "attacl
specific evils urging specific remedies,
Rabbi Cords asserted that churche
Shuld be concerned with such prob
lens as child labor, cooperative, hous
ing and minimum wages" He added
"These are examples of importan
economic reform where the churc
should speak out in no uncertai
terms. What is more, it should striv
to galvanize its membership int
action.
Religion must remind men tha
above all distinctions of class, cree
color or nationality, they have the
common humanity, in whose name a
: progress must proceed. The wei
worn truth that the salvation of a
depends upon the welfare of all, al
not the destruction of others, is toda
q truth of revolutionary nrOportiOnS