73
S TRADES If.ra COUNCILS
VrOL. 3
.1X001, NEBRASKA, SEPTEMBER 7, 190(
NO. 22
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The Trades Union
And the Chwch
Sunday was observed at the Second
Presbyterian church in Lincoln as
"Labor Sunday," the pastor, Rev. B. M.
Long, preaching on the subject, "The
Workingman and the Church," at the
morning service. In the evening Fred
V. Mickel and Will M. Maupin, mem
bers of Lincoln Typographical Union,
occupied the pulpit by invitation of
Rev. Mr. -ong. A large audience as
sembled and was seemingly interested
in the remarks of the speakers. Fol
lowing is the address of Mr. Maupin,
who took for his subject, "The Trades
' Union and the Church."
I shall take for the text of my re
marks this evening on the subject of
"The Trades Union and the Church,"
the twenty-fifth verse of the first chap
ter of the General Epistls of James:
"But whoso looketh Into the perfect
law of liberty, and continueth therein,
he being not a forgetful hearer, but a
doer of the work, this man shall be
blessed in his deed."
I take it for granted that a majority
of my hearers this evening are much
more familiar with the work of the
church than withi the work of the
trades unions, therefore I shall devote
the greater portion of the brief time
at my command to a general, and
necessarily hurried, explanation of the
objects and aims of trades unions.
The trades unions of today are but the
natural development of the guilds of
ancient times. These guilds came into
existence in Rome centuries before the
birth of Christ, and were then made
up generally of merchants banding
themselves together for mutual protec
tion. These guilds gradually grew in
strength until they became the basis
of municipal constitutions, and all who
wished to participate ' in municipal
government were obliged to join these
Siiilds. Guilds Introduced the 'demo-1
. cratic element into society and became
the bulwark of the citizen's liberty.
It Is usual, however, to trace the his
tory of these guilds from the Middle
Ages. One of the earliest of these
guilds of which we have any clear
knowledge was organized by the shoe
makers of Mandelburg in 1157. The
guilds grew in numbers and influence
until they acquired great political
power, and before the, close of the
Fourteenth century their power coun
terbalanced that of the nobles and
gave the common people something
like an even chance. From these guilds
has sprung the modern trades union.
A trades union is an organized body
of workmen in any trade, manufacture
or Industrial occupation, associated to
gether for the promotion of their com
mon interests. The New Standard En
cyclopedia says: "Specific aims may
vary in different unions, but generally
speaking, the alms of these organiza
tions are the provision and distribu
tion of funds, and by other means to
regulate the conditions of labor in the
trades included in the society,, and the
relations of Its members with them;
to promote the general and material
welfare of its members; to assist them
when out of work and in distressed
circumstances; to support them in case
of sickness, accident or superannua
tion, and loss of tools by fire; to pro
vide for their burial and the burial of
their wives; and to aid other trades
societies having for ti.w-r objects, or
one of them, the promotion of the In
terests of workingrnen."
This is a very fair and comprehen
sive description of the objects of the
modern trades union. I leave it to
the Judgment of my unprejudiced and
thoughtful hearers if there is anything
therein that the church of Jesus Christ
' cannot endorse.
The modern trades union is the re
sult of an evolution that has been go
ing on in every department of society
during the last three, centuries. For
the reason that trades unions are
made up of fallible men and women,
their mistakes, are many, often costly,
and often vicious In their results. But
I am ready to stand or fall by the
declaration that all of the crimes that
have been, Justly or unjustly, laid at
the doors of trades unionism, may with
equal truth be laid at the doors of the
church. All of the assaults, aU of the
pillage, all of the bloodshed that has
been charged against trades unionism
are but a drop in the bucket compared
with the assaalts, the pillage and the
bloodshed perpetrated by those who
.have professed themselves to be the
followers of the meek and lowly Jesus.
I do not say that the professed follow
ers of Je3iis who have committed these
crimes were Christians. They were
probably only church members. But I
do say that workingrnen who have
been guilty of the crimes charged
against trades unions were not trades
unionists, but merely members of
trades unions. There 13 a wide dif
ference between religion and Chris
tianity; and there is an equally wide
distance between being a trades union
ist and a member of a trades union.
It has been charged that the trades
unions endeavor to run the employers'
business. The charge is absolutely
false. Unions merely undertake to pre
vent the employer absolutely control
ling our destinies, both physical and
spiritual. The trades unionist insists
that he shall have some voice in the
disposition of his wares his labor
and to enforce this position he asso
ciates himself with men engaged in a
like occupation and by collective bar
gaining is able to make this demand
felt. Christians band themselves to
gether in.church organizations for very
similar reasons for mutual helpful
ness, and to permit their work in the
cause of the moral uplift of humanity
to be of greater force and effect In
their very essence the church and the
trades unions are conducted along sim
ilar lines, the one seeking more to
strengthen the spiritual side of man,
the other to guard more carefully his
physical well being. These two thingh
are most intimately related, for a
starving man is but little removed
from the wild animal, and therefore
not in good position to listen to ap
peals to his conscience. The man
driven from bed to work and from
work to bed cannot, in the very nature
of things, be either a good parent, a
good citizen or a good Christian. One
of the objects of trades unionism, is
to give the workman time in which
to improve his mind and therefore his
motals and his citizenship. Are not
objects such as this one worthy of
the support and commendation of the
church made up of men and women
who seek to spread the pure and simple
gospel of the Carpenter of Nazareth?
It has been charged by men who
should knowl better that the trades
unions deny the non-unionist the right
to work. The charge Is absolutely un
true. I have been a trades Unionist
for upwards of twenty years, and dur
ing all that time I have never known
my union, or any of my fellow union
ists, to deny to the non-union .printer
the rjght to work for whom he pleases,
for what wage he pleases and as many
hours a day as he pleases. But let me
call your attention to a few pertinent
and incontrovertible facts. Every law
upon the statute books protecting the
life and limb of the toilers was put
there by the energy, the devotion and
the self-sacrifice of trades unions, and
in the face of the opposition of the
employers of labor. Every child labor
law, protecting the playtime and the
innocence of childhood, is the result
of trades union activity. Every law
guarding the interests of the toilers
against the greed and rapacity of the
employers is the result of the cease
less energy and sacrifice of the trades
unions. Mine laws, factory laws, safe
ty appliance laws all these have been
put upon the statute books by the ef
forts of organized labor. The benefits
of these laws are shared equally by
the union man and the non-union man.
The union man, however, his given of
his time and his money to bring about
these bettered conditions, while the
non-union man. profiting equally, has
given nothing. He is a human sponge.
And while I will admit his right to
work as he pleases, as a trades union
ist who has endeavored to bear his
share of the burden of bringing about
and maintaining these Improved con
ditions, I refuse to work, by the side
of such a man.
Is the position of the union man
wrong? Before you answer pause and
consider the church organizations to
which we belong. What do you think
of the unctuous individual who prays
long and sings loud, is a regular at
tendant at church, always raises his
voice in social and business meetings,
and then takes literally the words of
the old song, "Thank God, salvation's
free," and refuses to pay a penny to
the furtherance of church work?
What do you think of the man who
j claims to be a Christian and yet re
fuses to ally himself openly with the
people of God who are banded together
for the organized furtherance of God's
kingdom on earth? The more closely
you study the objects and aims of the
trades union and the church the more
you will, realize their similarity.
I will go even further than that by
saying that the mistakes of the trades
union and the mistakes of the church
are very similar. A few months ago
I read in a paper published in the in
Labor Day Doings in Lincoln
Labor Day in Lincoln dawned bright
and clear, and long before the time
set for the formation of the parade the
people began gathering on the down
town streets to witnees the procession
and to see the beautiful decorations
prepared for the triple purpose of en
tertaining state rair visitors, honor
ing the home coming of Mr. Bryan
and marking the celebration of labor's
great holiday.
There were two disappointments dur
ing the day. The state - fair band,
promised by the management, failed to
make its appearance. The band hails
from York, and the excuse given for
its non-appearance was that it missed
the train. The Beatrice delegation
failed to make its appearance in the
promised numbers, and the band which
met the Beatrice train to greet the
visitors paraded back to the city with
out a Beatrice man behind it. A'few
who came from the city on the Blue
quietly fell into line with their fellow
unionists of Lincoln and the Beatrice
section did not materialize. The ab
sence of the state fair band was not
noticed by reason of the fact that the
management of the- Parker Carnival
company kindly tendered the use of the
company's band. The offer was accept
ed and the band aided materially in the
work of making the parade a great suc
cess. The parade was probably not quite
so large as that of two years ago, but
in many respects it .'Was better. Sev
eral organizations did not participate
for what are doubtless good reasons,
but those in line made an excellent
showing, and the preparations made
by the different unions showed the in
terest taken in the day. The Typo
graphical Union was courteously given
the head of the column as a recogni
tion of Its gallant light for the eight
hour day and the closed shop. The
printers proudly placed their1 Auxiliary
ahead, the women riding in carriages.
The trades allied in the printing busi
ness marched with the printers ami
formed the first section of the parade.
The parade was led by a platoon of
police and B ruse's band.
The Wageworker has already printed
the order of the parade and it would
be unfair to single out one organiza
tion for especial mention when all
worked so hard to make the best pos
sible showing.
The Carpenters turned out the
largest number, having the largest
union in the city. The Electrical
Workers were out in full force, and
with the possible exception of the
Typographical Union made the second
largest showing. The Painters and
Decorators, too, showed up well both in
numbers and in appearance. The
Cigarmakers are entitled to credit for a
magnificent showing. As label boom
ers the Cigarmakers can give - them
all points and then win in a walk.
Their appearance was greeted with ap
plause all along the line.
The Boilermakers and their band,
from Havelock, earned loud applause
all along the line. .
There were numerous interruptions
during the parade. And right here and
now The Wageworker wants to voice
what it believes to be the sentiment
of every man who marched last Mon
day. .
Next year, jf the city authorities do
not see to it that the parade is un
molested by street cars and fool driv
ers, the marchers will take the matter
into their own hands. A few over
turned wagons and street cars may
result in .leaching some people a little
lesson in good manners. All during
the parade Mouday the street cars
plunged through the procession with
utter disregard of the rights of the
marchers or the comfort of the specta
tors who had gone to the trouble of
standing in the sun for an hour or two
to see the parade. Drivers of vehicles
plunged thrcugh the line at every
crossing, and furniture vans drove
slowly along just as if nothing was go
terests of the church organization to
which I belong, a long editorial de
nouncing the acts of certain trades
unionists who had made a concerted
attack upon a body of men imported
to take their places. . I agreed with
the editorial as a whole. But in the
same issue of that paper I read an
other editorial commending our mili
tary occupancy of the Philippine
islands on the ground that it would
Continued on Pvge 3
ing On. The city authorities should
have acted last Monday. They will save
a whole lot of trouble by attending to
the matter next time. And if what
The Wageworker heard after the last
parade is an index of the feelings of
the linior. mer who always march on
Labor Day, the driver who "butts in"
on ths line next year would do well to
have an ambulance handy, and the
Traction Company's wrecking crew
should be ready to pick up every car
that cuts through the line.
' So far as anyone knows, not an ac
cident recurred .to mar the day. A
great many went to Capital Beach,
others to the fair, others to Lincoln
Park, and still others to the ball game.
The streets in the afternoon were
comparatively ' deserted, but at night
everybody was out and the streets
were crowded. Even then it was an
orderly crowd and the police found
themselves with very little to do.
As a whole, the day was one of the
test in the history of organized labor
in this city, and the members of the
general committee in charge of the
affair have every reason to feel proud
of their efforts.
' Labor Day Notes.
;The Barbers were not in line this
year. They felt that it was only fair
to the employers and to the visiting
public to remain open during the day.
Rev.' Mr, Batten marched with the
Typographical nion,- and just before
the printers broke ranks they gave
Mr. Batten three hearty cheers to
show their appreciation of his friend
ship for organized labor,
A balky team and an amateur driver
came near creating trouble in the
Typographical Union section just be
fore the parade, started. The' horses
balked and lay down, and for a min
ute there was 'a small-sized panic. No
one was injured, although there were
one or two narrow ecapes in the ex
citement. The Lathers paraded with hats con
taining a bogus label.
The banner of the Leatherworker3
was easily the handsomest in the pa
rade. That of the Typographical Union
easily the oldest.
It is the unanimous determination
of the union men of Lincoln that un
less union musicians can be secured
hereafter there will be no music in
future Labor Day parades. If the or
ganizations will carry out this policy
in the matter of their annual ball3
there will be something doing in
musical circles pretty soon.
The stores that closed at noon on
Labor Day should be remembered by
organized labor and recognition of the
fact given on every possible occasion.
The Electrical Workers had a hand
some float in the parade.
The Teamsters' float was unique in
design and attracted a great deal ot
attention and favorable comment.
The Building Laborers showed up
well in the parade. They were out
in full force and were tastefully uni
formed in the working clothes of their
craft.
The Bartenders' section was small,
but you could see their big red roses
for a dozen blocks.
The parade was witnessed by more
people than usually witness a circus
parade.
Say, if the men in that parade would
vote as solidly as they marched a lot
ot cheap skate politicians would sit up
and take notice.
The grand marshal and his assist
ants rode their prancing steeds with
all the skill and ease that marks the
skilled horseman.
Not a railroad organization was in
line, unless the Boilermakers are
classed in that list.
The Typographical Union had seven
ty men in line, despite the fact that
both evening papers issued as usual.
And every one of the seventy has been
paying 10 per cent of his wages every
week since the first of January to make
sure the eight-hour day and the closed
shop. .
The Workingman
And the Gntch
Following is a synopsis of a sermon
on "The Workingrnen and the Church,"
by Rev, B. M. Long, pastor of the Sec
ond Presbyterian church, on Sunday,
September 2:
Comparayvely little can be said up
on a theme so large and so important
as this in the brief space of thirty
minutes. I beg you withal, dear
brethren of the church and of the
trades union, to hear me.
My convictions are that the rela
tion of the church to the labor move
ment is rarely understood, chiefly be
cause this relation is viewed from the
wrong point of view, or viewed, with
prejudicial eyes. A better understand
ing between these two great factors in
society would overcome many difficul
ties in the way of the progress of
man's betterment. This great ques
tion must, be met and considered. We
cannot turn it down with the wave
of the hand and say, "Oh, it Is only a
thing of a day." .
We must make up our minds that
the trades unions are here to stay, and
we must also make up our minds that
the church is here to stay; therefore,
the best relations ought to exist be
tween them; not by compromising any
features that make for righteousness,
but by studying and aiding each other
in the great cause of humanity.
Many church people do not under
stand the work of the trades unions.
Many naturally associate them with
socialism, and even the worst phases
of socialism, and at once a barrier is
lifted between them; and the trade
unions. Some phases of socialism are
all right, and on the other hand, some
phases are undeniably wrong and
avowedly materialistic, and are sowing
seeds . of hatred instead of seeds of
love.
Socialism may be here to stay also,
and must be reckoned with, but it
must not be regarded as synonymous
with the trades union. Socialism is
undoubtedly growing in strength and
influence. It has swept over Germany
like a great ti4al wave, and we may
expect that it will in some measure
sweep over this country. Unfortunate
ly, the sentiment is growing among
workingrnen. I say unfortunately! In
fact, some trades unions are going
bodily over to socialism. This Is to be
deplored. The hostility of organized
socialism toward the church is such
that it openly despises the church, and
in some places the bitterness is so
manifest that no church member is
allowed to hold office in any socialistic
party. But all workingrnen are not
socialists. ' Far from it. Yet one must
not overlook the sad fact that some
of them are substituting socialism for
the church. It may be that some of
them honestly feel that socialism more
nearly represents Christ's teachings
than does the church. I shall not pass
judgment upon them. But what con
cerns me most is that the great mass
of workingrnen who are not socialistic
in tendencies are not reached by the
church. There must be a reason for.
this. The blame lies somewhere. It
may be difficult to find just fwhere, but
somewhere. Would that both the
church and the trades union, before
trying to attach the blame would ask
as did the disciples at the Last Sup
per, "Lord, is it I."
Mr. Charles Stelzle, who represents
the Presbyterian board in the interests
of workingrnen, says: "Among the
two thousand mechanics whom I knew
for eight years, only about five per
cent attended church regularly." He
says they were men who had a keen
interest in social questions, especially
as they had to do with the labor prob
lem. The question is, Why did so few
of them care for the church? Let
that be as it may, it is a problem to
which the church cannot long remain
indifferent. In the first place, many
doubtless misunderstood the church.
To such the church must make its
position clear. In the second place,
and our faces blush as we speak, the
church has not done it3 whole duty it
has not lived on those principles that
Jesus Christ laid down by which His
church should be actuated. If we have
failed in any degree, let us confess our
sins and by the help of the Master do
better. I "
There is no use denying that a great
many thinking workingrnen are alien
ated from the church. I believe, how
ever, that this is largely due to wrong
impressions. How those wrong im
pressions obtain I shall not now dis
cuss. Many workingrnen have the im
pression that the church teaches that
the whole duty of man is to get saved,
then he will go to heaven. This may
have been learned from the teachings
of some churchmen, but how different
the teaching of Jesus when He says;
"He that saveth his life shall lose it."
The import of which is, He that seeks
salvation just to go to heaven will
never get there. The teaching of
Jesus is that we should seek to b
good, but not for ourselves alone, but
for others. That we should seek to
get to heaven, not for ourselves alone,
but to get others there, and that we
should also seek to get as much of
heaven as possible 'into men while
here on earth.
The chief mission of the church is to
teach men to live; the result of which
will be better homes, better society
and better government.
We should go to church; w!e should
pray; we should" attend to all the
means Qf grace. But after( all, this is
only a means to an end. . 'i v -
It is because men are Christian that
we have asylums, hospitals and homes
for the aged. ' These are the outflow
of the , principles which our . Lord
taught; but it is not enough that we
have these public institutions. There
must be individual hospitals and asy
lums and homes for aged and needy
our hearts must be asylums and. hos- -pitals
and homes for. those who need
help.
Christ preached a strong and manly
gospel, but men have narrowed it down
until only a part of its meaning is
apparent. The church has attempted
again and again, and wisely it may be,
to answer the question, ."What shall
I do to be saved?" but not so often,
we fear, has it attempted to answer
the question, "How, shall I help my
neighbor and make him happier and
wiser, and how shall 1 help my coun
tr yand make its institutions better?"
The trades unions tell us that the
rich control the church and that they
are hard-hearted and grind down the
lives of employes. This is in a meas
ure true. It is greatly to be deplored
when true, but it is only in part true.
In the first place the rich do not al
ways control the church, and, second,
they are not always hard-hearted. Sad
it is that such a condition should ob
tain in any degree, buf the whole must
not be judged by a part. The state
ment is made that the church is main
ly supported by the rich and, there
fore, a poor man or a man of moderate
means cannot feel at home as a part ,
of the church. Again, this is only
partly true. The great bulk of sup
port to the church is from men of
ordinary means. Only a small per .
cent comes from men who are worth .
a couple of hundred thousand or half ,
a million, or more. When a million- ..
aire gives $10,000 the papers all pub
lish it, but when a $10,000 man gives ,
$100 the papers say nothing, and this
is the same proportion.
The welfare of man was the crown
ing object of Christ's life and mission.
It ought to be the crowning purpose of
our lives. : , i ,
It Is said, '"The chief end of man is
to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
I accept it all, but I do insist that
one of the best wtays to glorify God is
to seek the highest good of. humanity,
without which we cannot enjoy Him
forever.
Oh, how different the philosophy of
some men from that adduced by Him '
who spoke as never man spoke! How
different their political economy from
that of our Lord. -' - '
A heartless people will say:
"Blessed are ye who belong to huge
monopolies, for ye shall become im
immensely rich" and the echo comes
back, "Blessed are ye who hate the
rich, for in so doing ye hate all evil."
Such is not the spirit of the Christ.
This is an abnormal state of society,
and it is inexpressibly sad when such
a spirit manifests itself among pro-;
fessing 'Christians. I believe, that it
is the business of the church to lead
off in applying the .principles of our
Lord. ' The plan of our Lord was to-,'
change men rather than methods. He
did not deal with methods, only as
they would be applicable in all ages.
Many books are born and take high
places in the curriculum of the schools
for a time and then are laid away
Continued on Page 5