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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1908)
H Clarkson's Restaurant (Successor's to Sam's Cufe) Best of Everything In Season, Prices Right. NORTH 13 St. For Saturday Only SI Worth 20 Lbs. Jprw TEA & GORREE CO. Auto Phone 2IS8 Bell 2157 206 So. 11th r MR. BATTEN REPLIES. Lincoln, Neb., March 17th. To the Editor of The Wageworker: I have read with Interest your open letter addressed to me as published in The Wageworker of March 14th. I note nlso your assurance that the columns ot The Wageworker are open to me, s.ibject of course to reasonable limi tations of space. Permit me to say that I appreciate fully the candor and courtesy of your letter, and trust that what I say may illustrate the same dualities. Let me say too that I thank you for the kind tender of space in T4c Wageworker to discuss the ques tion at Issue. I shall endeavor to be as brief as possible. There are two ways that I might take In the discussion of the question before us. 1 might take up your let ter section by section and consider each sentence by itself. And I might give my attention to the fundamental I rinclple that underlies the whole dts cusslon and seek to make this plain. In view of the fact that the main dif ference between us, as I think will become evident, is a difference in our conception of Christianity and its re lation to political action, it seems to me that the better course is to con fine our attention to the primary ques tion. If we can reach an agreement here we will not find ourselves far apart on the subsidiary questions. If we cannot agree in the primary issue, we shall not find ourselves in full, ac cord on incidental matters. . What is the relation of Christianity to political matters? Can the one who believes in the power of the Gos pel to win and save men seek the aid of law in promoting -the moral life of men? Does the .state fulfill a moral function, and can it do anything in behalf of the moral and religious pro gress of society? However these questions may be stated, these are the questions at issue. For one thing, Jesus of Nazereth was a Jew, and as such he inherited the hopes and ideals of his people. "Think not," he said, "that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets ! am not come to destroy, but to ful fill." (Matt. 6:17.) In his life and teaching he made it very plain that he regarded himself as the child of his race, and more than once he took occasion to show how the hopes and Ideals of his people were fulfilled in himself. Now, in the Jewish system we find that the state, through its ruler and its law, is the representa tive of the invisible and heavenly King. Not only so, but the life ot the O P f DRESHER Cf TAILOR 143 SOUTH TWELFTH STREET w HERMINGHAUS GUIDE of Goods Sugar FOR U1NIOIN MEN slate is the civil realization of the divine and eternal order. This mean ing lies upon the surface and cannot be mistaken. And once more in the Jcvish system the state is a kind of providence, regarding the interests of ai! men and making provision for the welfare of each. In a word, in this 8 j stem ,the state appears as the visi ble, and social realization of the di- v!ii' King and his beneficent will ; it is l lie visible and social realization ot it.e divine and eternal order; and k is the human and social providence acting for the divine providence In conserving the interests of all and In safeguarding the welfare of each. In his teaching, it is true that Jesus says little directly about the state and its functions, but he says some things, and these are very significant For one thing, he paid his taxes, as a good citizen, and he respected the powers that be. At one time in his life when enthusiasm ran high, and t'le people wanted to take him by force and make him a king, he stout ly refused. There are several reasons f- r this refusal, no doubt but it is c. l tain that in his refusal there m recognition of the rightful claims of the existing authorities. One day the Pharisees and the Herodians frame a cunning question and try to entrap him. The Pharisees, be It , remembered, were the sep aratists of their day, the religious and goody-goody people whose hopes were in heaven and who would have nothing to do with politics. The Herodians, be It remembered, were the time-servers and politicians of their time, the "practical" men who cared nothing for dreams and visions. In his reply, Jesus says: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." That is, let each party fulfill the other half of its duty. That is,' a man's duty to the state is as real as his duty to Cod, and the man who loves God must be a good citizen. Again, when on trial before Pilate, he is asked: "Whence art thou? " This is not the question at issue, and Jesus gives the Roman no answer. Then Pilate be comes angry and says: "Why do you not answer me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and I have power to crucify you?" To this Jesus replies: "Thou couldst have no power against me at all ex cept it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." What do the words mean? First, that Pilate was there in official position as the IP E R ' S BY 120 & HELWIG NEBRASKA'S SELECT HARD WHEAT fLOUR WILBUR & De WITT HILLS THE CELEBRATED LITTLE HATCHET FLOUR RYE FLOUR A SPECIALTY. TELEPHONE US Lincoln, Nab., 145 So. 9th St. Boll Phono 200; Auto 1459 representative of high heaven. Sec ond, they imply that he was there to do Justice and protect the weak and innocent. And third, they assert that that the Jewish authorities, to whom the ruler was the representative of God and to whom law was sacred, were guilty of a black sin in using the civil ruler to further their evil de signs. That is, Pilate was in office to represent in -the civil order the righteousness of God, and he was ex pected to be the earthly representa tive of the divine providence. It is not necessary to consider the teachings of the first interpreters of of Jesus, the men who had lived with him or who were most familiar with his teaching. Thus Paul says: "The powers that be are ordained of God." The purpose of government is thus defined: The punishment of evil, doers and the praise of them that do well." Further: "The ruler is the minister, the deacon of God to thee for good; an avenger executing wrath upon him that doeth evil; for this cause pay ye tribute also, for they are God's minis ters attending continually unto this very thing." (Romans 13:1-10.) It is evident that the All Wise Creator instituted this machinery we call the state in order to safeguard the inter ests of his children, by fostering and 'building up that which i right and helpful and by opposing and forbid ding as fully as possible that which is Injurious and wrong. As the best commentators show, this means that the will of God is expressed from time to time in and through the actual con stitution of the state. (Motile, on Romans, p. 355.) And the apostle Peter charges Christians to honor the King. He also bids us be in subjec tion to rulers, as sent for vengeance on evil doers, and the praise of them that do well. It is not necessary here to say any thing on the question of the relation of Church and State. But it may be noted that I am a member of that body of Christians which .through all the centuries has opposed the union of Church and State, and has de manded that each shall keep to its assigned sphere. But this does not mean that these two institutions shall work at cross purposes; and it does not niean that the state has nothing to do with the moral welfare of man kind. The purpose of the state, according to the Preamble of our Constitution, is to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, and promote the general wel HATS MADE TO ORDER AT FACTORY PRICES. CLEANING. RETRIMMING, RE BLOCKING AND REFINISHING : : UNION MADE UNION HAT MAKERS Bullus & Moore Lincoln Hat Store Renovating a Specialty Work called for and delivered No. 12th St., Lincoln, Neb. fare. The Supreme Court of the United States has declared that "Hon esty, morality, religion and education are the main pillars of the state, for the protection and promotion of which government . was Instituted' among men." It Is needless to say that these things are the chief interests of hu man life, and must be sought in every legitimate and effective way. According to the Christian princi ple, we are here to take thought for others' welfare, . We know that it is not the will of the 'Father In heaven that one of his little ones should per ish. We are charged to make straight paths for men's feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way. We are here to maintain an unrelenting warfare against the things -that hurt man and disturb the peace of society. We are to regard government as the agency of Providence in the protec tion of the weak, the punishment of the evil doer and the' promotion of human well being. The Christian man is supposed to have the spirit of Christ; he wants all men to be helped and blessed; Nhe is not willing that any child shall toe wronged and tram pled under foot; he wants ' every stumbling block taken up out of the way of the people; he longs to cast out of the cities of earth the things that defile, that work abomination and that make a lie; he has the vision of a Holy City on earth where no evil is permitted; and he prays for the time when every life shall have fair opportunity to grow up tall and straight and pure and clean. The Christian man sees in the state an agency of God for the promotion of some of these ends at least; he real izes that "law is a rule of civil con duct, prescribed by the supreme au thority in the state, commanding what is Right and Prohibiting what is Wrong;" he knows that In the sphere of his social and clvi lllfe his religion is to manifest itself and his Ideal Js to be realize; In a word. In and through the state he seeks to establish justice, to ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, take up stumbling blocks and make straight paths for men's feet. The machinery of government is an agency of God for these great ends; and the Christian spirit Is the power that can move men to seek these ends. The fact Is, Christianity is 'becoming ef fective . insofar as men are seeking these ends in every way that is open to them as men and a citizens. The fact is also that the "power of the Gospel is seen wherever men are moved and inspired to take thought for others and to labor for the com mon welfare. I Of course, the Christian who has the spirit of Jesus will hot seek to employ the arm of government in compelling men to believe any kind of doctrines. Neither will the man who believes in the power of truth denounce and despise the men who may not agree with him in all things. These things belong ' to the inner realm of conscience and motive, and with these the state has nothing to do. But with social conditions, with conduct that is injurious to others, with evil systems and demoralizing institutions, the state has everything to do. And it is in the effort to im prove social conditions, to take up stumbling blocks, to make it Dossible for every child to grow up straight and tall, and to have justice done in the world that the Christian must prove the reality of his faith and love. Two or three applications of our prin ciple is all that space permits. Suppose one part of the community, that is intelligent and . understands the laws of health, is seeking to make is possible for all men to live in health and security; But suppose that an other part of the community, that is ignorant of the laws of health and cares iittle for the common safety, insists on throwing their slops in the street after the good old troglodyte fashion. Must the Intelligent part of the community watch their chil dren sicken and die with fever till the ignorant and stubborn part of the community have become ' Christians? If they are sensible will they not or ganize a Board of Health and either compel the other fellows to leave -the community or have some regard for the health of others? Suppose a few corporation mana gers without soul and conscience em ploy little children in their mills and mines in the most demoralizing con ditions and at starvation wages? And suppose the employment of such chil dren is found to be utterly demoraliz ing in that it is depriving them of an education, is undermining their con stitutibn and is unfitting them for citizenship In the state? Must we al low this evil of child labor to go on unchecked till we have created a soul in the mill owners and have developed in them a trace of conscience? Mr. Maupin, will you not agree with me that the most Christian and most sen sible thing we can do is to pass good strong law which shall prohibit the employment of little children in mines and factories and shall punish most severely the mill owners who grow fat out of the ill paid labor of children? Suppose we find that a few corpora uuii managers, men without con science, but with unlimited canltal are foirmltig great combinations to beat down competition, to corner the necessaries of life, to fix the prices of commodities, to compel every man in the same line of trade to join the com bination or go to the wall, and to be trade buccaneers and omTin 1-ft 3 1 pirates. And suppose it should appear that in such an order of things the individual trader has no chance life, and is fast being reduced to the condition of a serf and underline Now, must we wait till our Rockefel lers an Posts have come to under stand the whole Gospel of Christ and have learned to apply the truth to every detail of their commercial life Will you not agree with me that the most sensible and Christian thine do Is to enact good straightforward laws Which shall make it impossible for men to play the ipart of commer uiai pirates ana prosper and grow rich? i 'Suppose, once more, it should be found that a gang of robbers infests a certain road from Jerusalem' Jerlco and are in the habit of rob bing and half killing all travelers who pass that way. What shall we do under 'the circumstances? Shall we build a hospital along that road to care for these robbed and wounded unfortunates? Shall we maintain that hospital till we have sent mission aries to these robbers and they are all converted? Will you not agree with me that the wise and Christian thing to do is to call upon the Jerusa lem police to clean out that nest robbers and to make that road safe for every child -who may pass that way? Is not that a pretty sensible way of making our religion effective And last of all, suppose it shoubl appear that a certain institution modern society say the saloon traffic Is responsible for a large proportion of the crime, pauperism, insanity, idiocy and misery of 'the world. - Sun pose it should appear that, according to the best authorities, this traffic responsible for . 84 per cent of 1 crime. 75 per cent of the oaunerism and 67 per cent of the insanity. Sup pose, further, It should appear that many of the men engaged In business, who care nothing for this the things of religion and take no thought for the real welfare of their fellows while admitting that it is a bad busi ness, yet continue in it for the sake of the money profits. -Must we allow this business to continue unchecked. to-catch the boys -and ruin them, to place temptation before men, to throw heavy burdens upon society In caring for the criminals and paupers and de- fectives, and to be the chief source of social demoralization and human misery, till all the men engaged in the manufacture and sale of intoxi cants have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and have learned to apply his principles to all the details ot their lives? Will you not agree with me that the wise and Christian thing to do under the circumstances is to enact such laws as shall make it im possible for men to manufacture and sell that which tends to demoralize men and to cast heavy burdens upon society? Must we not " say that the best way to prove the power of our faith and the reality of our religion s to prohibit the saloon and to take up this stumbling block out of the way of the people? , The church as an institution is here to serve mankind in the, realm of- the inner and spiritual life; it is here to inform the mind, to purify the in sight, ' to ' train the conscience, to arouse the will; it is here to win men's hearts, to save their souls, to seek the lost and love them into the Kingdom of God.' The state as an in stitution is , here to serve mankind in the outer and social realm of life; it is here to 'be the institute of Tights, to conserve human conditions,' to maintain justice between man and man, to regulate men's conduct in sofar as It affects the well being of society; it Is here to protect the weak against the strong, to direct the strong, and restrain the vicious, to promote the common welfare anl safeguard the common peace. In the Christian conception of things, the church and the state are both divine institutions; each with a divine and human mission, "each fulfilling an es sential function in the life" of man and the progress, and- yet both co operating in the one end and both seeking the well being of man. ' In this modern world the Christian finfi3 himself a member of both the church nd the state ; . . , under these; circum stances what must he do? One course of action only is logical and Christian: he Is to work in and through these institutions in the In terests of man and the promotion of the kingdom. - He Is to work in and through the church upon the - inner spiritual life of man, dealing with such things as human hearts and motives, with human consciences and wills. He Is to work In and through the state ' upon the outer social life of man, dealing with such -things as hu-! man actions and conduct, with social -conditions and institutions. In' and through the church, I, as an numMe followed of the Master, will do whar I can to Inform the mind, to show men the duty of temperance, to per-' siiade them to forego all, use of In toxicants, and to build them up in faith and love. In and through the state, ' I, . as ' a Christian citizen, . will do what I can to remove all tempta tion from men, to provide helpful and not hurtful conditions, to take up all stumbling blocks and to make straight paths for men's feet. And in -my judgment one line of action- is just a;5 Christian as the other. Too long we as Christians have limited pur in terests and have confined ourserrec too exclusively to man's spiritual and heavenly life. Now the , time ' has come for us to serve the whole lifr or man and to ensure such, condi tions as shall make it possible for every life to grow up straight and tall and pure. ; - ' We cannot say , that Christianity has failed because It has not- yet won ali men and taught them how to live am citizens of the kingdom. We must rather say that Christianity has not yet been tried in its fulness an'd , power. ; We cannot say that Christian ity is failing because it uses the divine agency known as government ti promote human well being and to secure better conditions for the peo ple. We must rather say that these are ways in which " the power of Christianity is proving itself as the power of God unto social salvation and human progress. '-; Assuring you of my deep and abid ing interest In the cause of union labor, and affirming my conviction that every child of the race should have a fair chance for life and for its best things; assuring you also of my high personal consideration for yourself, and thanking you for the privilege of - thus stating my social -religion, I remain, . Yours most sincerely, ' SAMUEL Z. BATTEN. V PAINTERS., ." Painters' Union No. 47 held its regu lar meeting Tuesday night at Mom son hall, which was well attended. Twenty-five new members were Initi ated and twenty-one applications are still pending. Prospects look bright for the coming season. Indianapolis. Union. A dispatch received from Yaznaya Polynia says that Count Tolstoi, who is ill with influenza, has suffered a re I lapse.