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And if that were the general attitude of .the church toward labor the church
would be packed with laborers every Sunday. They would get acquainted
with the preacher during the week, when they were solving their daily
bread-and-butter problem.
But how many times has Rev. Mr. Lloyd gone'to the workingmen hi
their troubles and tendered his aid toward getting- them justice?
How many ministers of the church tbok up the fight for justice and a
living wage for the clerks in Chicago department stores when the O'Hara
committee exposed the starvation wage policy of those stores?
How many ministers of the gospel even lifted up their voices in the
pulpit to help arouse a public sentiment that would insist on a decent living
wage for. the department store clerks?
What ministers of the gospel went down into the loop last year to help
the striking newsboys and save them from the assaults of newspaper slug
gers and policemen?
, How many labor strikes have ministers investigated? How many have
they taken enough interest in to find whether the demands of the men were
just or unjust?
How will you make workingmen and women believe the church is the
ally of labor unless the church is with them in their most serious trouble
when they are striving for a living wage and a fair chance to feed, clothe,
house and educate their children?
I am asking these questions to be helpful, for I know something of what
is running through the minds of men who are struggling with all "their
might to keep their heads above water in the fight for an existence.
I have talked with preachers about the falling off "of church attendance.
I have talked with men and with women. I find no falling off of reverence
ior religion or of love forthe Christianity of Christ. So there is nothing the
matter with Christianity It must be there is something the matter with
the church.
.Monday after Monday I have waded through the Sunday sermons as
printed in Monday's Inter-Ocean. Many of them were beautiful. They
were full of as lovely language as I ever heard. The word-painting was
artistic. ' The interpretation of Biblical quotations was classic.
But I have not yet found one-that would make we want to go to church
to hear it or another like it. And I didn't find what I was looking for
something that would help the daily toiler solve HS vital problems.
Possibly these preachers who are so often quoted in the Inter-Ocean on
Monday might find illumination in the fact that the only paper that pays
attention to their sermons is the boldest organ in town of the interests
that thrive by exploiting labor.
It gets down to this: If the workingmen won't go to church, then it
is up to the church to go to the workingmen. To get to them it will have to
take an interest in them seven days of the week instead of one. It will have
to be sympathetic with their daily-bread, problem. It will have to be with
them in their material troubles as well as in their soul troubles; for the two
are closely related.
One trouble with some churches is identical with the one big trouble
with some newspapers too much editing from the business office. Some
churches have too many business problems. Some preachers are too fond
of the creature comforts of life.
Sympathy that works both ways is necessary to get workers and
church together. The church will have to sympathize with the real troubles
of labor the troubles hat involve the family before there will be that
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