THE CHURCH
R. WILLIAM HORACE DAY, who takes a keen and intel
ligent interest in the
is preaching a scries of sermons on industrial questions, in
which he, is showing that Jesus was an advocate of the rights
of labor, and that the church has not departed from the fool
s' teps of its founder.
Few will be found to differ
trating views so admirably expressed by Dr. Day, in first and
second of these addresses. Jesus believed in work, He believ
ed the laborer worthv of his hirei He believed in co-operation
for the common tilling of the
communism in the use of land
He demanded of the man who
for a day's pay, and of the employer, a day's pay for a day's
work.
The church, like other institutions has had its ups and
downs of industrial opinion. In
.has been in the vanguard of progress. . In another place and in
another time it has been reactionary.
The modern church cannot
with the toiler. The Catholic
ica a labor program which is
ideals of the average toiler.
very liberal in their views.
Dr. Day's parish has established a forum in which discus
sion is exceedingly fre3e, and the
over which conflict of opinion
over.
A religious institution must necessarily deal in principles,
and in generalities. It has little capacity to deal with parti
cular social measures. The reasons why this incapacity should
exist are abundant and simple, and need not be here discussed.
Popular conception of progress rests usually upon a par
ticular statute, reform or thing to be done. The antecedent
principles upon which the individual reform is based, do not
as a rule attract wide attention.
