LABOUR UPHEAVAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8726, 27 November 1913, Page 7

LABOUR UPHEAVAL

REV. R. J. CAMPBELL SPEAKS

Rev. R. J. Campbell preached at Pembroke Ghapel, Liverpool, last month. He said he had received a letter from a Liverpool citizen, who appeared to be a local Labour leader, asking him to give his views on the present labour unrest, his opinion on the almost unbroken silence of the Christian with respect to labour problems, and his ideas with respect to the possibilities of the-Labour press. On the last question Mr Campbell said he had no competence to pronounce an opinion. On the main question he had .more 'definite views. One's sympathies, at the present time, were, in the main, with the workers. He believed that the present labour upheaval was a groping after a fuller, nobler, more abundant life. The disinherited were coming into their own. The people were pressing into the promised land. But it was a movement fraught with great danger. He knew too much of history to treat that danger lightly.

Our current conditions (Mr Campbell continued) had existed almost exactly in former civilisations. Were they going to fail, as did Greece and Rome ? Man could not live by bread alone. Was the labour movement going to be materialistc, or would it endeavour to cultivate a true spiritual consciousness ? Democracy in this country was on its trial, and so far it had done nothing very wonderful. As to the statement about the silence of, the Christian Church, he respectfully demurred to the opinion expressed by his correspondent. It was no longer true that the Christian Church was a silent witness of labour troubles. At the Church Congress, just, over, the whole subject; was frankly treated, and the views of the workers fearlessly expressed by men like Conrad Noel and Philip Snowden. The function of the Church was something other than merely to labour for a reform of social conditions. That is the complement that follows from its higher: function. <The principal function* of the Christian Church was that of a witness to the Eternal, and if the Church ever made that second she would prove no good to anyone,- and perish. Pray God that neither the Christian -Church nor the Labour movement would fail in the trust committed to their charge.