The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-06-07
from the Ne,c York National Democrat, June 8.
Rights OF Labor and Capital-FalIaeies of
Socialism.

From the Ne,c York National Democrat June 8.
Rights OF Labor and Capital-FaIIasies of
Socialism.
All nooern socialism is the opposite extreme of
the feudallsm OF the past ages; one extreme bv an
universal law OF the intellectual and moral world.
producing another The main features IF This
great movement, as it appears in America. are a
follows: Its great object is good one-o secure IN
every man the means of enjoyment precisely in
proportion to his labor, whether that consists in
manual labor, in capital, fthe result of labor,) or
in skill; 80 that each may have a per centage of
profit in proportion to the amount of one the
other of these which he may invest This is not
purely levelling system; for if, in phalanx or
association of twenty men, any one of them
brings into the general concern his 50 per cent oil
capital, or labor, skill, while all the rect furnish
only 25 per cent. of either, he of the 50 gets a
double share of the profits which accrue, over him
who furnishes the % per cent.
The great idea eeems to be to prevent any :
lust or exorbitant profits being realized by one
portion Of the community at the expense of the
rest Advantages are not moderated by this sys.
tenn, but they receive only their due Importance,
and, by the system of association, none allowed
to possess any privileges which would interfere
with the just interests of others. As to religion,
the great doctrine of American Socialists is. that
Christianity will not have done its work until its
ministers preach the temporal we'll as spiritual
advancement of the whole human family. COM
munity OF goods and a community of wives are not
in any way essential to the completion of the
scheme of American Socialists, as is often sup
posed.
This principle has sometimes assumed a simpler
form, as in Boston, where there were forty-five
associations, in which number of families unite,
varying from fifty to three hundred, who paid
weekly from three to ten dollars into the general
fund, hired room or store, and employed intelli.
gent and trustworthy agents to purchase articles
wanted in their households at wholesale prices
These supplied the articles of domestic consump
ton at cost, or nearly 30, and the estimate has
been made that their members saved in price and
quality about twenty per cent on all the articles
consumed.
But even in this lower and simpler form of the
principle, important difficulties 1t is pre-.
sumed that every member will pay into the com,
mon fund conscientiously his just proportion of
his expenses, according to his income. Where is
the certainty or security that this will be done;
or that dishonest members may not withhold
portion of their money, and subsst upon the
revenues of others? Again, there must be agents
employed in every such association; who is to
guarantee their universal honesty? Every thing,
far as the beneficial operation of the principle
goes, depends upon the employment of such agents,
and there is nothing which can secure their
honesty there is great risk in the expert
ment
Suppose the system we're carried out into uni
versal applicaon-and true principle will be
capable of this-and all the community were to be
formed into socialist organization, how will you
govern the indolent, how control the crafty, the
dishonest, the licenous; who will feed and clothe
the thriftless and wandering multitudes whom no
principles direct and no motives impel to the pur-
suits of industry and order? The more association
of interests and unity of labor and capital you in
troduce, the greater become the facilities for an
archy and imposture which are given. Even if
the principle true and feasible one, were the
,Lo1o 49,,
that vast number of them not such, renders
the project dangerous and harmful. There would
be constant imposture, constant open and secret
lntrigues, factions, and immoralites, which must
inevitably occur as long as human beings remain
the selfish and corrupt creatures they are. No
thing but the strong arm of the law will keep
them in external order. Nothing but the highest
moral principle will give them internal excellence
and harmony.
1t will be granted by every impartial thinker
that labor of all kinds, in opposition to moneyed
sources, should receive rewards more equally pro-
portloned than they now do. In this country the
evil is light indeed compared with that which
prevails in England and France. 1t is still true
that here the working classes to some extent are
plundered and preyed upon by the other classes
But the evil, light it is, is for which those
other classes are not themselves much to blame,
the defective legislation, and the restless
and aspiring enterprise of the commercial and
manufacturing communities. The great remedy
for the defect is not any thing like socialism, which
only changes the form of the evil, and does not
remove it. But the remedy is that provided for
all social and political evils, namely, iudicious
legislation on the subject-a legislation which
will prescribe the time and duration of the labor
er's toll; which will afiX the amount,of his just
wages; which will secure him from direct or in
direct spoiaton which will enable him to secure
and retain for his ow n and his children's the
fruits Of his la Dor; such legislation is the great
and the omnifc remedy for the evils under which
the laborer here suffers. The work has been be.
hv7{ fo,b ,,r low lot al i,,f
gislature of Pennsylvania. That law prevents
employers from constraining their workmen by
compulsion to labor more than ten hours per day.
Let the wages of the laborer also be appointed at
minimum by law, SO that for go much work ne
shall receive at least so much money, and more if
ne get it.
The aims and motives of American socialists are
doubtless good. They possess among them too
many men of sterling merit and ability to put that
point in question But although the position Of the
society Is at present moderate one, 1t will I'M
doubleday reach that extreme, in the progress of
time, to which French socialists have already
rived. There is natural tendency in all such
organizations to extremes; because the influence
of conflict and opposition will lead to the extreme
development and trial of the system. Soon there
will be the cry of division of property, or commu
nifty of wealth; the prescription and abuse of the
rich simply because they are rich; and the whole
sale condemnation of every thing like grades in
society, in wealth and in influence.
The conclusive answer to this whole system is
~ tuero SuOuQ Uo equal
lty of wealth and influence in any community,
because there must be by nature difference in
talents, as well as in industry and economy These
are the three great causes which originally pro-
duce all the disparities in society The only thing
that the State, any other organized association
can do is to bestow all equality of rights, and
this wise and free government will do. This is
precisely what Democracy in America does be-
stow, without restriction partially, upon all its
citizens, This equality of rights gives equality
oftacilities as far as any human power can do it.
Thus every voyager on the sea of life sent adrft
In investigating the existing evils of society
which Cypress the laborer, an impartial statesman
and wise patriot will take into consideration the
counter claims Of capital upon labor, which very
often forgotten in the general cry of injustice and
wrong. Capital has right to require from labor
that the latter shall not in the mistaken pursuit of
its own interests, act fatally to the interests of both
Is it good for the Whole community, for the
laborer, to Danish capital altogether? By no means;
for if capital is not made the means of tyranny
over the laborer, it is a great blessing even
to him. 1t gives him employment. 1t gives
him subsistence. 1t often gives him
petence Does capital, then, tyrannze
labor? Sometimes it does, and sometimes the
trary is the fact. How then, will you prevent that
tyranny? Not by the entire Punishment of CAPT
tai, but by wise legislation which prevents too
low prices and too protracted work Under such
restrictions capital is an infinite advantage; nor
are there anywhere TO be found more senselesa
agitators than those who condemn all capital as
such. IT, then, capital is so great advantage
when rightly governed, shall not those who, by