Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-05-14
ASSOCIATIONS IN EURop

WORKMEN'S ASSOCIATIONS IN EUROPE.
The fierce struggle which has arisen snos the mid.
die of the last century, between capital and labor, in
the old world has been fruitful in the development of
new resources the part of each anagoustic prin.
cple. The theatre of the struggle has been almost
entirely limited to industrial pursuits. Agricultural
labor and capital have generally harmonized under
SYSTEMS of organization, of which the pstriarchal
element is in every instance the most conspicuous
fssture But manufacturing pursuits have displayed
the phenomenon of school for Democratic sem
tiusnt, under the pressure of arbitrary desposm.
There continues to exist an opposition between the
efforts of the employer and the employed, which has
done ttle indeed, to disturb the increase of capital
and the supply required for consumption but which
s more and developed in the efforts OF the ca.
ptast to reduce the operative to more perfect sub.
ection and in the rsactonary effort OF the operative
to assume position of independence. The reconci.
ston of these opposing tendencies furnishes perhaps
an insolube problem. Still the struggle has not been
useless Although the power Of capital has become
more and more concentrated in the mesus of its en-
poyment and more extended in its sway over labor,
as if douby to forty its possessors against the pos
sibity Of an industrial revolution; still laborng men
have triumphs in increase of general intelli'
gence which powerful auxiliary powerless as yet for
the purpose of industrial emancipation has been ef-
cienty welded in the field of political advancement.
The workmen Of Europe are the Democrats of Eu.
rope, and their influence has mainly been employed
for the gradual destruction of governmental feu.
dalism which they have been taught to regard one
cause Of their social dependence.
Aud while more direct efforts for social indepeo-
dence have proved less available, and in most in.
stances entirely ilusory, they have yet afforded ev.
dences of growing intelligence in some instances
opening vistas of results which may yet be accom-
plshed by the union of operative labor with high
degree of cultivated intelligence. Whether this
union can ever bu effected on scale sufficiently
tensve correspond to the grandeur of the ooncep
ton, We may regard at least as doubtful.
The most plausible OF all these magnificent schemes
was frat practically attempted by the Democrats OF
lS4S. 1t was nothing less than the erection Of large
manufacturing establishments, by the joint stock con.
tributions of operatives. Thus it was proposed TO
break down the monopoly OF capitalize render it en-
tirely subservient to labor-to manage industry by
parliamentary system, by which each laborer would
have voice in the direction and to distribute all the
prOnt6 IN rdt6ADi6 6ndre5 SbV6Tai nunureQo Vi
associations were formed in Paris alone. Some twenty
odd il is stated still survive. Ii discovered
that the Increased profit to the laboer was but small
Even where the establishment was as prosperous un.
der the intelligent direction of workmen, as under
single head, where the profits were the came, 1t was
found that the ncrease Of wages obtained by the dis
trbution amounted never to more than 10 per cent.
Still the workmen were we'll satisfied with the re.
suit. Moreover the most successful associations
fused to distribute this increase. 1t devoted to
the maintenance Of apprentices, and to the accumula-
ton of fund for the relief Of supersnnuaed members.
Very rarely WAS any part of the accumulated fund
set apart for the increase of the establishment. When
such increase has been made il has not always been
effected by the admission of new members but in the
case of all the societies which still exist workmen
have been employed as 'auxiliaries" at fixed wages,
and without any title to the general benefits Of the
association:
In another article, We propose to describe more mi
nutely the results Of this experiment in industrial re