Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-12-04
CAPITAL AND LABOR,


It Is not needed, nor fitting here, that a
general argument should be made IL favor Of
populsr Institutions, bat there e one point,
with its connections, not 50 haekneysd as
most others, to which ask brief attention.
It Is the effort TO place capital on an equal
footing with, # not above, labor, in the struo-
ture Of government. 1t Is assumed that Ia.
Dor Is available only In connection with cap
itali that nobody labors unless somebody
else, owning capitai, somehow BY the use Of
II induces 1em TO labor. This assumed
It Is next considered whether It is best that
capital shall hire laborers, and thus induce
them to work BY their own ecnsent or levy
them and drive them TO It without their con-
sent. Having proceeded so far It Is natural-
ly concluded that all laborers are either
hired laborers or what We call slaves, and
further, L Is assumed that whoever is once q
hired hborer is fixed in that condition for
life.
Now there Is no such relation between
capital sad labor as assumed, nor Is there
any such thing "a freeman being fixed for
life In the condition of hired laborer.-
Both of these assumptions are false, and all
inierences from them are grOundless Labor
is prior 70 and Independent Of capital. Cap
ital is only the fruit Of labor, and could new
er have existed If labor had not first existed.
Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves
much the higher consideration. Capital
has lts rights which are az worthy of prOtec.
ton ss any other rights. Nor Is it denied
that there Is, and probably always will be a
relation between labor and capital producing
mutual benefits. The error is in assuming
that the whole labor Of community exists
within that relation. A few men own capi.
tal, and that few avoid labor, and with their
capital hire or buy few to labor for them.
A large majority helong TO neither class,
neither work for Others, nor have others
working for them. In most of the
Southern States 9 majority of the
whole people of ell c0lors are neIth- |
eF slaves nor masters while In the Moth
eyn 9 large majority are neither hirers |
wives, sons and daughters, work for them !
selves on their farms, in their houses, and in /
their shops, taking the whole prcduct TO /
themselves, and asking ofayors Of capital |
on the one hand, nor Of hired laboFerq or |
slaves on the othsr. L ig not forgotten that |
Q considerable number Of persons minRie |
their own labor with capital; that Is, they /
labor with their own hands and also buy OF /
hire etheFs 70 labpF for them; but this Is |
only g mixed sad not distinct eiass. No
principle stated is disturbed by the existence
Of this mixed elass. Again, as has alresdy
been said, there Is not Of necessity any such /
thing as the free hired lzborsr being hxed
for that condition for life. Eany independ-
ent men eYeFyVhefe In these States q few
yesrs back In their lives we're hired laborers.
The prudent Peuniless beggsr in the Wofld
laboFs Tor wages aEbils and saves a surplus
with which to buy sools or land for hinssltI
then labors on his own account and at length
hires another new beginner to help him
This is the iust sud generous and prosperous
lystem which opens the way to alh gives
hope TO all and consequent energy, progress
and Improvement Of the conditien to all. No
men living are usro worthy 70 b trusted
han thOse who toll up or on fom poverty,
none less inclined to take OF touch ought
which they have not hOnorabIy earned Let
hem beware Of fsuFfendeFing political power
which they already; possess and..Nhich If sur
'sndered viii surely b used to dlose the door
4 sdyaneement against such e they, and to