Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-10-27
LABOR AND CAPITAL.

tai is one less reflected upon by men OF strong
PRACTICAL sense generally than It's paramount i'm |
Dortanco in our social economy demands. There |
ire few who give to it the considelat alton it de- |
serves and fewer still who in times like the pres
tons between these two sources of mans welfare,
without suffering personal considerations to bias
the decisions that would otherwise be arrived at
There Is very strong tendency in human nature
to complain Of what is called bad luck r bad
which Keeps some poor whilst others
their worldly goods to an amount which
enables them in their old ago to live in af1 deLce
and plenty. The rich are envied, and Provi ,ence
in the secret thoughts, if not openly, is accused
of Partially and injustice.
Thus two of the worst principles which can
actuate the human heart, that is to say, envy,
and feeling of revolt and accusation against
God himself ARE nurtured in the thoughts Of men
by indulgipg such feelings as are founded in mar
row views Of the justice and natural order of
things as established in divine. and immutable
laws. There is correlation between labor and
capital, that contrary to tho opinions OF those
who have never investigated the subject, mani
capital as of capital upon labor. Labor may be
both the logical and chronological condition to
the existence of capital, but just as certainly is
capital the logical and chronological condition to
the employment Of labor. The Malthusian doc
trine, that there is a natura! tendency to an in
crease of population in every county which the
productions of the earth sinaot support, is true
Vat 1no Oh III {hat thoro oad
er laws may not check and postpone the results
that would inevitably follow from. this tendency
were it not TING contracted.
It's effects only observed where the pc pula-
tion has already become so dense that the poor
er classes are deprived OF many of the actual
necessares of life, apd swheps emigration alone,
prevents the full development of the tendency
alluded to-, in the actual deprivation of the food
requisite to the sustenalce of life. In new
county, where new regions being continu-
ally opened up TO the profitable employment of
labor in the cultivation of tie soil, the produe
lions of the earth will at first outstrip the rapid
increase Of the population due both tosthe natu-
raj prolifcacy of the race and to emigration.--
An age of invention of laber-saving machines,
w
snT posed the products of well directed labor may
be vastly increased, constitutes likewise coan-
teractng cause to the effects Of the principle 10
which we have alluded. The population of a
country will also at times undergo decrease
from the action of such extraordinary causes as
war, pestilence and famine. If given area of
land can be thoroughly cultivated by twenty
laborers, the addition of twenty more laborers
to the same soil Will increase its production to
very limited extent. Thus it is easily seen that
under such. circumstances the productions of the
earth with an increase of labor may not keep pace
by far with the increase of population. Now the
demand for labor will be in proportion to the
surplus capital which exists in the hands of some
portions of the community. This surplus CAPT
tai which, generality speaking, is the result of
pefseyerrg labor, industry, and self denial, is the
verysfnnd which supports labor and prevents the
laboring classes from starving. A man frequent
ly starts very poor, even as a common labOrer
end by system of dilIigent labor combined
with rigid economy and self denial, which pre-
vents him from spending in eating and drinking
and theatre going and other worse than useless
expenditures, his whole wages, he becomes rich,
he becomes the owner of a surplus capital which
now commands labor, it is the reward of his vir-
tue and industry the reward which is establish
ed in the laws of Nature.
In densely populated country, yea, in any
country, the imprevident and self indulgent are
supported by the industry and self denial of 9TH
ers.. If the laborers of England should receive
that portion of the proceeds of combined labor
and capital that they often think they are justly
entitled to, it would be almost entirely spent in
self indulgence, whilst the increase of the labor
ing population would be accelerated, and the sur
plus accumulation of capital which represents
self denial, energy and enterprise, and a conse-
quent increase OF production, would finally be-
come too small to support the laboring ella sses
at work.
Poverty is sometimes the result of the dispen-
sation OF Providence, or of causes which lie be-
yond the power OF the individual to torsee or 20
control, but generally speaking, as all man r,,st
agree who will look around them. and who ar.
no. afraid to lace facts, however disagreeab,e.
e9trenae poverty is the result OF criminal inlpl
gence OF the animal propensities of our nature
OF idieness, OF intemperance, of immora,ity.-
$500 A'o VIZ o@oe, "H"o gut nave those who
are poor Dy their own self indulgence and i'm
to envy the pecuniarily independent
our inaustrIous farmers, mechanics and pro fes-
sicnai men, ~or to demand in spirit, and perhaps
ID acts, before the conclusion Of this war in soro
OF our cities, a division Of that property which
IS the accumulated proceeds of industry. econo-
my, temperance, morality and self denial. in or
der to continue the Indulgence of criminal and
lmproyident habits. The man who earns his wealth
Of faif and honorable means, by industry and
sell denial, as great majority Of those WAC be-
come independent by their own exertions do, has
already returned to society .souID PRO QUO. ,,
has already extended his good inference to the
poorer classes in accumu!ating surplus capital
which goes to the employment of labor and thus
fas to an increase of the wages OF labor,
All capital represents labor and self denial
An individual may inherit the pro-
ceeds of the economy and labor OF his ancestor.
TO which he is justly entitled. We have moth
ing to say in defence of the comparatively few.
wnose fortunes are the representatives of fraud |
and oppression, rather than of labor and self de-
nal.
Providence in its laws never takes away the |
means OF doing wrong, else man would cease to
% free moral agent. Many CT the inequalities |
arising IN the present life may b. traced to hu-
nan origin, when they appear to be the conse-
luences Of laws of divine origin. The laws of
ne moral government afix certain penalties and |
'eWards to human action, sometimes to be dealt /