Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-12-15
CanIfaI and Labor.
Edilors EsapsvilIs yOurnal

What is labor2 We must not take
the narrow view that 80 often prevails.
The man that swings the axe, the ham.
mer, or the scythe is not the only la.
borer, but the salesman, the book
keeper, or the cashier is equally one.
The man Of capital, in the management
of that capital, often works harder than
the man in his employ who labors at
his furnace, or the engineer who runs
his steamboat. The latter, when his
day ) work is done, lies down to refresh
ing sleep; the former presses restless
pillow, while anxious care corrodes his
mind and saps his energies, too often
ending in paralysis, softening of the
brain, and shortened life. There used
to be a prevalent notion that the man
who labored only with his mind was do
ing nothing but play compared with the
one who labored with his hands; and
there may still be some of the latter
class, who say, "Oh, if could only live
as easy a lifel" But the early breaking
down of mind and body under this easy
labor is the best answer to such re-
pinings.
But, says one, "Why is it that l must
swing the hammer day after day, max
ing only enough to keep soul and body
together, while another without lifting
his hand is making fortune by specu-
lation, or buying and selling l am as
good as he; why should he become rich,
and still poorer2' Says another, "Why
10 such an one with no better ability
than myself pushed forward to occupy
positions of trust and honor7P Still an
other complains, II commenced life side
by side with such an one years ago.
Now he ia high in position, and / am
where started. My work was as well or
better done than his; could do more
IN day, and why should he be put over
meY' There is but one answer to all this
kind Of talk. As rule, every man finds
his level. He may not do it in day, or
month, OF, even year, bat persever-
ance and afaithful discharge of duty will
bring him up where he belongs. II he
has talent above his present business it
cannot fail to be recognized, and he in
vited to 90 up higher This whine about
being kept under is all bosh. A man
may be splendid mechanic, bat unable
to draft machine or create a model.
He may be No. book keeper, but no
tinancler True, a man may by the help
OF friends. or fortunate circumstances,
BY foisted into position for little time,
but be cannot keep up long. His mea-
sure will be taken and his sentence read,
Dust thou art, and into dust you shall
return"
Then again comes the railing against
capitalists, and the old cry of monopoly
and aristocracy; the pitting of labor
against, and in opposition to-, capital;
seeking by legislation TO make the less
equal to the greater. Now, is capital
greater and more powerful than labor,
and if so, wby2
Why is AN engine of 20-horse power
more valuable than one of 6-horse power?
Why is a first class mechanic of more
value than third class one? Because
IN one case, of the greater amount of
labor the machine is capable of perform
ing, and in the other, of the greater
skill exhibited. Shall we then say we
will not allow this monopoly; that the
large engine shall be reduced in value
by doing only the work of the lesser one,
aud the first class mechanic shall only
do the work of the less skilled one, or
receive only the same remuneration?
Capital, then, is greater than labor in
proportion to greater power. An outlay
OF $50 900 will build machine capable
of doing the work of one hundred men.
What difference, then, if one man spends
the $40, 900 to build that machine and
does that certain labor, or if the one
hundred men perform IT'D In the one
case, one man derives all the benefit re-
sulting from the performance of that
labor; in the other, it is divided into
one hundred parts, each man receiving
one part. Une man then exhibits the !
power of one hundred, and capital rep
resented in the one man should receive |
as much profit as the one hundred men.
In money itself there can. be no good or
evil, only as it is used to produce good
or evil results.
Capital is ALTO greater than labor in
to the greater amount of |
skill exhibited. Without it, we should
have no skilled labor. There would be
little or no labor saving machinery, no
railroads, steamboats,, factories, foun-
deries, machine-shops, or Touring mills,
giving employment to thousands of men,
women and children. What if capital I
is sometimes abused2 Is there no abuse
Of anything else in this world of ours
and because of that abuse, must we join |
in the cry: Down with the capitalist,
and away with every good, that, abused,
becomes an evil?' Without capital, |
labor would become nearly vaIueless,
and the nation that depends on labor
without capital, must soon. degenerate
into nation of savages. Shall we,
then, pass laws that money shall bring
twenty per cent. per annum? Or that
it shall be worth four per cent? Shall |
we pass laws that the mechanic shall
receive So per day, or that eight hours
shall constitute days work. When
money is easy it may be worth four per
cent; when tight, twelve per cent. How,
then, can legislation affect IT'D If
man refuses to loan money at four per
cent, shall the law step in and say he
shail2 When laborers are plenty, wages
are low. IF the laborer refuses to work
for 81 per day, must law oblige him to
do it? When the amount of labor to
be done exceeds the number of laborers |
to do that work, the price of labor goes
up. Must the law say to the capitalist
who refuses to have his work done, You
must pay IS per day to have that work
donef Clearly, then, these things must
be regulated by demand and supply.
No power of legislation can compel a
man to invest capital where there is in
adequate profit neither can it compel
capital to pay certain price for GER
tain article, whether that article is a
bushel of wheat or days work.
If capital pays high rate for manu-
featuring an article it must sell that ar
ticle for high price. If the same
wages are paid for eight hours work
hat were formerly paid for ten it comes
back Immediately on the consumer. 1t
every fibre of society, and the
7ery laborer who works his less hours
must pay the difference in the use of
every article manufactured by labor.
1t is useless to say that capital must
1ot be allowed to put on the extra one
fifth. 1t will do it or cease to manufac-
.ure.
To come back, then, to our starting
point The proper way to elevate the
aborer's mind is by education rather
han by legislation, and to make that
abor honorable and respectable de-
bends on the laborer himself. He must
educate, also, his children as well, and
lot only give them the advantages of
our Free School system, but train them
Up in the ways of virtue and religion.
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