The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-29
THE SUNDAY QUESTION.
To the Editor Of the FUening 1eiegraph:-
Capital and Labor.

These are man and wife: their combination is ne
cessaIy 10 production Capital all the production
of labor. All values result from labor-of the hand
and the head. Even land has no yaue, but as 1T
results from labor. Muscle, bone, and brain are the
trinity which created, and continue to create the
world of capital over which Plutus reigns. The
adjustment of dispute between man and wife is
OF the most difficult questions in practical morals
Milton, one of the Press witnesses for Sunday labor
advocates separation of married persons because of
unhappy diversties of temper and consequent quar-
res. He gives twelve reasons, or arguments, for his
opinion. "No ordinance, human or from Heaven,
can bind against the good of man" This is the same
man who wrote paradise Lost" Alas! how fallen!
But to topic Quarrels between capital and labor
are, like all wars, Improbable to mankind:
they stop production and tend tow ards poverty
And yet, in family disputes, such quarres often
occur. Strikes for higher wages is European
fashion, which reformers are striving to make fash
ionable in America. This middle ground, between
morals and political economy, is beset with thorns
and Ibriers; rock, hills, and plains; peat-mosses
moors, and serbonian bogs. And yet 1t must be ira
yersed The question about an equitable division of
products between capital ana labor, is one which
must ever and anon come up, and cannot possibly
be ignored The worlds history shows that in this
everlasting controversy intellect comes out victor.
The shrewd and cunning, the long heads, are too
much for the roundheads-m predominate' over
matter, head.work over hand-work. The lions
share accumulates and his terrifes into submis
sion; labor trembles and crouches before capital;
the fecund wife the presence of the strong
armed and clearer.headed husband. These things
meet our eye everywhere.
& Sunday printing and Sunday cars are merely exam
pies of the triumph of capital over labor. Such
triumphs cover the land and the world and all ages
"The poor ye have always with you" They are
results of SIM in the it brought with it:-"in
the sweat OF thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou
return unto the ground" This is mans do pm as a
sinner and happy will it be for him if the aboring
man, as he feels the sweat hickng down his face
can say to himself, "These brinY drops are Gods
allotment ior my sin, and there is no sovereign
remedy for them but in the crimson drops which
oozed out in Gethsemane and uickled down from
Calvary's cross" these take away the curse out Of
labor, and convert even weary poverty into joy and
peace. To these we commend the oppressed laborer.
But whilst he ought 10 submit peacefully even to
seventeen hours per day - but never on sun
day - he may and he ought to use ali lawful
means TO procure a more equitable division oil
products Among these lawful means are not
strikes and violence. This is EurOpean 1t i'm
plies despotic government; it presupposes the abb
sence of civil rights and the baotbox. God has
provided q rational remedy. He has thrown the
protecnon oil law over Iaoor' lie lurhisnou piV'
phylactc remedy in the Sabbatic law, and this even
before labor was made curse. Under this labor
mas its protection. Under this John Quincy Adams
| threw himself Tor protection. Whom the House Of
| Representatives we're about to hold a Sunday ses-
| sion rising in the sublime dignity of a man con-
scious of freedom and of fTeemen's rights, he eX-
| claimed, this HOUSE HAS no POWER TO COMP Ell
ME TO STAY HERE ON THE SABBATH-DAY." Let
| the down.trodden carmen and printers and all other
oppressed workers arise to this heroic sentiment.
Let them assert it every where Let them carry to
the ballot-pox, and all the word shall know that
| American ireemen cannot be reduced to the condi-
| ton OF French or Italian or Russian serfs
| 1HEoPHLUs.