The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-22
The Labor Question.

of capital, without any other design tnan 10
escape from labor and to make capital for
themselves. They have no interest in the
working classes. They are simply striving,
in the use OF clap-trap, to make the labor
ers of the community subservient to their
own political and social advancement. Such
is the present policy of the whole Radical
party-from its Alpha to its Omega-fronl
Wendell Phillips down to Governor Scott.
Mr.. Phillips proclaims that the political
role of TIE negro is ended, and urges q con-
test of labor against capital. The great
bull-frog of the turbid pond has sounded the
alarm and padded away to new quarters,
and every tadpole of the species is following
in his wake.
To this class Of politicians the plan for
reconstructing society is very simple. They
propose tshorter work and higher wages
as the social panacea. They seem to im-
agine that capital is fund which proprie-
tors are selfishly retaining 10 their own Uses,
and which the laboring community may
draw upon without limit. They inveigh
against the economic principle which regu-
lates the rate OF wages everywhere-the law
asserted by political scientists, that remune-
ration depends upon the relations of capital
and population, upon the amount of money
Invested in any kind Of industry and the
amount of profit accruing to it, on the one
hand; and on the other, upon the amount
and quality Of labor seeking employment in
that special business. These schemers have
been busily engaged, not only during the
war, but ever since the war, in cOnfscating
the capital and taking the profits from which
wages ere derived; and now they denounce
the employer, as if he, not they, were re-
sponsible for the privations of the working
classes! Such is the policy by which the
basest OF all the political parties that have
! ever ruled this country seeks to win new
lease of power. Whatever may be the sue
cess Of the project. its imprdenceis is sublime.
The working classes will not need any
great amount OF acumen and reflection to
find where the true difficulty lies,-we refer
to the intelligent among the working classes.
OF course, when Pompey Ducklegs, who
blacks boots, is told that he ought to haye.a
dollar pair for his work. and that he shall
hare his rights, if he will vote for Morphine
Jawbreak, Esq, as general Inspector of
Boots, with salary Of $500 year, the
''swart artisan" will enter into any sort Of
union, and cast any sort of vote that may
be required. He win not reflect that, at this
rate, people may prefer to eschew blacking
or to polish their own boots. But even in
this event, his advisor will claim the honor
and the ofIice-of friend of the working
classes.
The thoughtful operative knows very well
that higher wages augment the expenses OF
production, and that, when pushed beyond
q certain point OF expenditure the capitalist
can derive no profit from his investment, but
must divert it to some other business. If
the latter had the monopoly Of the market,
he could save himself by raising the price
of his offices, or his goods. Unfortunately
this is not the case with US. We have lost
$4,000, 900 of the. e.capital controlled by the
city before the war-a loss to every class in
the community While Savannah to the
South, and Wilmington and Norfolk TO the
North, have renewed their ancient rivalry
with US, we have not yet wholly recovered
from the desolations ofthe blockade, the great
lire, the bombardment; from the rayages
of cotton agents and Federal generals and
bureau agents; from tho incubus Of SickieS
and Candy and Scott; from the Yisitations
of drough:s and demagogueS, OF caterpillars
and carp,t-ba gSers. And now The insatiate
leeches who are draining the life-blood Of
the community; who with every new incl
sion have renewed the cry, ''Giye, givc;" who
have never said and who never will say. at
is enough" who will neTer let go until they
draw into their pestilent carcaSses the whole
substance of the State Of South Carolina
these monsters are striving to infuriate the
poverty which they themselves have created
against the property which they failed to
steal!
We honestly and earnestly feel that we are
acting for the best interests of the working
classes, when we urge them not to press the
employers and capitalists Of Charleston.
The men upon whom the interests of all de-
pend are just getting upon their feet Their
prosperity is the prosperity OF all. They
are striving to secure what will benefit all
the concentration of the products Of the State
in the City OF Charleston-the planting of
forest OF masts in the harbor OF Charleston
the construction Of all the agricultural and
mechanical implements We nee: il the
workshops and foundries Of Charleston.
With the sentiment OF that noble appeal
urged by the lion. w. S. Henercy, ard pub
lished in our Issue OF Thursday last, We en-
tirely agree Let our people still display
that self-forgetful fortitude which distin-
guished them during tie whole wac. Let
them, as they then did, sacrifice present I'D
vantage to the hope OF future goOd--a hope
which in this instance cannot deceive; for
the restoration Of business to the city will
promote tie interest OF every citizen. All
of us are friends-we have lived together,