The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-08-25
CONVENTION OF THE LABOR CON
GRESS-CONVENT OF THE
AMERICAN SCIENCE ASSO
CIATION-NORMA -.v.
SCHOOL CONVENTION.

ass e#3
The above three conventions were held
during last week-the 1st at Cincinnati,
Ohio; the I'd at Troy, New York and
Che Sd at Cleveland, Ohio They were
all important conventions but the prn7
ceedings are too lengthy TO be published
in the TELEGRAPH, aa
The convention Of the Labor Congress
has received the most attention, and per-
haps it is deserving of the most-not be-
cause it was the most important and the
ablest conducted, but rather because there
was a greater difference of views and a
less perfect understanding Of the subjects
brought forward in the convention. The
relation of capital and labor seems to be
very 1mperfectly understood. All may
understand what labor is, but only few
understand that capital is past labor--the
result of labor already performed. Pro
perly understood there can be no antag-
onism between labor performed and labor
to be performed-in other words, between
capital and labor
The Earth is common patrimony.
Capital is the result of labor performed,
and belongs to him who performed it or
to whom he has bequeathed IT, Labor is
work being performed, and belongs to
the person who performs it. A pillow, an
engine, a printing press, is the result OF
labor performed, and is capital. And a
laborer needing them better pay fair
equivalent for them than to manufacture
them by his own labor. The improve
ment of a farm, the stock raised and i'm
proved, the money representing value, is
the result of labor performed, and is cap
ital. And he who needs them better pay
a fair equivalent for them than to i'm
prove the farm, to raise and improve the
stock, and to make the money by his own
labor.
The important question is what 2 fair
equivalent is. Here the capitalist and Ia
borer are liable to differ in opinion, and
frequently do differ. And these differ
ences lead to the formation of Trades
Unions and these Trades Unions fle-
quently strike for higher wages OF
against reduction of wages. The con-
vention of the Labor Congress held in
Cincinnati last week was q convention OF
delegates from Trades Unions or Labor
Associations. These Trades Unions AND
Labor Associations are power in the
country and world, sometimes tor good
and sometimes for evil Thus far it is
doubtful which has preponderated, good
or evil. Strikes have generally operated
to the injury of those who have refused
to work for the wages paid, and of the
Trades Unions and Labor Association
connected with them. Still they lave
the right to refuse to work unless PAID
the wages demanded. 1t may be bad
policy to do so,o but they have the right
In one sense to refuse to work for the
wages paid, even though it ruin them,
if they see fit to do so. But they have
no right to say that another man shall
not work for the wages that they refused
Claiming the right of choice for them
selves, they have no right individually OF
collectively to refuse the right Of choice
to another. And when q man or an as
ISOLATION of men attempts to prevent an
other man or association from working
for given amount of wages, the man OF
association becomes an evil doer, and
should be dealt with accordingly. In a
free country the right of choice inheres in
every one alike. And even in despotism
such is the case on the labor question.
And the sooner Trades Unions and Labor
Associations come to clear understand
ing of these rights the sooner they will
cease TO be productive of evil as we'll as
good.
RACINE. speaking of the census re-
turns of this city and Racine, the Jour-
nal of yesterday says
The difference in the population of the
two places lies in the census. takers. Unfors
tunately for Racine, the government selected