The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-11-01
Labor Reform.

I The struggle between labor and cap
ital, will advance and increase in vigor
and importance as the waves of time
roll on, and its progress will be noted
with the greatest interest by both phi
losopher and statesman. At the pres
lent time, the germs of grand and no
}ble ideas, which underlie the general
movement throughout Christendom,
are obscurcd by the very questionable
means adopted for putting them into
force, and the unquestionably bad
character of many of those who as
[sume to be the leaders of the move
mcnt and the opponents of its theories.
This "a the more apparent with the
| Paris Communists. The leaders were
in some cases, pure men. animated by
lofty motives, but that did not prevent
the majority of the rabble from steal
ing, right and left, whatever they laid
their hands on, and plundering banks,
shops and ~cathcdrals, besides laying
aside for their W use, in some snug
corner, divers piles of good solid coin
taken from the public treasury. In
stead of advancing, it has retarded the
cause of liberty.
The International Society is another
OF, these self constituted saviours of
mankind in general and the laboriug
| classes in particular. Little is known
of it except that it is a secret society,
whose acts are not and cannot be known
to the public. Here is a very danger
GUS element that of secrrsy. There
is n facination about secret societies
THAT often pcrvert the judgement Of
good men, who give character TO the
movement and enable bad and design
ing men, to.get control OF powerful or
CARNATIONS, whereby they may get
lifted into power. We grant that
~concealment is necessary to the pro-
lection of the lives and property of the
Intcrnationalists is some European
countries, but why in England, where
1~severy man has q right to growl,' and
in America, where any man, woman
or child may speak out in meeting
without molestation? This u%nnecessa-
~ precaution looks dangerous.
The growing power of the Trades
Unions in this country is sufficient to
Justify the prediction that here in
America will first lie Appropriated the
realization of all such ideas of the In
lte%rnationals and the Communists as
! will tally with common IL and tend
kbenifcently to the common welfare
1.-The fiery and impulsive organizations
of Europe are lacking in enlightened
judgement, selfpoise and self control.
They feel that they are oppressed
that there is something wrong some
where ; but long subsection and he
reditary ignorance so blind their men,
tai vision that they cannot set eyes
upon the knot that is strangling them.
In their fury they strike out blindly
and Unfortunately, and make a
wreck where they only. sought reform.
Their work is much more likely to be
accomplished by our Trades Unions.
Our Observation-Disclosures as they
are by great educational advantages,
,by habits of self control, by obedience
to law, by direct participation in the
government, and by everything, in
short, that pertains to the freest and
strongest form Of government-must
exert an immense influence in determ-
lining the relations between capital and
labor. By the exercise of reason and
moderation, taking counsel only of the
best and wisest in their ranks, these
Unions will yet solve the problem of
the age Meantime they should not
forget that such a solution must be a
peaceful and harmonious one !; that it
is possible for any great organization
of men to become a tyranny, unjust
and aggressive; and that, no matter
whether such organization wear home
spun or broadcloth, it may be an OPP
pressive aristocracy. A hostile atti-
tude on the part of either laborer or
capitalist is fatal to reform. 1t is on
ly through prudent counsels, mutual
concessions, and a reasonable consid-
Grafton of the situation in all its bear
ings, that any advance step can be
made toward that golden age which
all good men pray for, when labor
shall be e~nfranchised and every man
come to his own.-Dispatch.