Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-04-03
The Rights and Wrongs of Labor


An old theme sometimes gathers a Int.
freshness by being left to itself, although ]
may not be discovered so long as it remains
in passive " condition. The rights ans
wrongs of labor, and it's real or imagine,
antagonism to capital has been go mucl
talked about and at, without producing tina
harmony which even discord is said to posse.
when rightly understood, that it is hope
less subject to Introduce to make a news
paper article from. But our object at TIN
time is only to act the part Of usher or IN
PRODUCER, giving the space, for the readers
benefit, to those who have thought more pro
foundry and written more successfully o.
this topic than We can even hope to. Ii is "a
subject worthy Of most careful consideration
for it IN some measure concerns every mem
Der Of society and tie question growing ou
of it, which increases in Importance a
nation grows older, is whether the relation
which caI ital holds to labor or labor to cap
itaI shall become more consolidated in inter
est or take a wider departure. 1t all seem,
easy enough to get along with in theory, hut
somehow in practice there Is a conundrun
about it that puzzles the best guessers- Ever
Horace Gree.ey, who is much wiser than tn,
average of men on the various social problems
Of bis day and generation, las not yet beer
able to answer satisfactorily all the irquiries
of some who - believe in him" Mr.. j. ~
B.av Of Niddletown. Conn, has recently
agitated the philosopher to sufficient degree
t. call forth a Characteristic reply over his
own initials in the Tribune Mr.. Bray be
Iieves himself to be on the same platform
with Mr. Greeley general rule. lie say
to him - You favored the abolition OF
Slavery, 50 did | yon believe in the Rec m
struction acts OF Congress aad in the One
Term principle, and | share your opinion
you believe as | do in Tempe ancc, Protec-
ton and in Reform in all its forms.
In short, in all the leading questions oil
the day, relating to the interests of humanity
the name OF Horace Greeley ands foremost
and I too profess to be an humble follower III
the same path. Bat there is one question
which seems to me TO underie all others d.
its Importance, and upon which you and
are much at variance-th4t is. the Labor
Problem You say men ought to 90 West
and there seek a home and fortune This
mainly refers TO men who labor in the shops
and factories those who receive daily wages I
and who depend on the amount thus received .
to supply the wants of life"
Mr.. Bray next reviews somewhat at length I
the cooperative system advocated by Mr..
Greeley, and thinks that as rule It must /
fail for the want Of capital-that it requires /
from S25, 900 to $1,000 900 to go into the .
business of manufacturing any thing for /
which there is a public demand. There is
cause the writer contends deep seated in the
BODY polite - Which produces the continual
strikes and strifes between two classes that /
should be welded together in the strong
bonds Of selfinterest. Labor cannot be ac-
cused, in Justice, Of all the wrong; for no
impartial observer can traverse the length
and breadth Of our Union aud see and hear
the same complaints without being driven /
inevitably to the conclusion that there is d
great and growing tendency on the part OF
Capital TO absorb more and more of the earn
Ings of the producing classes. If you doubt |
my statements, question the employees a.
they come out Of our sewing machine lactO
ries, and you viii be Al once met with the |
statement that, in order TO compete with
those already established, capital of not |
less than SOC, GOO is required; and | venture
the statement, without much tear Of contra
dctiOn, that that is a larger sum than all /
the sewing machine employees in the country
could ral-c. So we may 20 from one branch |
of industry to another and the same difficult /
ties beset US; twenty years ago it would /
have been more practicable than now but .
so enormous has become the power OF the |
heavy manufacturing companies that they .
will Inevitably crush out all WEAKER aud /
smaller concerns. Can you point out 10 me
a single instance where workingmen have
attempted to form a {, operative society in /.
which they have not met with the str Jngcst /
opposition from Capital, which tries ~ every
means within the pale of the law to crush 4
them out? The only cooperation that II
practical or that will reconcile Capital and |
Labor, is that where there Is an equal dlvI
sion Of the profits between the employed and .
the employer. Let me advise you to preach
sermon on this text, and give up for time .
your Western hobby.
Again, by what law of equity and justice |
must a man who goes to work for any corpo-
ration in New England wait SIX weeks before
he can rtceive any y, AID without Ieceiv-
ing any interest on his money? Can You
answer that, Mr.. Greeley 1t Is thi>
system that has ioIsted such a ruinous system
OF credit upon the country, and by 1t men
who do pay their debts nave to pay Il Ell
neigbb0 also, who do not pay. Advise
capitalists to pay once week and thus rave
their pauper tax
Mr.. Bray tells Mr.. Greeley in conclusion
lHdI NC uds Always NOleu tuS hepuDilcdu
ticket, but that this Spring he shall vote for
the Labor Candidate. etc.
Mr.. Greeley responds as follows:
Mr.. BRAY: You seem to insist on differing
with me; | do not clearly see why. You
announce that, having hitherto voted the
Republican ticket, you purpose this year to
vote what called the Labor ticket Very ,
well it Is your unquestIoned right to do go
and ] sincerely hope hat, If you 10, good Will
result from it-no matter If | should not see
how or why.
You seem to hold me an enemy to the
cause OF LahOr-I cannot imagine why.
was the son of poor farmer, VINO was ass a ,
day-labJrtr; | began to work on a farm
when scarcely seven years old | have worked ,
for wages ON various farms and then in d.
terent mechanic shops, after serTTine an ap
nrec;;iceshIp in a prInteTy l never had |
dollar that | did not personally earn by
some form OF productive labor; and | have
given good part OF my life to the advocacy >
and promotion of what was once termed :
= fouTlerIsm, and now, somewhat modified. :
is known as . Cooperation.' In all these !
efforts, | may have been mistaken, and | =
certainly cannot boast of any success vet {
achieved by them; but the object steadily ;
kept IN view throughout was a radical re-
form in the conditions of Labor, whereby
those who were willing should assuredly 7
Lave work, and those who worked should 3
receive the tull recompense of their labor. To
these eforts-misjudged, If you will have it j.,
sol devoted money as well as time, being I