American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-05-25
Capital and Labor.

Capital and Labor.
By request, Hon. Joseph Medill, Mayor
Of Chicago, addressed recent public
gathering of workingmen in that city.
We publish that portion of his remarks
concerning the relationship between CAPT
tai and labor:
employment is always in proportion to the
amount of capital willing to be invested in
reproduction. Capital and labor are natur-
ally partners the one is the complement of
the other. Labor, without the aid of capital,
is naked and starves. Capital, without the
help OF labor, cannot increase, but decays.
Strikes and lock-outs are a species of civil
war, inilicting on the combatants impover-
ishment and misery, no matter which seems
to win. Obtaining subsistence is the chief
material object of existence. Darwin calls
it the struggle for life.' Whatever re-
duces production increases the intensity of
the struggle" and the solicitude for exist
encc. The eXpediency and wisdom of re-
ducing the hours of labor during the coming
days of the years active season for business,
turn on the point whether production will
be curtailed thereby, and if SO, whether the
laboring classes can spare n portion of their
present subsistence. If it is thought that
by eXacting ten hours pay for eight hours
work between April and November, the
laborer can throw the loss of production on
the employer, he is mistaken, in part at least,
for the employer will add 20 or some other
per cent. to the selling price of his goods or
his rent and make the consumer
or renter pay it. So that the work
or his wages by the reason of
dea,ness equal to the falling off in produc
ton. And if the jeurneymen in one trade
exact higher than fair proportional wages
the consumers of all other traders will be
over-charged and injured If all the trades
force up their rates of wages then none of
them are benefited, for losses on purchases
will balance the gains on wages. The truth
is hDt can NJ he
and all that can be divided among the com
munity is the total production. The less
there is the less will fall to each ones share.
And it may be laid down as an lncontroVert-
ible axiom that, until the laborcr is able to
dictate to the capitalist the price at which
the latter must sell his goods or lease his
tenements, and also the wages he must pay,
it will be impossible for the laborer to i'm
prove his condition by strikes or ahbrevia-
ton of work. The great law of supply and
demand will determine the right of wages
that can be paid in the rebuilding of Chca-
go, and all coercive and forcing processes
will fail in their object and come to naught.
When the prices of the commodities OF labor
are forced above their legitimate level they
are as certain to fall back again ball
cast into the air is to return to the earth.
"What labor needs is plenty of steady en-
ployment at fair wages, which cannot be
had without employers with abundance OF
capital, who believe they can realize salts.
factory profit in a particular business IL
they are successful, they are sure to re in
vest their surplus profits, and thereby furnish
continually increasing employment to more
men as they enlarge their business. strikes
operate as hostile raids of an enemy. Bust
ness becomes disarranSed and uncertain;
proprietors loose confidence and cease to en-
large, but proceed to contract their opera
tions and discharge their employees. Thus
the strikers saw of the limb of the tree
which supports them and it tumbles to the
ground
ssOf all remedies for the ills and discontents
of labor, idieness, in the form of strikes, Is
the most irrational and Intellectual. 1t is an
attempt to force capital to surrender by the
meth cd of starvation. But it is labor that
starves first. Capital merely foregoes profit,
while labor suffers from the pangs of hunger
Capital has magazine of provisions from
which to draw its ratiOnS; but labor has an
empty lardcr, and women and children sui
fering and crying for bread. The inventor
of strikes very short-siShted ana IL
norant individual, whoever he was, and has
done his followers great harm and little
good.
But how shall the condition of the labor
err be improved? That is hard problem to
solve. The ablest minds in Europe and
America are investigating the question: No
satisfactory answer has yet been given The
best way to avoid strikes and lock-outs That
has vet been tried is by arbitration; and the
faircst division of the profits of capital and
labor is by co operation. l need not elabor-
ate or explain either of these, as you are IA
miliar with the principles of both. The
peaceful, quiet and rational manner, pre-
venting the immense loss of money and pro
ductioD that attends protracted strikes. The
other secures to labor the largest possible
share of profit which the business affords
But this plan, | am sorry to say, often falls
by reason of cross purposes, unfaithful mem
bers, dishonest managers, lack of unity or
want of sufficient capital. And yet | have
faith in its ultimate general adoption, when
the masses become better educated and more
intelligent, because the principle OF cooper
alton is based on equity and fair dealing.
aside from arbitration and cooperation
| have nothing better to propose than the
course | pursued myself, viz: To work
steadily at the best wages offered, practice
economy in personal expenditure, drink
water instead of whisky, keep out of debt,
put your surplus earnings ut interest, until
You have enough to make payment on a
lot; build a cottage at the earliest day posi-
Bile, and then be independent of landlords;
go with your wife to church on Sunday, and
send your children to school. If you have
no wife, court some worthy girl and marry
her; push forward hopefully and pcrscvcr-
ingiy, and there is no fear but you can better
your condition and become Independent men
long before old age ovcrtales YOU
After the conclusion of Mr.. Medills re-
marks the assembled workingmen adopt
cd a series of resolutions
LIST. Avowing their willingness. in such future
disputes may arise between the employer and
employee TO submit their grievances or demands to
Board of ArbitratorS, one half of which shall he
selected by the employers, the other by the en-
ployes; and in said arhirator- fail to agree.
third party shall he chosen. agreeable TO those in
terested whose decision shall be final, and binding
ON the disputants.
I'd. Cordially endorsing the system Of co-opera-
ton.
3d. bisavowing and dcprccating all resort to VIC
lenCe To secure their demands, and recognizes the
right of any workman to dispose of his labor M
he deems proper and favOrng '-Innral suaSon' to
secure the cooperation of non union workmcn in
preference to threats of intimidation.
18th. Repudiating the nft-input"d charges of the
lawcss character and objects Of trades unions. and
pledging the honor If the Workngmon Of Chicago
that they prepared - frown down. and, if nee
cssnry, to put down. all demonstrations of II law
less nature.
THE deepest water of Lake Superior,
and probably in the whole chain of lakes,
is off Copper IIarbor, Mich, where
soundings to the depth Of 900 feet have
been made by the United States Coast
Survey.
AT Louisville, the other day, a baby
fell into the river, and would have drown
cd I.tI for 40. fAtt Il