The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-03-30
LABOR AND CAPITAL

The Oneida Circular, printed by the In
dustrial Association known as the Oneida
Community, contained in recent number
notable article upon "Labor and
Capital" from which we make an
extended extract to-day. The oc.
easion of its writing is an attempt
now making in New York to secure grad
uated tax on capital, and the Circular re-
views very ably tract upon that subject.
Its views in the main will meet the appro-
val Of enlightened labor reformers, and are
especially interesting here while our tax
bill is under discussion:
"This tract proposes that in the great
struggle between capital and labor, the
most powerful of the combatants shall give
up as yanquished and retire from the field.
That is practically the proposition, for no
capitalist would live under taxations so ex-
cessive. Capital would find freer fields for
investment our real estate would become
comparatively worthless; our working
men would be without employment, and
the taxes scarcely worth collecting. In
fact, the scheme is too iMpractcable to
bear consideration; but it is ON par with
the other thousand-and-one projects for
| benefiting the working classes. The wri-
| ter of the tract, in common with most
agitators of the labor question, fails to
truly estimate the cause of the difficulty
which he seeks to remedy. Selfishness is
at the root of the whole matter; and it
must be eliminated both from the capitalist
and from the workingman before they can
| ,a,on fnontba,- IN, a,ytb;,rr lie ,,a;t,, pl,.,
done, the trouble is at an end; for capital
and labor are naturally helpmeets, and one
cannot possibly get along without the other.
For ages past, this duality has been in a
quarrel, and with the inevitable result, op.
preston. 1t is the same difficulty that is
found in other phases of the social problem.
Man Expresses woman yet no one doubts
that man and woman belong together and
it must be equally clear that they cannot
be made to live peaceably together by
any amount of quaTeling or legis-
lation, any more than capital and
labor can be coerced into harmony. Both
of these Qualities are in transition state.
The slave has been getting the light of ed.
ucation, and demands his liberty; he will
get it s in the good time coming" but no,
by quarreling, for capital is the stronger O
the two, and quarrel must end in more
oppression to the workingaman. You MAJ
get up a revolution, and put capital through
course of mob law; you may have mon
archy, republicanism or anarchy; but ii
the end, capital must 60 to the top, as
surely as cork rises upon water; and labor
has to be subordinate. This is the natura
course of things, and all history confirms
it. Therefore the friends of industry only
defeat their own objects when they seek tc
array capital and labor as opponents.
ut is as true in political economy as il
any department Of nature, that any natura
law can be broken only at an expense cor.
responding to the measure of its infringe
ment and the expense in the divorce O
capital and labor is measured by the op
preston which we now see upon the work
ing classes. As the matter stands, it j.
one of supply and demand capital and
labor are commodities in market in which
if labor is scarce. it demands high price
if capital is scarcer, labor is low and am
legislative interference will as signally fai
as did our government when it sought tt
regulate the price of gold in Wall street
without the gold to do it with. Temporary
results may be attained, but they will b.
abnormal /; and things must finally settl,
back into their old course, by laws as evil
table as those determining any other natu
raj result.
Grades unions and other such combina
tons are held together by no vital bond o
union, and are more oppressive and crue
than capital is, to that portion of labor tina
walks not within their organization.
"Education and enlightenment are gradu
, ally, but surely, making their way anon
the workingmen; and when labor get
, sufficient wisdom to Cooperate will
, Christ for the center of its organization
in such away as to cast out selfishness O
keep it in subsection then, and net unit
. then, will be realized the only hope we hav
of the solution of this long vexed question
| between capital and labor.
"This is no chimera it is possible solu
ton, with working model before US.
God has put it into the hearts of few hun
: dred people to Cooperate and has pre-
, pared them for the work, He can as easil,
t prepare few thousands or millions to d
the same thing. Why not?
!, "Nothing can be more satisfactory thar
the marriage of capital and labor in tn
Oneida Community. The members com
! menced as workingmen and women with
, out much capital, and went on sinkin
money the first years Of their existence a
a Community; yet by honest industry an
prudence, without the aid of any patent
or speculations, they have become capital
lists, at the same time that they are still al
: Of them workingmen and women; and tn
vexed questions of capital and labor are +
|, them items of foreign intelligence"