Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-04-12
AND CAPITAL.
A Working-man's ReviAw of Mr..
Hoffeoker's Lecture. who Are the
Workingmen

Mr.. Editor IL had intended to hear
the lecture of Mr.. Hoffecker before the
Institute of Mechanic Arts, on Satur-
day evening last this intention was de-
feated by a severe indispOsitiou. l had
hoped to hear, that might report, and
review the argument for the benefit
Of the very many working men who read
EVERY EVENING. / will, with your per-
mission. attempt notice of il so far as |
can, from the Commercials report, trust
ing to its correctness.
II were needless for the lecturer to at
tempt to prove the Unnecessary harmony"
between capital and labor every think
ing man admits this truth. Under an
exact and strictly just dispensation, the
strife between the two is not fight of
simple elements, of what should be a
harmonious whole, but strife between
the directors Of these, upon the one side.
for continued mastery and advantage,
against q demand for justice upon the
other, as seen with laborer's vision. If
/ he had attempted and succeeded in prov
/ ing this harmony of principle to be ex-
emplfed in the present rulings between
capital an labor, or even The possibility
! of snch exemplification, without sur
render OF all liberty and self respect up
/ on the part of labor, he had done good
work ! do not presume to limit his
ability, wh'u say he did not do it. It
is an easy matter to make assertions and
accuse other people of lack of judgment.
"Most prisons" who presume TO speak
upon this question, are as likely to find
the natural mode of reaching a conclu
sion as is our lecturer. II lie not fair TO
class their Efforts as he does. with quack
1s.f.. k.a .NA In
some cases, In others he would certainly
kill his patient. Diet, exercise and tenn
prrance as prescription sounds very
wise among these upon whom plenty has
been forced to their injury, but is of little
weight with those upon whom it forces
inaction and false content-bonds as
iutolerablc and hard to wear as those OF
the slave.
The reference to the fixed and unchang-
} ing laws of the physical universe would
he very telling If u were proven that the
} law Of supply and demand, the much
wanted regulator of wages rates, was ol
. the same nature, but unfortunately foI
) the argument the law Itself is governed
by capital and made TO change to the
laborer's d,triment, land to accommodate
: oneself to the circumstances is to becomt
e hopeless.
= Against his question, "Can a working
c man eat his cake and have IL too :"
. beg to cite the teaching of Him "wh'
p spake as never man spake;" "Sufllcien
t 10 the day is the evil thereof" and ask
c why should / increase the evil of to-da,
o to decrease that of tomorrow Tn
c lecturer asks a question as 10 what shoull
u he a proper wages rate, and leaves
n unaus wered, according to report.) Tn
a : hot IA
!, boss Jour. aud hod carrier, canno
l. see in the light of an answer; perhaps
e requires a test like, put yourself in hi
# place, change he would not ike TO make
j To his objections to trades unions,
would ask, why are they more arrogan
Il or Objectionable than Bar Associations
&C Medical Societies, Dental Associations
1t which fix rates for certain services : VIII
IF have not rs much right to have my pa
| for days work fixed in my own interes
IS as has The lawyer for preparing a iegt
a paper The principle, he says, is wrOn
le because it would force solution. Prot
is lens are generally solved by force, tn
Is question being how much force shall |
81 used, and this Is measured by the obst
c, macy of the opposite force.
N You cannot allow me space to folio
III the lecture, sentence after sentence as
he would like TO do, and therefore haste
at to name few of what seems to be lea
he ing features, as reported.
lie No one denies that capitalists work ,b
OF do object that his services should
:" esteemed so much more of value tn,
IS, the laborer's, and without this he cOu
We not prodnce and lay by that which
Ist comes capital. All must admit tn
] Capital is the product of somebody
aet / a ka fa 70, Ell
an port him, but that somebody, who is h
Iut Can our lecturer prove it to be the CA
,ct talisti Can he prove the self-denial I'll
fc, produces capital, to be voluntary
ne. cannot deny mans title to his savin!
to If il be his, but deny his moral right
wo what should be anOther's. and this ! 3
- af er "solcmn and serious thought 7
sal board and clothes bill is a very old,
lire easy answered, when we find his hos
'es- and clothes to he very different In qual
ner and quantity from ours. If, as he
nut, mits. capitalists abuse the power Il
son hold, no amount of good coming throu
ave the over ruling of their evil deeds, {
'Qc excuse the wrong they commit. Aga
be declares their, burdens to be crushi
good very many working men are wi
Ing for one " crush" of that kind.
I'll The argument upon the eight h
W, system we cannot notice for want
'lal . time, but would inquire what war;
rsn has he for assuming that mechanics
euu , not as interested in their calling as
cry the professionals, ] will not accuse
of desire to insult us, but his decli
tion here, to say the least, is not com
mentary. We contend for proof ol
mar deep interest in the peculiar craft
5ore shown by their successes, against n
rom difficulties than have beset any o.
lion class of men, and defy proof TO the
yes. trary. Their occupations and social
old sitions have been made mean and
time they themselves looked upon with
tempt, through all time; and in our
favored land, labor, which is akin
world over, has only just now, after
-, use of force, which he calls wrong,
,llou ,li freed from the curse of slavery. Nee
SUI, les do love their work and strive to e.
!! " but our capitalists are forgetting thi
''uie cellent in workmanship in the desil
.., hurry on to riches, and are denying
,llou w., that which is pleasant in their labor
iJse' .,,'. the sake Of quantity in products. l
'ritF' striveu to hold this within bounds
beg pardon for encroachiug on
space 10 such an extent, knowing
"a TO we'll your willingness to give US heI
they whenever circumstances will admit.
aning Yours, Arts
ten WILMINGTON, March 81, 1873,
I the
upon Paris is to have dog show.
uPo Troy has three-legged colt,
Rhode Island Wants 10 hang.