New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-30
THE LABOR PROBLEM.

SIR: The threatened revival Of strikes among
the laborng classes again drives unwilling puDhc 10
OF the knotty questions presented by no
claims OF workingmen. In view OF possible coalitloh
that promises again stop tho wheels OF nuusy
and business in our principal commercial marts' even
slight consideration Of the labor problemfmay not DO
aeerned tentirey useless Like tho irrepressiDo con
Hict that chung life till Slavery died. the aDor quoS
ton not only refuses burial by slight but decares an
aggressive war. "More wages" is the end sought AS
ISOLATION is the agency employed enforce the demand
and association clashes with seeks the protection anu
at least will have the consideration OF. law The as
sumption is probably tenabe that the American puDhc
concede the point that since the year 1900 labor In tne
United States has not received an adequate remnnera
ton This concession renders argument unnecessary
either pro or con- upon the question OF the aborer
claim for more wages and forces in the next place,
10 inspect tho weapon with which he seeks 10 enforce
his right And this brings us to consideration OF the
principle OF association
Association in the abstract IL eminently sound and
wholesome and much for the purposes OF labor az
for any OF industry that requires moro enght-
ened directory IL springs from the necessities OF
human nature. Man cannot live alone" IL statc-
ment OF absolute and relative truth. There IL no
one 40 eher socially, intellectually pccu-
nlary or in any way as truthfuIly say, Il can do
without aid" IL Ia not then, in the use but In the
OF association that labor at fault for assocla
ton everything ia inevitable The difficulty Is 10 80
apply this agency not to work injury to the commu-
nifty at large As Ernest Renan has tersey put It, asso
citation without injury TO the State Is the great question
OF the future" The implication Is above made that
association has the part suffered abuse at the
hands Of labor. Certain IL Is that labor in the use OF
association has nearly always suffered defeat; and
glance the prominent instances or discontinue
In this direction will disclose the alleged abuse Almost
the first instance the resort OF labor to association has
been seen in the attempted establishment of system OF
communism that ab0shes the individual right OF proper
IT, and merges the wealth OF entire community into
fund from which all allowed to satisfy their
| necessities The little company Of worthy men and
that gathered around the Master upon the shores
OF Lake welded this idea Of communism to their
religious faith. and kept it intact In both theory ana
practice till after the establishment the infant Church
OF Jerusalem But the practical Paul, in his first mis-
sion TO Antioch initiated his abOrs by example that
| Immediately separated communism from the Christian
faith This "Roman citizen" refused aid from his broth
| rem at Jerusalem, made tents till high noon, and
preached gospel in his leisure hours The code OF
| the Red Republicans Of France is the legitimats on
spring this early cenobca life upon the plains Of
Syria and application has always met with defeat
The next principal of labor TO association has APP
| peared in the formation OF "trades-unons." These
last I'm Europe have been the wards OF the Iuterna-
tionaes' OF the Continent thatare now striving for
foothod the United States To strike" has been the
chief tenet OF the policy Of these associations and with
| discontinue.
Now the failure OF labor in resOrng TO association
for the purposes communism is due to the fact that
the latter onds the planest principles OF both justice
and reason. 1t offers premium upon idleness, puts
letters upon thrift and ensaves industry to Incidence
Its career exactly coextenye with that OF the igno
rance OF the people who essay its adoption, and nte
| gence has ever given it speedy burial The direct
failure OF labor however in resOrng to association for
the purposes OF rddesunlons Is because wars against
a superior force. and amount OF concentration OF
unaded aggressive toll ever prove adequate for
warfare OF endurance with capital The latter IS not
only the stronger holds its adversary at great dis
| advantage in being controlled by disciplined few
| instead Of by an ungovernable throng But beyond all
this there lies stubborn fact which the striking aborer
| never contemplates or II he does, he throttes his
reason with rashness IL IL this: successful strike
will do the laborer ultimate pecunary harm than
good The statement warrantably invoke one of the
fundamental principles OF political science for its proof
Labor the prime factor Of wealth, and the ultimate
governor OF price, and the successful striker enhances
the price everything that forms part OF his means
OF subsistence direct ratio with the success OF his
strike, and more.
Assume. for the moment that a general strike
all classes of should result concession OF their
demand for more wages The hypothesis carries with 1t
the fact that money for every purpose. will have less
exchangeable value. The landlord from whom the
aborer his humble cot will advance his rents for
the increased price OF labor has enhanced the cost OF
every necessity and luxury which the and caprice
OF that landlord may require &c. too with the grocer,
butcher baker, and the entire line OF tadesmen They
all increase the price OF their respective for the
same reason that the landlord raises his rent All these
advances moreover will stop with the relative ad
vance In the price OF labor Cause here weds pretext
The man Of traffic is seldom modest in respect to price.
II he has proper for advancing prices 10 per
eentum he is very apt If so Ike the rise
Is per centum instead OF stopping at the rightfu limit
These in the prices OF all necessaries and
Injuries consequently recoi upon the labOrer with
greater force than any other member OF the community
and he himself instead OF better of by reason
| OF his strike.
Passing now the next resort of labor to association
we reach the point where the formerl nas used and
not abused ally. coOperati0n that cooperation for
| production. The statement will not be made that
operation is a simple that offers agencies which
are entirely adequate and efectua IN the light OF the
limited experience which the United States have had in
this direction Still. 1t Is founded in Justice for 1t strikes
at no mans rights and will by age gain the requisite
strength to be sesustaning. The Association des
Macons" established In Paris in 1913; the "Famstere
de Guse OF 1852 and the Briggs Cooperative Works OF
England give proof OF the ability OF cooperation
Withstand the mutations Of time Cooperation in the
United States while suffering the weakness OF infancy,
may possibly require and be entitled to aid. or this
further on Cooperation in the United States, however,
can Immediately help ITSELF II not sufficiently, at least
10 some extent Germany in this, as In all matters OF
educational policy, instructor The scheme or NJ
schutze De seh which has been In practical operation
In Germany for the last decade has done very much to
release the laborng of that country from the
miserable condition usually attendant upon laboreTs
life in both the English isles and upon the continent.
The practical result OF this scheme has been the estab
shment In Germany OF institutions similar TO the saw
ings banks OF the United States which make loans OF
their posit fund solely the abOrng classes These
loans are for private for the purposes OF