Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-04-19
LABOR AND CAPITAL.


ly criminal, without one thought of
the benefits it might bestow upon the
communities inwhichitis accumulated,
by givingemployment to labor, in works
of practical and public utility. There
is something rotten in the political in
situations of any country where the
men who create values-the tillers
of the soil and skilled mechanics of
the Neutrality-suspicious. the slaves Of
the capital they create. but which
is garnered by those who toll
not, neither do they spin" in the la
Dor sense of the terms Labor is be-
coming conscious of this anomalous
condition of things, and hence the
strikes, and the rapid growth of Com
munism in all countries where the only
creators of wealth are impoverished
and enslaved by the grasping ayarice
of those who, by shrewd combinations
and unequal legislation, reap the profits
rightly belonging to the toiling mill
ions.
But as truly as We sympathize
with labor in its efforts to throw off
the yoke of oppression. We cannot en-
dorse the mode of redress it hastily
and unwisely adopted. In striving to
secure his own rights the laborer should
not violate the rights of others-even
of the capitalists upon whom he is
making war. Whilst a man has right
TO resolve for himself, that he will
work only eight hours of each day, he
has no to right to demand that his fell
low-workman shall make the same re-
solve, or assault-perhaps murder him
because he will not sacrifice the Ger
tain support of himself and family for
the uncertain gain to follow success
full strike. Nor has he any legal right
TO demand of his employer ten hours
pay for eight hours work Recourse to
means like these, prejudice the cause
in which labor is engaged because they
bring suspicion upon the honesty of
the motives of those who take part in
strikes and arouse honest ind gnation
at the lawless measures by which the
strikers seek to secure success. The
evil lies too deep to be reached by
such spasmodic and ill-advised efforts.
The combinations and mOnOpolies
that are working the ruin of the coun-
try, are the growth of years under the
sanction of usage and law. To break
them down, labor must strike at the
administration which fosters and
profits by them, and at those who keep
that administration in power The
farmers, mechanics and day labOrers
make an overwhelming majority of the
voters of the country and therefore
have the power, by concert of action,
TO break down dangerous combine
lions of capital, and to provide, by
laws to be enacted by their own repre-
sentatives, for the perfect security of
their rights and interests. But those
among them who vote the Radical
ticket deserve no sympathy and, as
strikers, ought TO be punished for seek
ing to create disturbances by taking
advantage of their own wrongdoing.
Strikers may succeed partially and for
time, but capital is too powerful TO
be permanently resisted by one class
of laborers. There must be cooper
alton of all classes of manual laborers,
and when this is effected, capital will
be forced to yield Until then strikes
will prove an unmixed evil to those
who take part in them and damaging
to the interests Of the communities in
which they occur. The first care of
every working man should be to give
ms influence to the overthrow Of a
corrupt administration and the substi-
tuition of one that is honest and patri-
otto. This is the first step in the di-
rect road to reforms political, moral
and social. Strikes" lead to riot and
hloodshed and, even if successful, twill
take much time to make up the loss of
money worse than thrown away in sup
port of a contest against capital with a
corrupt, and now omnipotent, admin
istration TO back it. 1t is only hyper
sistent effort and close cooperation
that the root of the evils complained
Of can be up-torn. A strike here, and
there, can nave no other effect than to
demoralize labor, and to fritter away
upon local struggles, a strength that
can be made effective only by compact
organization. inspired with zeal and
determination TO win decisive victory
over combined capital.
We hope it will be long ere these
remarks can apply to the condition OF
things in the South, yet the subject is
assuming grave proportions and it is
not amiss to remind northern labor
that il deserves no sympathy, and can
lind no relief, so long as it uphOlds
Radical men and measures.