Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-01-29
ATRADE UNION OF CAPITALISTS.


From the New York Herald, December 30.
The great struggle between capital and Ia
Dor in England has developed most extra
ordinary organization among tie capitalists
nothing less than trade union OF masters,
who employ over 1000, 600 labOrcrs to resist
the encrOachmcnts of the employed. That
such combination is possible in England is
not surprising, nor would it be more aston
ishing TO find the capitalists in America de-
manuinE Il similar federation. On the one
hand labor in the United States l.; a lscpub-
llcan dcSpotism, compactly organized into
unions tributary TO IL general Legislative or su
prcme body This organization not only
controls those who are within, hu. also those
who are without; and, while there is no
doubt that the demands of American trade
unions have often been excessive and unncc-
cssary, we are not disposed 10 complain OF
their general operations. On the other
hand, capital has been autocratic also, re-
tnsing, ION principle to acccdc to demands
which would ultimately fall on the public,
and not on the employer or manufacturer.
All the strikes, all the wasted industry and
drunken i(llcness, all the bitter recriminations
and violent remedies have grown out Of the
unhappy conflict of these two inelastic, non
yielding co-partners, and they are III CO.
partnership, for without one the other could
not exist.
In England they are trying to produce har-
mOny between these two forces, but as to
how far the movement of the National
Federation of Associated Employers of La
bOr' will succeed we cannot of course say.
The society is professedly organized to coun-
teract the influence OF the trade unions. 1t
will defend capital against the unjust de-
mands of labor, whether by legislation or
by strikes. They propose to establish news
papers, watch the proceedings of Parliament,
encourage non n-uniOnists, and endeavOr ''tO
give to education, intelligence and capital
their fair share of influence in the constitu-
encics.' Of course. all this means war, or
ganzed war; and it is to this ultimatum that
the struggle must arrive in America. There
is difference between the English and
American labOrcr always. Here it is safe to
say that he is three hundred per cent. more
intelliget, and thousand become prosperous
citizens where one IN England works out of
the rut of perpetual sweaty toll SO that in
no case can the future struggle be termed
one between Intelligence and ignorance on
this side of the Atlantic.
The movement in England will undoubt-
edly prove Infectious; for the organization
or one great interest as opposed to another
is generally followed bya consolidation of
power equally Jealous and determined. We
do not see why it should not come, and then
the issne would be squarey made, and CAPT
tai and labor would clearly understand each
other. But two such bodies placed in per-
petual antagonism would necessitate the con-
struction OF a tribunal of appeal, to which
the two interests might carry their lrrecon-
cilable disputes. BY this means the public
that public which always suffers, suffers by
pirhf hOur lo1vo railroad ctriEoo tho cfOn
page of travel or the inanity of any branch
of industry-would find mere measure of
protection. With the English capitalists an
enormous influence surrounds their debut
in this their first campaign. and the wealth.
est and oldest manufacturers have given the
federation their support. Whatever may be
the outgrowth, it is interesting to note that
the day of the great tournament is fast ap-
preaching.