Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-09-05
"The Labor Prob en-"

The following comments upon the
last paragraph of an editorial in re-
cent number of this paper appears il
the Pittsburgh A0,crican Working
People of the 29th ult.:
"a DorBT EXpREssED-OuR Re.
PLY.-Says the Frostburg MINING
JoURNAL ITO return, then is there
ground of complete amity letwecr
money and labor? We doubt it. II
involves questions like the Temper.
ance and Marriage problems. When
humanity finds the key which unlocks
and frees misery from drunkenness
and exercises domestic woe from I'M
requited love. then We may look fol
something which will remove tyranny
from money, and sweat, bitterness and
subsection from toll, poverty and de-
pendence,
The propositon-"Is there ground Of
complete amity between money and Ia
boris well put by our contemporary
Complete" or absolutely amity, in
the relation Of things as society is now
constituted or is likely to be constitu-
ted in this world, no one need look for.
Relotire, or approximate dnatty, we
may both look and labor for Human
selfishness, while not eXterminated,
may be so hedged in and modified as
to its action. both by general sentiment,
and Loac, if need be, that in the good
time coming" we may hope for more
of concord, than now, on the vexed re-
latiohs of Labor and Capital. Capital
will not always lord it over brains
and muscle, as in the past, nor will La
Dor be provoked to annoy ana embar-
rass capital, as is sometimes the fact
now. Their sphere and duties we ex-
pect to be better defined, as toward
each other, and thus evoke the concord
which should subsist between them.
AS to the suppositions our cotempo-
airy makes, he will excuse us if We say,
that he is rather uaired in their state
ment. What he supposes, are indisso-
lubly joined by fiat of the Creator. No
one can expect to disjoin them
Drunkenness, and domestic woe are
not ordinations Of. Heaven; they are
Heavens penalties for abusing what
in themselves are right Capital and
Labor are also ordinations of a higher
power their abuse truly involves tyr
amy" on the part Of the former, and
poverty" bitterness and "subjec-
ton on that Of the latter. To free
Capital and Labor from these abuses
is the great mission Of the Press of to-
day, 1t is not utopian to expect just
such success in this direction, as in
others, where the good of man is in
volved. Such is our faith, and under
its auspices we labor"
The Working People is probably
the best of the labor papers of this
country-one distinguished for its
manliness, calmness and consistency !;
for its temperate assertion of the
claims OF its great constituency-with-
out the bluster and bravado which
marks the conduct of some others
Like its colleagues however,-in fact,
like the element Of labor reform in
whatever way represented-lt exhibits
characteristic sensitiveness to Whatev-
Ell casts a shadow over the genius or
prospects Of the great labor agitation.
While, therefore, we dissent from its
Interpretation of our logic, We agree
to excuse" the instinct which prompts
We designed to illustrate by facts,
not "suppositions,' how inseparable
are penalties from violated law, and
how memorable The characteristic of
tyranny, as applied to money, and the
adjuncts of "sweat, bitterness and sub
lection" as applied to "toil, poverty
and dependence"
Now, aside from the fatal proclivity
of men to "abuse' good institutions,
it seems curious that the capitalist
makes money by abusing his power.
lie does it by force inherent in
money which we dare not assail, i'm
pair or destroy, lest we eliminate a
magnetism which attracts, subdues
and rules universally--a force which
must be pre-eminent or it is nothing.
Its pursuit sways the life and labor OF
the nottingham. Nor is he alone
poor society in the aggregate keeps
steady vision upon accumulation the
greater part unavailingly chase the
Eldorado at the rainbow's base, while
the few grow proud, dominant and
oyerbearing with success, and are
finally bought from sympathy with
labor by sheer self-interest.
TO make money, however, is the
right and duty of all. In fact, we
think a good way to fight capital is
by industry and economy to absorb it
Yet we are met with the antiquated
DernleXstv that "ali cannot hacome