Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-08-05
Capital and Labor.

that our country is in languishing
condition and must continue so until
Congress applies the proper remedy
and gives to productive capital and
labor their legal rights This is the
contest waging in this and in other
countries between non-productive
capital, speculation and shaving on
the one hand and productive capital
and labor on the other. Every pro-
Queer and laborer who works in a
factory, mine, or on farm, or in any
branch of business that creates wealth,
is in the same boat. Their interests
are identical and they must be united
before they can triumph over the
power of non reproductive capital which
is always aggressive, and must and
will triumph over the laborers and
producers if they are not united. This
is the foundation of ali the agitation
that characterizes the masses in all
producing countries. Every body
knows there is something wrong and
where ignorance prevails the working
classes endeavor to wreak their
vengeance on the producers who en-
ploy them. In like manner the en-
ployer is trying to impose and grind
down the employee, while they do not
understand that it is the power of the
non-producer, or rather the non-pro-
ductive capital, which is robbing the
producer as well as the laborer, and
takes away his power to pay wages
that ought and would be paid if pro-
ducers and laborers were protected
from this great and growing influence
in our country, and which, if it tri
umphs much longer in our national
councils, will check and greatly en-
barass productive industry and i'm
poverish the working class, and at the
same time diminishes it's revenue.
But we will try to show what the
policy of this government ought to be
in order to throw its influence in favor
of true capital and labor which pro-
duces wealth and supports the govern
ment, and against the ascendency of
non-productive capital. We will first
point out what are the duties of the
government to the people, and the
measures that ought to be adopted to
remedy the evils complained of.
There are many persons who firmly
believe that we are governed too
much, and the consequence is, that
the people look too much to the gov
eminent for relief and do not rely
sufficiently upon their own exertions.
This is true to certain extent because
there are hundreds and thousands of
laws enacted that confer no benefit
whatever upon the people at large. So
far as this general application to the
interests of the country is concerned
they are of but little use, and often
prove injurious. But there are GER
: tain fundamental principles underly-
ing every form of government which
dare not be neglected, but must be
fostered by the government in order
to secure prosperity to the whole peo-
pie, and thus enhance the wealth, pow
er and happiness of all classes in the
, community from the highest to the
most humble citizen. There are
three principal causes that give non
productive capital power to control
, and destroy productive capital and
depress the rate of wages due to labor,
and wherever these causes prevail
capital becomes a curse instead of a
blessing to the country and its people.
There are high rates of interest and
large dividends made out of non-pro-
ductive capital worked as money and
not engaged directly in creating and
adding wealth to the country, simply
because it is process by which an
undue proportion of its wealth is grad
ually withdrawn from the many into
the hands of few, whose greater album
dance is always giving them the ad-
vantage over those who have the least,
In other words, it is the unerring pro.
cess of making the rich richer and the
poor poorer The want of adeor o+e
protection to our home industr-, from
the cheaper capital, more extensive
machinery, and lower rates of labor
prevailing in other countries, and a
sufficient volume of currency of eoual
value, property distributed with an
expanding limit as business and wealth
expand. Our governmental policy
from 1916 to 1861 favored the policy