Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-08-01
NO. 1870
Mistellamepms.
RELATIONS OF LABOR AND CAPITAL.

Rev. A. a. Miner, ID. d., of the Boston
Columbus Avenue Church, preached last
Sunday upon the Strike, or rather upon
Labor and Capital, theme suggested by
the late strikes:
He thought that nothing was of more
Importance at the present time than that
we should give most careful thought and
attention to the question of labor and its
employment and the conflicting relations
between the employer and employed. 1t
was easy Tor passion to stumble and for
blind fury and fatal ignorance to become
swallowed up in attempting to right real
or supposed wrongs. He did not speak
in the interest of capital, but the growth
of capital was essentially necessary to the
general interest and well-being of the
whole people. He had no special sympa-
thy for capital and no lack of sympathy
for labor. Everything wore out sooner
or later and went to decay, and it was not
all sunshine tor railroad corporations, as
many people supposed. Materials wore
out, and had to be replaced by new ma
terials. Continual wear made frequent
replenishing of stock necessary. This
called for continual outgo of money.
Times had changed greatly in The past
few years. We were gradually getting
back from the false position in which an
inflated currency, an unstable money
standard had placed us. In this return to
a more natural order of things we saw
much that discouraged us. A man imag-
ined himself worth $4,000, and woke from
his dream to find that after all his $4,000
was in reality less than $1,000 upon gold
basis. Capital everywhere was in suspen-
sion, and the millionaire of yesterday was
to-day beggar. Labor was dependent
upon capital and its chances, and the
question was. Should labor refuge to take
its chances with captal' The laborer
might refuse to take his chances, but he
could not escape the result OF these chan
ges. He might, in his impotent fury.
burn down whole cities, but he would
have to turn round and pay the bills. The
growth of capital was the growth Of the
laborer's field of enterprise. He must
therefore, be content to share in the trials
of capital.
A good deal had been said from the
platform and in the newspapers about
starvation wages" The wages were
starvation wages" if we lived above
them; if we did not accommodate our
| wants to the changes in the times; if we
| lived as we used to when everything had
false value; if we would not work, and
if working, we would not save, but waste.
After all, it did not take great deal to
hold body and soul together. The laborer
had right to live as well as he could,
and so had the capitalist, both with prop
er regard for tomorrow and coming time.
No man had a right to take two dollars
pay for one dollars work. and no man
had right TO take one dollar when his
work was worth two dollars. All through
the history OF the world there have been
times when men saved largely, and then
there had been times when they wasted
prodigaliy. There was no doubt but that
capital aggregated in the hands OF few
might become injurious. 1t was when
there was undoubted wrong and no ability
to point out where that wrong lay that we
witnessed these terrible outbreaks. Too
often in seeking out where this wrong lay
labor took counsel where it was misguid-
ed
These people who struck at the Pennsyl-
vania Central Railroad thought that the
blow was at that corporation. but it was
a blow struck by blind, ignorant wrath.
The State was responsible for the loss and
would have to pay the damage. The
State was the people and the people would
feel the blow in an increase of taxation.
There was dire necessity always exist
ing to put down at once and summarily
a mob. 1t was a primary duty to put
down mobs and riots. These outbreaks,
whether instigated by wrong or supposed
| wrong, were always impotent. A mob
was not a legislative body nor discrim-
| mating body. Combinations of men in
| certain instances were good and beneti-
cial to all concerned, but too often they
were not so. A strike was always disas-
trous to the striker. He stacked the en-
terprise upon which he had to depend.
He not only lost his chances for the in
creased pay which he demanded but he
lessened his chance of getting the reduc-
ed pay which was offered him. If the
striker could get the increased pay he de-
manded in another quarter, he would go
| there and get it. But he knows he could
not, and so by his very strike he makes
this confession of his dependence. He
multiplied the difficulties in the way he
wished to travel. The door of compe-
tition could not be shut. All the waves
of the ocean could not be raised above
| high tide at the Bay of Fundy was at the
l cAptuSc vi WdltI OioC' w y
| might make a great fuss in a mill pond,
but the ocean was always too much for
us. The laborer could not hold out against
capital. The capitalists could do without
| his dividend, but the laborer could not
do without his dinner. There was dam
| ger in combinations of railroads when
three or more combined against the pub
| lie, and they should in such cases be over
thrown, or the peoples liberty will be
scattered to the winds. There was dam
ger in the unseemly and mean wars be-
tween railroad corporations, and when
they attempted to underrate and under
sell each other and squander the money
placed in their hands the legislature should
interfere. We could do much in legislat-
ing for railroads in manner that would
at least secure impartiality in their deal
ings with the public. He did not believe
| in legislating for the laborer's time or
fixing the number of hours that should
constitute days work.
| Time was the laborer's capital. Ii was