New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-28

those whose taxes make civil order possible.
In other countries. free institutions have faiieu
because these appeals have not been Ruthless
Property has taken alarm. Ii was seen that all
rights were threatened by the predominance OF
an element which treated the holding OF prop
ertv rs crime. No government can exist
without means; without voluntary sacrifices
by those who own property, to protect the lives
and rights of those who own none. When the
support of property has been withdrawn, ex-
periments in self-government have collapsed
and millions have been willingly spent to es-
tablsh order through some form of govern
ment not depending upon the whim OF MOD
Those who aSsail rights of property take away
the support without which no government ever
has existed or ever can exist among men.
Hostility to capital is hostility to labor. With
ont the reserved fruits of past industry, II Is
not possible for labor to exist. The inhablt-
ants of towns in Pennsylvania and Malylnid
are actually starving even now. Can they not
see why They nave made war upon the
capital engaged in the business OF nansporta-
ton. have made the running OF railroads I'M
possible without loss, and thus have shut on
the supplies of meat and grain. Factories by
the hundred are closed, and workmen by the
thousand pray in vain for wages aud for food.
For sloppage OF transportation has made 1t
ian0sSibe for these factories to run, and
therefore impossible for them to pay wages.
Mines have closed, and thousands of miners
are idle and in need. But they, also, can
charge their losses and their SutleIing5 to the
men who made war upon capital, and stopped
the transportation Of coal and iron. so 1t Is
III every department OF industry, even Tie
simplest. TIE workman who digs IN the mine
cannot live unless capital IS ready to gave nm
food during the interval between MS produce
ton of the ore and lis sale TO some other capi-
talist The workman who swings the lNniher
in the shop cannot exist unless capital J, VII
inc 10 keep him alive while his work II
hand and until it is sold Tho farmers boy,
though the kindly earth answers surely - MS
wooing. cannot exist unless capital VIII keep hin
alive from secd-tme until harvest. Nowhere
is civilized labor possible without the c0ndl-
tons which make capital willing to sustain IT,
'"Thcn we are all slaves to capital = Pre-
cisaly; all OF us-evcTy man, woman ana emo, III
every civilized land, is dependent Tor very exist
ence upon the economy and sclf-dcnlal winch
has saved a part of the fruits OF past labor To
su,f2in industry now and hereafter. Self-dehai
j. rare; therefore il is paid, and paid well.
Interest. dividends. the demands of capital III
4 thousand forms. are merely the wages OF self
denial. The man who works, earns wages for
fo-day. The man who works and denies him
self, and saves part Of the fruit OF his labor
10 support other workers, earns wages ior all
time to come. Otherwise there would be no
inducemcnt to saving and ,eif-denial. and men
woud not accumulate thc means wherewilh to
support future labor, and all industry would
die.
"Shall.c capital, then, demand what wages it
"pleases?7 OF course exactly aS labor demands
what WAGES it plcascs He who has denied
himself has the absolute right 20 charge all
that he can get for the uncOn,umcd Fruits OF
mi, labor. Just as he who has Labor 10 sell has
an absolute right to ask all that he can get
for his services. But both are free. Capital
has no right to force labor to work. Labor
has no right 20 force capital 10 pay wages, or
other labor not to work. Wherever capital Is
abundant and safe Its wages will fall. because
other capital by the millions Will lly thlthcr
to supply the needs Of labor. Wherever capi-
tal is scarce and exposed to great RISKS from
mohs or strikes or otherwise, then its WAGES
Will rise, because MI llhJ can NM pcI'Ci Oi"-
ploymeut elsewhere viii tIy away.
The Press Is the friend OF capital. because it
is The true friend of labor. Exceptions exist;
there are knavish and pcsiilent dcmagogues,
in the press as elsewhere, vino please ignorant
workmen by warning against the real inter-
ests of all worllmen But"he editor who has
sense knows that every blow at capi,tl IS
blow a. all labor The wise,t and the best
workman Is he who creates more capital by his
own self-denia and invites more capital by
defending al rights Of property.