National Republican., 1877-07-21
THE AMERICAN COMMUNE.

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II is quite evident TO us that the strike
which began few days ago at Martinsburg,
and which has since spread so widely
throughout the country is an event Of the
most portentous consequences. 1t threatens
ultimately to sap the very foundations of
all law, order and society. The nation will
have to solve promptly the serious and diff
cult questions which have arisen as to the
relations between labor and capital. The
situation is q grave one. II ferrors are made
the most ruinous and bloody consequences
may follow.
In view Of the Importance of this subject,
We propose to look the dangers OF the hour
squarely in the face, and to treat of all the
dangers and calamitics with which the
country il now threatened. The issue pre-
sented by the strikes is one which should
be boldly met Trhe fact is clearly manifest
that communistic ideas are very widely en-
tertainet in America by the workmen em-
ployed in mines and factories and by the
railroads. This poison was introduced into
cur social system by European laborers.
Tae vi us, no yever, would hive had ut
little effect had not our body polite been
inilamed by the extravagances which were
caused by the initiation which was produced
by the financial system adopted during the
war. The rapidity with which fortunes
were made demon,lizcd the entire
nation. Many men who had been poor be-
came suddenly rich The rich were no
longer satisfied with hundreds of thou
sands, but grasped for millions. But the
sudden acquisition of wealth did not do
the harm which the mode in which il was
acquired did. In the fierce struggle for
wealth all moral obligations were too gen.
en,lly disregarded. The most INSCRIPTIONS
means were shamclessly resorted to to ac-
suire wealth, and the moral sense of the
public was 70 blunted by the frequency and
ipoldness of the crimes of men who made
haste to grow rich by unfair means that the
most monstrous violations OF honest dealing
and justice were suffered TO go unpunished.
Men stepped in iniquity and loaded with
public and private plunder usurped the
high st social and political positions in the
nation.
This condition Of affairs demoralized to a
considerable extent all the ranks of society
The rewards OF honest labor looked tame
and insignificant. When mechanic or
lab0rer saw his fortunate or unscrupulous
companion rise in a few months from pow
erty to afliuence he was apt to become dis
satisfied with his own hard lot He looked
with envy upon the possessions of men ac-
quired by dishonest eNpedients, and was
disposed to place higher estimate upon
the value of his labor as the only means by
which he could gain share in the capital
which he knew had, in many instances,
been dishonesty acquired.
D. Under the influence of the demoralized
condition of society produced by the reck-
less and immoral speculations by which so
many large fortunes were acquired, it is not
strange that laboring men should listen
with some favor to the ideas as to the rela.
tions Of labor and capital which are enter.
tained by the European communists. We
do not justify them for so doing. On the
contrary, we think they have made f..,a
error.
The country will be better able TO remedy
the evil by candidly considering the condi
tions of our society in which it had III
origin. We ought also to know Just wha
the nature of that evil is. We hold that il
is nothing less than communism in it,
worst form. If any efrcctual remedy is t.
be devised this truth must not be lost
sight OF.
That we are right in our view Of thii
subject must he manifest from the demand
made by the strikers, which is nothing
more OF less than an attempt to force tn,
railroad companies to employ them upoi
such terms as they may dictate. This prin
ciple cannot be admitted without destroy
ing all the rights OF property. Under tn
malign influence of such q law capita
would vanish and society rapidly return t.
state of barbarism. 1t is nothing bu
Iegalized robbery, aud under its in1uenc
all enterprise would die and all publ
spirit expire.
Such ideas as to the relations of labor an
capital were not entertained by the founder
Of this Republic. They gave us equal right
md equal laws for labor and capital alik,
They said that the laborer was worthy {
his hire and should be paid, and had tn
right to sell his labor in the best market h
could find for it. If the wages offered hiI
did not suit him he could decline to do tn
work.
Under this simple and jnst system on
fathers hourishcd. Competent fortune
were very generally attained by laborer
and mechanics by means of industry an
economy. They sought wealth by diliger
work, sober habits and by spending les
day by day, than they made. This is til
only sensible way of solving the labor que
:tion which has ever been discovered. Cap
tal will never fail to yield rewards to il
dustry, whereas force will always tend l
invnl,c capital and labor in n common rui
Il will hr seen from our news column
that the disorders arising nom t!r s'.i'
ART spreading more aH@ NJ e. "'1''T e..
hours a.d thrratrn sc;i"'s daE-''r :
lives and l'6.n rs" 81 t.'I't.-r "iUt