Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-09-25
changed II, and for time act upon
that belief, but the fact will remain,
and be forced upon them in time, to
their utter sorrow.

changed II, and for time act upo
that belief, but the fact will remai
, and be forced upon them in time,
, their utter sorrow.
/ Q.-Piease state from your Ion
and intimate association with til
mechanics and business men Of Ma
sachusetts, your large experience q
an employer, your observations OF III
practical workings of her political il
stitutions, and business and socis
customs, what are the means an
methods by which men there obtai
positions of influence and power, a
compared with those proposed by tn
Socialists, aud whether anythin
more can be done by Legislation
than is being done for the wag
class?
| Ain conjunction with othe
States she might enforce her presen
laws as to the hours Of labor an
many other things in the interest o
workers in some of her factories bl,
| can conceive of no more jus. an,
happy social condition than her law
and institutions arc framed TO estab
lish. In this respect l suppose sh
does not differ materially from he
neighbors.
| l do not think Socialistic Labor Re
formers can have carefully examined
and reflected upon the principles up
on which our political aud social in
stitutions and customs are founded
and administered.
Every man holds every dollar O
his property, his liberty, and even hi
life, at the will Of the people
The State commands her sons L
face death even when the safety OF
interest of the whole community de
mands it. do not think any Social
istic communities could exercise this
great power any more thorough,
and justly than 1t is now done.
The State owns and enf0rccs hei
claims upon every dollar of the prop
erty in the hands of her citizens, even
though II be invested in other States
Knowing that capital is as ncccs
sary to labor as labor 10 capital, she
encourages in every just way her cit.
izens TO accumulate capital, and al.
lows every man the largest liberty iu
controlling and disposing Of SO much
of his savings as society in lie aggrc.
gate action does not absolutely need
for its Immediate use. Believing
that it is immaterial in what particu
lar hands the title to capital resides
the people allow tho citizens who
have demonstrated their capacity to
best manage accumulated capital for
the public good, by saving 1t, to con.
troll 1t. She allows so much az she
does not Immediately need to remain
in their hands, and further allows
them to appoint its repositories a,
will, under her supervision.
The State guarantees to every per.
son comfortable shelter, clothing aud
food and performs her promise in
this respect with a lavish cxpendi.
ture.
Again, the people not only elect
" who shall administer the public law
in their interest in this and every
other regard, but there is rarely q
man in any business position who is
not absolutely elected to the position
he occupies, by the most wise and
just law OF selection that human ing
nuity can devise. In all places the
man who is designated by his fellow.
workmen as leader by the respect
and Difference he wins from them, by
his character and skill, ia made fore
man in his department.
His executive ability securing him
the leadership over the foreman in
other departments, he is made gener.
al superintendent, and finally becomes
q manufacturer or merchant himself
in competition with his former en-.
ployers for the eufirages of his fel.
low-men in the form of purchasing g
his products rather than his former
employers. If he commences to man.
ufacture boots and shoes, every pair
of his 3 oods purchased by the consum.
or, in preference to others, is the
most tangible expression possible OF
the purchasers opinion that be should
continue in his Office as manufactu.
rer. If enough are OF the mind OF
the first purchaser to keep him EN-.
ployed, he continues in his Office, and
il enough to supply the demand were
before in the business he adopts
some of them are retired by the peo-
pie who give his goods and others
the preference to some bOrdinate
position.
That man or combination of meI
who show special aptitude for any.
thing, or, in other words, prove tha
they can do it cheapest. are retained
in the specially they have chosen by
the constituency they have appealed
to. This is true of every position il
the Socialistic community Of Massa
chusetts. There is not man in any
position, from Governor, Senator, AL
dermaD, Councilman, merchant, man
ufacturer, foreman, or employer oi
any kind. even 10 the man who re
moves the night soil from the city
sinks, who is not there because the
constituency he serves have by iheil
action appointed him to his place
1t is equally true that every place o
every name and nature is only helt
by its present occupant until another
convinces his constituency OF his abil
ity to better iii it.
That there are occasionally mel
misplaced in positions that another
would better fill, is doubtless true
but but not one where tits popn!arl!
supposed there are hundreds
By the present mode of securing
the services Of the people asa whole
in any other capacity than that Of ,
Ijourneyman, man is required Il
give q guarantee of his capacity to d,
so in the form of more or less capita
accumulated by himself.
Again, capital, general ability, .
thorough knowledge of the demand
of the markets, and even complete fa
miliarity with the process of produc
tion, gained by largo experience viii
not enable man to stare any busines
which shall be successful at first.
Everything is a growth, and mus
Inevitably submit to the adversitie
ltypified by the diseases incident 4
childhood. The owners and em
plOyes in successful manufacturing
establishment who are in responsible
positions. from the head TO the ma
who has charge of the least impor
tant part, have found their places b.
natural selection, and have, as 1t were
/ grown into each other, and now forl
. homogeneous mass Of mind NOV
ing with one impulse. They hAv
grown up with the growth of the en-
terprise, and are part of it, holdin
their positions by tenure little les
permanent than the positions them
selves.
The manager, compelled, selects hi
agents with impartiality, his success
depending upon having each plac
filed by the man best qualified for il
and usually the man in whom at fir.
he least expected to find the capacit,
10 his foreman, aud ultimately hi
competitor.
Again, however numerous, or how
ever able the members of q tirm Q
corporation are, there must be som
ono Of their number whose mind
the guiding power, and from who'
there 10 no appeal-whose word
law.
i This impartiality is inevitable, Il
each man mvst conquer his place
every department Of life.
II 10 not in the power Of another
give 1t him. Any attempt to "plact
IarA kann anu man On anu nnat<;c