The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-01-24
Labor and Capital.


ever before been made on the floor of the
Senate to array Labor against Capital.
Without discussing the relevancy CT the re-
mark to the sentiments of Mr.. Voorhees,
speech. it is well enough to expose the fall
lacy and impertinence Of the idea conveyed
by Mr.. Eaton whenever the rights and in
terests OF the people are presented as sub
iect for legislative action. 1t has been the
practice of the government and the country
to educate the popular mind in the belief
that there is something sacred about capt.
tal-tllat its claim upon the protection Of
legislation is of higher dignity than the
advancement of the interests Of Labor, and
that it is the mission of government to es.
tablish and hedge around by all the defence
the ingenuity of man can devise, money
monopoly or despotism. Capital in itself is
power, and wherever it has representa-
tives, they gravitate as if by instinct, to their
interests, present a solid front, sordid,
heartless and grasping, ever ready, by COM
bined effort, to break ldown all opposition
to the exclusive privilege it assumes. 1t
can defy the law, as in the case of the ma
tonal banks, while it is sapping the very
lfe-blood Of community, and the scat
tered forces of Labor are powerless to with
stand it, or keep it within the legitimate
channels defined by national statutes. We
have the banks declaring their five per cent.
semi annual dividends, when the law says
they shall charge no more than six per cent.
annually. They compel Labor to pay from
Is to 81 per cent, when the pursuits of the
people will not Justify over 3 per cent, and
possibly hot that. They are silently and
surely eating away the substance OF the
people, without the victims knowing where
the disease lies, or at least giving it no
thought, content with temporary relief, al
though certain death is before them. "Hard
tines is upon every lip, and the question
asked in hundred forms, what is the
cause, without reference to the fact that
the Money Power is draining out OF the
sweat and toll OF Labor the bank dividends,
when it is not able to respond, and live, to
people, indeed, may look in vain for better
times, so long as they are indirectly and d.
rectly paying this enormous interest. No
agricultural community can afford to pay
over per cent. and thrive, and so long as
they are in a condition to be compelled to
yield to the demands of organized capital,
they must grow from bad to worse.
But to return to Mr.. Eatons remark
Capital and Labor, in the legitimate sphere
OF each, but rather community of interest, q
return of mutual benefits by which both thrive
and the industrial and social interests are adj
insted for the common welfare. Capital which
seeks the aid Of Labor to make it useful
that invites the cooperation of muscle and
brain in developing physical resources and
utilizing legitimate agencies OF enterprise
and trade. can have no CONFLICT with the in
dustrial interests Of the country, but rather
is an essential factor in supplying the bread
which Labor eats. 1t is blessing to COM
munity. for it is directed in legitimate and
useful channels, and contemplates results
in which both the capitalist and laborer
are beneficiares.
1t is when Capital divorces itself from
Labor and crystalizes into 4 selfish, soraid,
heartless monopoly, tina. there is conflict
between it and Labor, and rightly so. No
interest has right to exact exclusive priv
ilege from the law making power, which
Cypress the vital sources of government,
and make slaves of the honest toilers of the
nation. And it is this phase OF Capital which
has controlled the legislation Of the country,
formulated statutes, and is driving the ma
ton upon breakers which it is frightful to
contemplate. Its not the fashion of the rep
resentatives of monopoly to Graw the dis
tinction between Capital which is employed
to aid Labor in supporting itself, and Capt.
tai which is boarded to Cypress Labor, and
wiring from it the sources of its activity and
vitality. When an assault is made upon the
| despotism of Capital as monopoly, as a
cecil, calculating, exactins enemy to socie-
ty, and the claims of Labor are presented as
/ calling for legislative recognition. it is the
| policy OF the Money Power to raise the cry
| OF conflict between Capital and Labor,
| and harrow up the apprehensions of the
country with the clamor about communism.
The intelligence of the country, however, is
penetrating deeper than this deceptive
surface. The people begin tc understand
that when capital is rot employed for the gem
eral good, it is entitled to no exclusive priv
ileges-that it is really an obstruction to the
progressive development OF the nation and
initiates against the primary sources of in
| dustrial prosperity. Were the Capital of
the country legitimately employed, we
| would not find a million OF honest laborers
| begging for bread. Were the industries,
which capital is essential to move. in active
operation, instead of piling up per centums
in organized monopolies, the land woald
TEEN with cheerfulness and hope, and the
passions of the people would be tempered
by contentment. But we might as we'll at
tempt to control the currents of the ele-
ments by wave of the hand as to stay the
mutterings of the millions by the logic Of
the monopoilst. The principle OF feudal-
ism is not adapted to our system of govern
ment. and it will be fatal mistake, if Cap
ital, while class distinctions are weakening
and being shattered in the old country,
should seek to engraft the pernicious doctrine
upon our legislation. A conflict between
Capital and Labor may be precipitated by
the very exactions which Capital, as a des-
potism, is seeking to fortify itself. Capital,
apart from industrial enterprise, IS in con-
ftict with Labor, and it is not rational to sup.
pose that Labor viii tamely submit to star
walton, While capital laughs at its calamity.
Communism is an exotic foreign to our in-
stitutions, just as class legislation is, and
the propagation of the one can only be eff
fccted through the persistent eSactions Of
the other. II capital confines itself to its