The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-08-20
THE OTHER SIDE.


the employed classes TO complain most
incontinually Of their condition. They
are even going to the length Of organ
izing a national party for the purpose
of remedying their supposed grievan-
ces and to secure the adoption Of laws
that will check the imputed aggressions
Of capital upon their interests and in
sure for them a larger proportion Of
the results OF their labor. These COM
plants have been so reiterated and have
met with such tacit credence that the
belief has become general that this par
ticular class are the victims of some
great wrong and are suffering more
than their real share Of the penalties of
the unnatural condition OF things that
existed before the panic of 1873.
In all this there is great deal Of
false assumption and false conclusion.
A fair consideration Of the other side
of the question will show that this
class have much less real reason for
complaint than is generally supposed,
aud that their suffering is relatively
much less than that Of other classes
During the two first years Of the panic.
they profted at the expense OF the en-
ploying classes. That is, when prices
were declining and both merchants aud
manufacturers were steadily losing
money, the working class were receiv-
ing their former wages and were profit
ing by the decline in prices which oc-
Cured at the expense OF the producing
and distributing classes. As a rule,
their wages were reduced only when
fla -. - .s.1aw.ra ha1 srkWrVrar1
seriously upon their capital and had
brought then face TO face with insolv-
ency; aud there can be no question that
the payment OF wages which could not
be afforded was one very important
cause Of the subsequent unprecedented
failures. To this extent, labor has only
itself 10 blame for It's causes OF COM
plant.
The grievances OF the working classes
resolve themselves into two chiefly
first that WAGES ARE TOO Low. and sec
ond that LABOR Is VERY ISADEQUATELY
EMPLOYED. IL does not seem to have
occurred to this class that if they are
getting less money for a days work, so
also are the manufacturer aud the mer-
chant getting proportionately less for
their goods, and the capitalist less by
nearly onehalf for the use of his capi-
tai. They forget that the shrinkage Of
values that has occurred since the pan
10 has caused failures amounting to
81 ,050, 600, 900, and has reduced by
forty per cent. the money valuation Of
the aggregate assets of the country. 1t
is really the capitalist or employing
class that chiefly have had 10 bear the
brunt OF the pressure OF the suffering
OF the last five years; is IL too much To
expect that the employed class should
in some measure bear the burthens al
so? Ia point OF fact, however, the con-
sequences that have fallen upon that
class are more apparent than real. A
large portion of them have TO accept n
less amount OF money for their services
and an important minority are receiv-
ing about a. much as ever. But all are
benefited by corresponding reduction
IN the costs OF substance or enjoyment; /;
what they loss IN one way, therefore,
they gain in another; and their net con-
dition is not as material changed from
what IL was in the supposed hush times
of high wages, while a minority are
better situated than they we're then.
The complaint that labor is not suf-
ficiently employed has far less founda-
tion in fact than is generally imagined.
Where do we ind the evidences that
the number Of involuntarily unemploy-
ell is much larger than IN ordinary
times? Certainly such evidence does
not meet the eye OF the ordinary OBJ
server. On the contrary, there are
onstrate that the proportion of unem-
ployed cannot now be much larger than
usual. Our industries have been stead
lily expanding ever since the panic.
The facts show that in the industries
of agriculture, cotton manufacture,
wooden Manufacture, iron making,
leather manufacture, mining, oil pro-
duction, and in the preparation OF lum-
Der and animal food, there has been,
within the last five years, an increase
OF production which il may be safely
asserted has not been eqnalled within
any equal period in the history OF the
country; aud, this being the case. there
cannot possibly be the idleness or dis
tress among the working population
which has been supposed to exist.
IL is high time that we cease 30 take
popular complaint and fractional clam.
or at its word, aud that opinion upon
the condition OF the country we're reg
ulated by an intelligent comprehension
Of the facts which alone afford a sure
/ guide TO correct conclusions. The at.
tachiug OF false importance 10 mere
money valuations Of commodities and
property and wages, has blinded us tC
/ the fact that the bulk Of our actual pos
sessions is increasing; and hence We
are complaining Of poverty at the tims
our supplies of the things that alon,
constitute real wealth are being largely
augmented. II we better understood
our condition, we should be better sat
isied with il and should be less dIspos
ed 10 supercede the remedial lave o
nature by gimcrack devices Of legisla
ton. III the people would only give thu
cold shoulder TO all the agitators o
change, and demand that, for the pres
ent, We shall be allowed 10 work undei
existing conditions. the results Of bus
mess would be found 10 be abundant,
satisfactory. If. therefore, we mus
have Low political party, LET It's plat
form be Laissos fdirC