The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-18
Let ms have a little plain talk.


The assertion made in certain quarters,
and by would-be leaders of the Working
mens party in this city, that Capital Is
the gigantic enemy Of labor is not true in
principle, nor in practice. When men
undertake to create.public opinion, and to
influence the political action of their fellow
citizens by remarks of that'character, it is
time to make the argument on plain down
right facts which all can see, know, and
understand Here in the city of Rock Is
land,-for we may as well begin right at
home,-there are several large manufactur-
ing establishments with large amount of
capital invested in their business. Now
then, men of Rock Island, do you mean to
be understood as believing that the capital
which carries on the business at the places
where you are employed is your gigantic
enemy? Do you propose to have political
organization and attempt to elect Municip-
al officers upon the arowed principal of
opposition to capital as your enemy? After
election are you going back to work for
your enemy2 Do any of the employees of
the large manufacturing establish
ments Of the city, want it understood that
they are working for their enemy2 that
during these hard times when they find
employment difficult to be had, even at
moderate wages, the men of capital who
continue to do business and thus furnish
the employment are their enemies? or that
the capital which enables men to do bust
ness is the workingmens enemy? Let it be
spoken out plainly, let the truth be known,
let it be distinctly understood among the
workingmen what the legitimate conclusions
of such doctrine are. A large proportion
OF the manufacturing establishments of this
city have continued on at work and furn-
ished employment when their capital would
have been better employed and more re-
munerative to them at an investment of
three per cent per Annum, that is, at one
half oflegal rate of interest.
If instead of furnishing men labor as
soon as business did not yield fair profit
upon the investment, the manufacturers
had shut down for better times and
discharged the employees, leaving them
without employment at all, there might be
reason to suspect the enmity of capital;
but when it does quite the contrary, and
continues operations at so small a margin
of profit that unexpected or sudden reverse:
would inevitably extinguish all profit anG
begin to encroach on the capital invested
then to be told by their workmen that they
are of necessity enemies, is simply a
perversion of terms and sheer dema,
goguery.
There is, as every one knows, a large
amount Of capital invested in the grocery
business in this city. Do workingmen
want to proclaim as a fundamental priuci
pie OF their creed that this capital is thei
gigantic enemy? How many men pay a
they 60, and how many are glad to Obtain
credit: are the workingmen seeking cred
from their enemy2 We put this thin
into plain words and bring it right home
the application is the more easily felt an
appreciated. 1t is very easy for glib
tongued street-corner politicians to deal i
wholesale denunciation, and to appeal t
passion and prejudice, but it is anothe
thing to reduce such talk to practic,
application, and to stand up before a
intelligent thoughtful man and tell hi
that his employers capital is his gigant
enemy. 1t don't need any long dissertatic
upon abstract human rights, or profour
research into the laws of trade and Il
regulations of supply and demand, to sho
the.utter absurdity of such senseles lii
of talk. The use of capital is not alwa,
wise or beneficial to the masses of me
and the action of labor is not alwa
prudent or lawful in regard to capital, b
there is not necessarily any detriment
antagonism between labor and capt.
when uuwise legislation and misguid
associations do not arbitrarily interfe
with the normal conditions and mutt
adjustments of each to the other.
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