Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-10-31
THE LABOR QUESTION.


in regard to labor have been made to
the Congressional Committee, charg-
ed with investigating the cause and
remedies for industrial depression.
These come from all classes, from in
dividual workmen, from representa-
tives of organized labor associations
and from manufacturers and mer-
chants. Collegiate professors have
added their obtervatious and branch
ed their theories. These have been
already to great extent, laid before
our readers. We now clip from the
New York Sun the following summa-
ry of an address recently delivered
by Hon. A. 5. Hewitt, before the
Episcopal Church convention at Gin
cinnati, on the relations of capital
and labor:
The POINTS which / have sought to
enforce are: That the great question
now pending is the equitable owner
ship of property, and that no owner
ship which does not conform to the
principles of justice will be tolerated
by society.
That the present distribution of
wealth does not conform to the prin-
ciples of justice.
That distribution has been under
going change during the whole
Christian era, and that this cl.ange
has been to distribute the ownership
more and more over the great mass
of society; in other words, that of all
| the wealth of the world there is lar
ger percentage to day held by the
, majority of mankind than at any
previous period in the history of the
world.
That this progress toward a more
equitable distribution must result in
the diminution of great fortunes. the
improved condition of the poorer
classes, and the consequent extinc-
ton of pauperism.
That the conflict between capital
and labor, which has assumed such
prominence III our day, resulting in
strikes. conciliation, and arbitration,
is healthful but transitional stage
toward more intimate and beneti-
cient association of capital and labor
through the cooperative principle.
That in the nature of things it
would seem that corporations must
continue to grow and absorb the
great bulk of the business of the
world, hat these corporations will he
organized upon a distribution of own
ership among those who are engaged
in them, so that in the end the busi-
ness o, the world will be conducted
tby men is association with each other
each being directly interested in the
ownership of the enterprise in which
he is engaged.
That the result of the better I'M
derstanding thus produced will be
such an economy in the work of pro-
duction as to cheaper commodities
and extend their consumption. where
by the condition of mankind will be
greatly benefited, and the resources
which are now utterly wasted in the
strife between capital and labor, re
suIting in strikes and lockouts, NAV
be appropriated toward the creation
and maint enance of funds to insure
tine working classes against the tenn
porary evils which ale necessarily
produced by the introduction of ma
chinery ard the dlslocation of labor
from causes over which they have no
control; that society owes indemnity
in such cases to the Industrious poor.
and that the principle of life insur-
ance, adopted already by the British
Government, points out the method
hy which such indemnity may be
provided, not only without imposing
additional burdens upon the produc-
ing classes, but that such provision
will be measure of positive econo-
my, extinguishlng pauperism and
largely reducing the necessity for
public charity.
am not disturbed Ivy the obiec-
ton which will be made to some of
my positions, that they are at war
with the received principles of poiiti-
cal economy. Political economy
deals only with one side of human
experience-the laws of the produc-
ton and distribution of wealth. 1t
is founded upon observation, expert
ence, and reason. just as Christi
anity has assumed various phases in
different ages of the world, so politi-
cal economy will vary In its conclu-
sions with the changes of society.
Christianity, addressing itself to the
moral nature of man, is the prime
mover in producing these changes.
Political economy must, therefore,
follow and not lead Christianity, and
will conform itself to the conclusions
at which society arrives in its prog
ress toward a permanent moral order.
What that moral order will be on
man can pretend to predict, but that
there is procession toward it all
men can see and political economy
takes its place among the elements
which 90 to make up that procession,
and its truths. when finally ascer-
tained and settled, will BE- found to
conform strictly to the higher laws
which bind man to his Maker by the
great bond of love.
From the foregoing it would ap-
pear, that who ever begins to theo
rize about labor and capital, no mat
ter how great his repute may be for
wisdom, commences at the same time
to preach nonsense.
God knows that corporations,
soulless corporations as they have
been stigmatized-have exercised
most baneful influences In this coun-
try.
While twaddling about theprogress
effected by Christianity does Mr..
Hewitt aim to go back. to feudallsm
and charter guilds and burghers and
<-n% ,,,& fena favno2 noaS ha ,x,t