Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-05-07
THE STATE SENATE ON TIL
29th DAY OF APRIL, 1879.

1Obn I'M VI III MILL 4Of "
The Senate having under considera-
ton bill No. 40, entitled An act to Sc
cure to operatives and laborers engag-
cd in and about coal mines and manu-
factories Of iron and steel, the pay.
ment OF their wages at regular inter.
walls and in lawful money Of the United
States.
The PRESIDENT. The question
is on the final passage of the bill.
Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr.. President,
the two great moving forces that have
made this country all that it is are
capital and labor. Under our benef-
cent form offree government these two
forces have been working together for
the general improvement and develop
ment of the wonderful natural re-
sources with which nature has SO
bountifully endowed this great coun-
try. For many years they worked
harmoniously together, side by side,
shoulder to shoulder, accomplishing re-
suits that have astonished the world
in the development Of the capabilities
of our people. One portion OF our peo-
pie have by tact of good management,
accumulated property, which we are
taught TO call capital. Another por-
tion of our people, less fortunate, have
struggled, and are still struggling, to
earn their bread by the sweat OF their
brow, which we are taught to call la
Dor. Each and every man, originally,
is supposed to have started in life with
the same endowment of nature, to wit,
the right TO earn his bread by labor,
which was his original capital.
In the organization of our govern
ment our forefathers, recognizing the
right of all men to fair start in the
race of life, declared that all men are
created equal, and endowed by their
Creator with certain inalenable rights,
that among these are life liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. That to So
cure these rights governments are in
stituted among men, deriving their
Just powers from. the consent Of the
governed. So far, therefore, as the
fundamental law of the land is con.
cerned, the whole people have had q
fair chance in the race for that fortune
! which so many enormously conceive
4 to be the acme of happiness. Many
have Jagged behind in this race. Some
have far outstripped their fellows. We
still find them struggling along all tho
' way from the starting point to the enc
of the journey. Some are clothed il
rags, others in purple and fine linen
Some live, as it were, upon husks, 9th
. ers upon milk and honey. Some toi
from the rising of the sun until th'
y going down thereof, and gain but 0
poor subsistence others toll not, ant
yet live in luxury, with all the goot
things OF the world at their command
This order OF things is 80 established
D in the economy of the world, by th'
> fiat of the Almighty, and no human
d power can change it. All men canno
l. be rich. All men cannot be equally
powerful; and il, by legislation, 1T wer
possible to make an equal division 0
= accumulated wealth among our people
the equality could not be maintaine'
for day-some will be frugal-som
will be thriftless. Those who are fru
gal will accumulate wealth those VIII
j. are thriftless will spend it.
>, The common desire of all men is I
x live in ease with all the comforts {
life at their command. Human natur
is never satisfied, and the comforts
- life are insufficient TO satisfy our long
ing, craving nature. We must hav
more and on we 60, struggling 70
more and more, never satisfied unit
death--the inevitable lot Of all mem
a. commands a halt, and then what good
:, What worth the cfforts--the struggle
ns of mind and body-sleepless nights an
~ toll by day-what the value of acct
an mulated wealth An undertaken
wagon, coffin, mourning friends,
concourse OF people, o hole in u
ground, and you are buried from sigl
at once, and in q few days from mem
ry; and the world goes on witho,
YOU Just as well as though you ha
y, never existed. Why then the struI
Gle of life for wealth? Nature wills
so and we cannot help IL this state
this thing has ever been so, and so
a'- will continue.
All men are engaged in the san
struggle of life--each one striving {
, more, and in the eagernoss with whiC
l, they pursue the phantom wealth thu
often elbow and gouge and trip
each other. They jockey each 9th
} on the track. Their neighbors 81
they cheat. Some people say they q
dishonest. Those who fall behind OF
are beaten in tho race say that Il
?. race was unfair, and the second be
claims the stakes. Will il ever be OF
70, erwise2 Can legislation prevent l
my claim TO understand somewhat OF u
condition Of the laboring man, and q
y. sympatbize with him in his struggl
Of life. and | will do for him all / c'
TO help him on in his journey. If the
is any load upon his shoulders that
Y. ought not to bear, | will lift It of, i
can. lhn w ~ W 'os"b ~ -
ur. bill as it stands, without my amen
,"n "p' ment9 Capital and labor are not
md conflict with each other, as is so I
'ss, quontly alleged by the politician a
sy, 'c. the demagoguc-capital is essential
srs labor, and labor Is essential 10 capt
The one cannot get along without !
:. other. Why, because labor is capi
= and capital Is the fruit of labor Lat
is the tree, capital is the ripened fru
The fruit cannot exist without
stalk, and the stalk, in the nature
things, must produce the fruit lunl'
:, LIT be u barren stalk Of which II is sa
|. IL shall be cut down and cast into
let. fre). The laboring man, who tills
's,h soil or digs the treasures OF natl
ny from the bowels Of tho earth, or "
s ,ssn- by long training, learns TO direct
~n, hands n the manipulation Of natuI
, treasures and bring them out from
v crudcnees of nature into articles Of u