Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-01-24
Communications.
To the Editor Of the Herald:

S~>r~S-~~~~(~-0~~~~>|~
To the Editor of the Herald:
| take issue with almost every
statement in your editorial of to-day
regarding the relations of Labor and
Capital. The drift of that article is
to show that there must be some kind
of inherent opposition between the
two. You say, at is now being at
tempted to prove that there is no an
tagonism between Labor and Capital,
but in the nature of things the two
will balance each other" Long ago
not only was this "attempt" made,
but the full proof Of the doctrine was
set forth. Mr.. Carey is generally, !
believe, regarded as tue father of this
principle Of political economy-of al
most universal adoption now. Capt.
tai and labor work for the same end
live by the same means. Laborers
are interested in wages; Capitalists
too are interested in wages, though
for convenience sake we call the
wages of this latter class proftS.-
Still the pay Of both comes from the
same source-the sale of the manu-
featured article. Capital without la
Dor is barren; labor without capital
is impotent. Neither is independent
of the other, but they meet upon the
common plane of mutual advantage.
e You say that Il theory is only .eor-
rect as it may be reduced to practice.
Certainly. 1t is good deal like a
yard-stick, only goodlto measure things
with. But the world is cursed with
false theories, Just as it may be with
false measures. Theory does not sup
port facts, but facts bear up the theo-
ry. l profess to be dealing here with
hard, tangible facts, and before | eau
hold an opposite opinion, |
must be met by other facts, principles
and demonstrated truths than those
which influence me now.
You say, "Wlll demand and sup
ply exactly ualal &c, when there is
more of the one than Of the othcr"-
What does that mean? Will one
pound weigh as much as two pounds?
The trouble here, l believe, is in that
narrow world Of observation that we
are ali 50 prone TO live in. Demand
and supply will take care Of thera-
selves, and on the whole, perhaps, he
glad of the chance. There are plenty
of laws all about us that we cannot
read on the Statuterbook, and howev-
er we may try to bind certain forces
to our own individual ends, we shall
find some of them supreme in their
own right, and more powerful than
VIC. We want another Aesop,
And so as regards the succeeding
paragraph, which refers to sudden
changes in value with their eonse-
quent misery to different classes. We
all know this to b.. t:ne. gu ,stion
only their explanation. l do not he
lievc this condition has resulted in our
country by the essential laws of trade
the inherent relations of capital and
labor. 1t is The fruit of war-not
peace. We are still paying for the
nations life. Eighteen years ago
there was inordinate activity, a great
and sudden impetus in all branches
of trade, and prices were astonishing
~ advanced. We are returning now
to the natural condition, to the peace
footing. A man feels weakest, not
when he is the sickest, but when he is
convalescing. Balooning is said to
be u most delightful occupation, if
You could be always going up.
In regard to the instance You
speak of where the -four merchants
get together and force up the price to
Sl5 a barrel, | would say that | am
not talking about gambling, but ab out
certain recognized principles OF lawful
trade. And so too as regards the dis
tribution Of profits in large concern.
Your words are, SIT is said the divi-
dend is the profits, to be divided by
the number of laborers, that the quo
tent will have the attribute of correct
ness incident to figures" May ask
please ,cho says that3 Would you
have all paid exactly the same price,
And after some remarks Oh the
weakness of pure theory, your article
closes With the belief that what we
need now is q longer list of rules aud
laws to secure the capitalist and La
borer each in his own rights. 1t is u
very old and trite yemaFk that ''opin.
ions differ;" but certainly yours and
mine are byno means at one here
Shall we ever have set of laws en-
acted for the regulating of the Pre-
cession of the Equinoxes? Laws
with courts to interpret them and Of