Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1882-06-17
The conflict going on between cap.

The conflict going on between cap
ital and labor in this country, is
becoming alarming. A strikings
spirit is manifesting itself in all
laboriHg bodies, seemingly conta-
gious. There are instances in which
demand for higher wages arises
from just causes. and in which there
is no alternative but refusal to ac-
cede to the demand. In others,
again, capital is memorable, and the
poor man suffers. Acknowledging
in all sympathy that labor is unjust
ly forced to become subservient to
capital, it is at the same time a de-
p,orable admission that much of
this labor agitation is impelled by a
spirit of communism, sooner or la
ter to shake our social and industri-
al fabric to the very foundation.
The two sides of the question can be
plainly illustrated. A master-me-
chanic or farmer or business man,
labors all the year round and makes
only an ordinary living, and conse-
quently can afford to pay his employ
eeSSmo more than living wages;
while great corporations and specu-
lative enterprises accumulate untold
wealth by debating their own terms
to the labor and trade dependent
upon them. Present business and
labor troubles, too, arise from var
ious causes; increase i'll population
and in imports; failure of crops and
consequent high prices in all the he
eessarries of life. The outlook, how
ever,@ is encouraging; for all de-
ponds on the coming harvest, which
promises to be abundant.
In his Sunday morning serm On,
Henry Ward Beechsr made some
practical remarks in the way Of q
warning to capital -
M.iThe great question was how are
we to hold together in unity all this
vast, heterogeneous mass of 10000,
600 foreign born persons in our total
population Of 50,000,000. Within
the mass are al, the questions Of la
Dor which are. now agitating the
country. The poor are fifty to one
against the rich, and already can be
heard the suggestion of the devil
that the poor should hate the rich
If the rich were wise they would lay
aside the idea that they could swell
before society and look down upor
and treat with contempt the string
Cling poor. Ii rich men are ever
overwhelmed and sacked by and b,
it Would be their own fault. They
shonlQ live so as to show their sym
pathy for those less fortunate
They could do this now, but Their,
was storm in the sky, and if, b.
and by, there were agrafian out
RACES and misenle in this country, i
would be because Ghrist's law O
love had been violated. In Americ;
there is no arlstocracy by law. Moth
ing bat Gods law of humanity cal
prevent dissensions between classe
in society. The top Of societ
sienld not be carried up taste
than the bottom. The top, middl
and bottom should go upwards te
gether.- Society is not the creatur
of any constitution. There are grea
external laws of humanity at work
and they" will, assert themselves
What America needs, is that al
her children shall come through he
mighty common schools, for iii til
common school all stand on leve
andall are taught TO feel that the
are: equal before the law Me
should take care Of those who ar
below them trying to work up. ]
anything is to held the America
people together it is love deveiopin
into sympathy-the sympathy {
prosperity for those unprospe
ous."