The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-01
With EXTRA SHEET.
THE INDIANAPOLIS JOURNAL
LOSSES THAT CANNOT BE RECLAIMED

LOSSES THAT CANNOT BE RECLAIMED.
Edison, the inventor, is represented as say
ing that the operators lost nothing by the
late strike. He argues that they are class
that never save their money, and as they be-
gan the strike with nothing and return to
work with nothing, and on the same terms,
they cannot be losers. Mr. Edison is I'M
questionably man of remarkable inventive
resources, but as a philosopher and political
economist he is a lamentable failure, Such
sDecious reasoning is very often INDUCED
in by superficial observers, and serves
its purpose acceptably. Behind such argyll
ment is a faulty premise. The men In this
case do not return in the same condition that
they went out If they had nothing when
they stopped work they have more than
nothing when they resumed, and this more
is on the winners side To start upon
campaign of idleness with nothing means
debt in some shape. They may not owe the
butcher or baker or the boarding housef
keeper, for they may enjoy the advantage o
3IflHS at lIOlH6i dS ~ 10 pOpuittliy OdilSus
That is, they may live with parents.
In this case, while they owe no tangible
debt for which they will be dunued by an
by they do owe something to the family's
general fund The philosopher who can
show how men can live on nothing and not
come out in debt has long been in demand
When he clearly defines his plan. so that no.
body need work then will the labor prob
lem be solved, and there will be no issue
on the tariff question, for there will be
no need of tariff The world still waits the
advent OF this friend of lazy humanity.
In discussing all such questions affecting
political or social economy it is unfair to
associate few from the many. We can
not say OF a man who has thrown away ten
dollars and replaced ii by borrowing ten that
he is as we'll off as before. We must take
into consideration the demand of his cred
flor which in justice must be satisfied before
the borrower can be as well off as before.
More than this, man who loses time or
money can never be as we'll
off as before. To whatever he
may afterward gain must be
added what he lost to make him as he was
before. Lost time can never be made good
by any possible plan. Lost money may be
made good by finding it again, providing
that the finding does not require sacrifice of
time. The man who, at the end of the year.
finds himself just were he was a twelve
month before is not so well-off by considera-
bic. 1t would not be just to say that be was
S65 days out of pocket, because it is pre-
sumable that he has made use OF some few
of that number as he went along.
But the requirements OF society demand
advancement 1t is not enough to even
make both ends meet" That is better than
falling short, but it is still better to have
them lap little, and enjoy margin. 1t is
this constantly recurring margin that makes
and constitutes actual wealth. A state or
community is wealthy according to its ac-
cumulated possessions, not on account of
what was made and used in the past. The
apple that was plucked and eaten yesterday
is worth nothing to-day. There is no value
in it. 1t is the one of TWO apples gathered
yesterday and saved for future consumption
that is valuable.
A man without money cannot live with
out money or labor without loss somewhere
II the community has to support him the
loss is public one; if his relatives provide
TO- hi, 10 ha b,,r da is Col a
dangerous logic that argues that any man or
men can be idle without loss. If it were not
more it would be a loss to the common
wealth of the community and as an indi-
Yidual member of it he would have to bear
his share. Too many are prone to
employ this fallacious argument as the only
possible apology for their shortcomings
The valuable man, the good citizen, is he
who counts as lost every hour thrown away
in useless idleness. He is just that far re-
moved from what he would have been had
he employed it wisely. Each individual
owes something to his fellows Society de-
mands and expects some aid from each Of
its members. The nation that is happy and
prosperous and strong is that one in which
all the people are regularly employed in
some honest industry Society cannot af-
ford to have many of its members
idle even though they may be
of "a class that never save anything" If
they do not save, they should at least main
tain themselves, and thus aid the general
public by not living on the bounty of those
who do save. The striking telegraphlsts
were out hundreds of thousands of dollars
j ! -