Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-12-03
LABOR VS.. CAPITAL.
A Laborng Mans Argument on the
Question.

There was good attendance at the meet
ing of carpenters and joiners in Science
Hall last night A. M. Belts, President Of
the Brotherhood in this city, introduced p. j.
Mcclure, of Cincinnati, prominent mem
Der of the order, who said the subject under
consideration was 1.-The Duty, Aims and
Work of Organized Labor" There is a SEN
timent growing in favor OF the organization
OF all trades which is not confined To any one
locality, but is universal. What does this
means II means that the masses are begin
ming to realize the changes that have been
taking place Ia this country during the past
twenty five years, tending toward the en-
slayement Of the people. On one side we
find a few in control of the currency, labor
and politics OF the country and on the other
side destitution, poverty and hard work.
Why il this so, when to-day we hold the po-
litical destiny of the country in our handsf
There are 10000 children working in shops
in New England for $l.5O and 81 per week
and the men are going idle, because of the
child labor and cheap labor imported from
other countries, it has driven the best ele-
ment of American labor from the shops.
Now why is there over-production, simp-
ly because of our inability to buy
back that we produce. A piece of
work that required the labor of
ten or twenty men few years ago
can be done now with one man aided by the
machinery, but they claim that shortening
the hours of labor will hurt the industries of
the country. 1t is the opposite in France and
England, as wages have increased by shorten
ing the hours. We do not claim that ma
chinery is curse, as it is blessing when
handled properly, but it is by capitalistic
ingenuity that it is worked against Us.
The system of selling the labor of convicts
at fifty and sixty cents per day to contractors
is curse to the manufacturer and working
men. The interest of capitalists is to get
all they can for the least amount of money,
and the interest of the workers is to get all
they can for the least amount of work. The
only argument of the capitalist is the bayo-
net or the policeman, and no great question
was ever settled in that way. They bring on
dull times every ten years and throw men
out of work; then they apply the Tramp Act
to keep them from finding work. Capital is
organized and why should labor not be
organized? The capitalists have control of
our Congress and the press of the
country, and when the workingmen
dare to speak they are told that they must
not think for themselves but leave it to
others to do for them. You must organize
and make an injury to one the concern of
all, and remember that it is as important to
organize after an election as before it, as a
President or Governor cannot stop a corpor-
alton from cutting wages, you must do it
yourself. 1t is not by shorter hours you will
injure your wages, as the surplus labor is the
power used by capitalists to reduce your
wages and not less hours. After few re-
marks ON the importation of cheap labor
from abroad and the working of the Brother
hood, the speaker closed. He was followed
by l.. V. Moulton and j. II. Tibbets, who
made brief speeches, and the meeting ad
journed.