The Labor enquirer., 1884-09-13
Professor Denslow Again.

y Z p - e
Professor Denslow Again.
For The Enquirer
Evidently / am not through with
Professor Denslow, Mr.. Schilling's point
is that do injustice to- Gould and the
rest in comparing them to Jesse James
and company.
"Their motives may not differ, but the
result of their conduct to society does
differ
For them to admit that the motives
of the two classes of men are alike is a
great advantage to me. hold it to be
self-eyident fact that the motives of a
robber and murderer cannot possibly
result in good to society.
Mr.. Sehilling does not, except .in a
vague way, say what Mr. Vanderbilt
does for society, He is the center of
industrial enterprises, like the hub in a
wheel
The comparison will not do, for with
out the hub the wheel will collapse. l
can shog that without Vanderbilt and
his vile motives the industries can be
carried on better than with him.
If there is any difference between the
results OF Vanderbilts services and those
of Jesse James, it is in faver of the latter.
We could look out for Jesse James.
Men were pursuing him for his life. We
were continually trying to stop his
career and were glad when he was MUIR
dered in cold blood.
But Vanderbilt goes on rigging stocks,
making hard times and consequent
misery, making wrecked, disappointed
lives, and we pay him a princely income
for it. We pay dearly for such "factor
in the economic progress in society"
Z There is one difference between Mr.
Schilling and Professor Denslow. Mr..
Schilling thinks Vanderbilt was once
necessary asa step in the evolution of
society, while the professor holds heis
still necessary, and would allow him to
claim for his services all the millions
that themonopoly of public wealth will
let HIM take.
Professor Denslow upholds perma-
nent system in which the "enterpriser"
is part. Mr.. Schilling thinks the en-
terpriser was once part, but will not be
when the people grow wise enough to
do without him. -
We often hear it stated that capitalists
are great benefit to the DOOR; they fur
nish employment to those who would
otherwise starve. Why would they
starTe? Because they are deprived of
land, and because they have handed
over four.fifths of previous productions
to their 'benefactorsn and eaten up the
remainder. The capitalist is a benefactor
to them in the same sense thata brigand
would be did he allow his captives con-
ditions by which they may escape The
enterprisersis necessary if you admit the
Justice of the principles under which he
operates. He is necessary. as the slave
driver, or overseer, or slave dealer is, in
system of slavery.
He-is necessary evil, admitting other
evils. The only reason why men
thought they must be hired by capi-
talist is because the public teachers, the
political economists" have told them so.
The Shakers have proved that capital
can be used without the enterpriser.
Others can do the same if they only find
it out. tits like the Chinaman's roast pig.
He thought it necessary to burn down a
house with pig init. When he learned
how to roast pigs, the evil of burning a
house in every case was avoided.
Mr.. Schilling may say, ignorance is the
evil which makes other evils necessary.
Very well, bat keep in view the fact
that there are methods, when we find
them. under which no evils are neces-
sary, cannot, however. admit that the
services of the enterprisers balance the
evils they cause. They are the project
ors and organizers of great industrial
enterprises
Well, there is nothing about an indus
trial enterprise that common intellect
cannot accomplish. A man who can,
make every part of shoe can organize
a shoe factory. He can do everything
but act the part of sharperor business
man. As far as production goes he is
competent. but when 1t comes to COM
petition, underbiddlng, drumming up an
unwilling trade or creating fictitious
prices, fall unnecessary evils1 then the
business man. il required.
Mr.. SchiIling tells us that Vanderbilts
do something slse besides gamble in