The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-06-13
Labor aud CAPITAL.

LaDOf d0u CaplCal.
Extracts from an address on "IHe
NdustriG Question IN the United
&otes," deiUered By Hon. s. B.
Etkins before the Alumni ASSocio-
ton Of the University Of Missouri,
June 3, 1885,
There is no natural autagonism be-
tween capital and labor. These two
forces must act together, or not at all.
The antagOnism is between employer
and employed, and comes of error on
both sides. The one seeks to get as
much labor as he can for the smallest
wages ; the other to do the smallest
amount of work for the most wages
he can get. This, through the law of
competition, leads to constant war
of interests, where there should be
harmony. This war must cease, or it
will wreck our whole industrial sys-
tenn and social fabric.
The ordinary remedies, such as
forcing division of property, nation
aliZation of land, socialism and COM
munism as generally understood,
furnish no relief for existing evils. If
all property were equally divided
among the people, and there was no
change in the industrial system, those
4 that have the most now would prob
ably get still larger share soon after
the division. The right to property
legally acquired, under the existing
system, should not be disturbed. The
question is to secure better distribu-
ton in the future. The time for labor
to get its fair share is not after wealth
has been created and distributed, but
at the time of its creation. There is
not and there never can be too much
wealth in the world. All the wealth
is needed that the ability and power
of individuals and corporations can
legally produce.
1t is said the country is suffering
from oYer-productiOn. But so long
as millions want more food, clothing
and shelter, there is not TOO much
production for them. There is now
brought from abroad seven to eight
hundred millions worth annually ol
products. In 1882, there was paid in
round numbers, for breadstuffS, seyen-
teen millions; for manufactured cot
ton goods, thirty.siX millions; fol
eggs, two millions for hides, five
millions for steel and iron, and ar
ticles manufactured from them, forty
nine millions ; for leather and leather
goods, thirteen millions for potatoes
three millions; for wood and pro-
ducts of wooden manufacture, eleven
millions for wool and woolen goods
finy.three millions. If there is over
production, why import these article:
when they can be produced here?
Who shall place limit on ever
the necessary wants of man? If the
fifty-one thousand millions of prop
erty in the United States could bt
divided equally among the people
there would be less than 81 900 fo
each individual. All will agree tina
it is not enough, No country car
produce beyond the wants Of its peo
pie. But it may produce more o
something's than they can buy, be
cause they produce not enough o
other things. If the people of thi
country had to-day the ability to bu!
simply what they need to make then
reasonably comfortable, every mill
factory and car now standing still
would start tomorrow and cOntinu
work. The army of unemploye'
workers would find employment
3 once at fair wages. Whenever tn
people have had constant employ
ment at fair wages, they have bee
contented and the country prosper
Gus, and whenever the people hav
> not found employment, depression /
business, discomfort and povert
$ nave followed.
Some advocate free commerce an