The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-01-29
A MACEDONIAN CRY FOR
hELP.
What Will the Poor Op
orator DO,
UNLESS THE LEGISLATURES PUT
OUT A HELPING HAND.

timidation of laborers, recently
introduced in the Legislature, j !
a spirit of levity, not to say un-
fairness, considering the import
ance of the ends the bill. if en-
acted, is calculated to effect.
desire 10 call your attention
briefly to the condition of things,
the state of the country, that
makes the enactment of such a
law necessary, and then 10 how
! admirably the provisions of this
, law remedy such condition.
| need not argue The necessity v
Of. the combination OF capital, in
the form Of corporations, for the
purpose of developing our re-
sources, and bringing fourth eur
hidden wealth, beyond that which
could or would be done by midi
vidual enterprise and private
wealth.
Ii has long ceased 10 be ques-
tion that in this age of progress
the primary object of govern
nent is the fostering and project
ing of the great business enter
prises.
This is a business age, AMI we
are a business people, and gov
ernment must keep itself adjust
ed to the existing condition.
That such combinations are
dangerous as tending 10 encroach
upon individual rights and en-
danger the liberties of the peo-
pie. has long since heen explod-
ed and is a position assumed now
only by demagosles.
What little danger there might
be from the advantage that com
bined capital may have over in
tlividual capital Is mostly com
pensated, SO far as the public is
concerned, by the efficacy such
organization AMI combination
gives i'm the accumulation of
wealth and the building up of
private estates.
The prosperity Of a nation de-
pends upon the wealth Of lis cit
izens, and as corporations are a
means of enabling lis citizens 10
accumulate wealth, they should
be carefully guarded and pro
tecled.
Looking abroad thro' he land,
we see colossal estates that have
been builded up. We say al
once, that Ian'i is prosperous.
and when we see such estates &C
cumulating with rapidly never
equaled in the history of any ia
tion-lhis Is a time of prosperity.
1t is the duty of the wise states
man to ascertain the means by
which this prosperity is brought
abont and strengthen such means
and thus secure Il continuation OF
such prosperity.
The necessity Of protecting
these corporations being shown.
/ beg your attention next TO the
danger they are under.
There is unfortunately diSpo
sition on The part of laboring
men TO form associations and
combinations, or Unions" as
they are called.
The avowed purpose of these
organizations is to keep up the
price of labor. and prevent the
corporations from dealing with
the laborer as an individual,
Now it is clear the prosperity
of the corporation must depend
largely upon the price paid for
the labor. The cheaper the Ia
Dor can be procured the more the
operator can pay for the trans
portation of the product and the
more profit is gained by all such
corporations. And it is equally
clear that it is a great advantage
for the employer to deal with the
individual laborer, for they may
then select men who have no
families to support, and perhaps
don't want any, and may thus
live cheaper, or who, if they have
families. don't care to educate or
give them any advantages; or,
better still, perhaps enables them
to. colonlze a community with
foreign cheap labor.
These labor unions to an ex-
tent prevent these things and are
therefore disadvaltageous to the
corporations.
We cannot prevent men com
binlng together in that way by
law perhaps, and as long as they
are so selfish and careless of the
general good they will probably
continue to do so.
The onl, thing left is to
strengthen the h nds of these
corporations, 10 enable them to
protect themselves from the vi
cious encroachment of such
Unions.
You may say this is kind of
a struggle between conflicting
organizations, why not let them
fight it out.
l would agree with you, were
they at all equal as to their ad-
vantages-the corporation en-
ployer on the one side and the