The Russellville Democrat., 1885-08-13
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
Thc war of Labor and Capital.

The War of Labor ana Capftal.
The Rev. DR.. Talmage OF Brook
lyn, recently preached sermon on
what he characterized as "the great
est war the world ever seen'--natne
ly, the war 'between Labor and Cap
iial." He looked at the subject from
the purely ethical and Christian
standpoint, and proposed, as the rem
edy FOR this long standing contest,
the great principle of human con-
duet laid down by the Savior of the
world, in the following words:
whatsoever ye would that men
should do to you do you even so to
them" There is no doubt that this
principle intelligently applied and
universally adopted, would set all
things right among men, so far as
their actions toward each other are
concerned. This would be the end
of strife, and nations and individu-
ais would be peaceful in their rela-
tions to each other, and the world
would be much happier than it is at
present.
1t is well. however, to keep in
mind, that labor and capital are by
no means such hostile and mutually
repellent forces as they are some
times represented to be. By labor
we understand the aggregate of those
persons in society who have labor,
and nothing else, to sell, and who,
consequently, work for wages, and
live upon their wages. There al
ways have been such persons in
large numbers, and We suppose that
there always will be. BY capital we
understand the aggregate of those
persons who have the means to pros
ecute, and do prosecute, various svs-
TENS of industry which demand the
purchase of labor, and who are con-
sequently in the market as the buy
ers of labor. Both classes exist. and
have always existed, in human So
clety. Taken together, they constl-
tute the sellers and the buyers of
labor.
Now, these two classes are not
necessarily Inimical to each other,
and their interests are not necessa-
riIy conflicting. The man who has
nothing but labor to sell, needs some
where to find the man who has cap.
ital. and is conducting some sort Of
business which calls for labor, and
who for this reason is purchaser
of labor FOR wages. These two par
lies mutually need each other, and
neither is necessarily the enemy Of
the other. The laborer wants to
find the capitalists, and the capital
lists wants to find the laborer. Their
relation to each other is substantial
ly that OF the sellers and buyers of
commodities; and II is simply non
sense to represent them as hostile
forces, engaged in war of mutual
destruction. 1t is for the interest
of labor that there should be capital
to employ ii and pay it wages; and
it is equally for the interest of capi-
tai that there should be labor to be
employed. The two, taken together,
make a labor market, in which one
class Of persons sell and another class
buy; and both meet each other, and
deal with each other, to their mutual
advantage. We do not here ask how
these two classes come to exist, but
rather look at them simply as they
are; and, taken as they are, their
relations are not those of hostility,
but Of mutual assistance and co OPP
Grafton. This great economical fact
is too often overlooked by those who
iadulge in exaggerated rhetoric
about the war between capital and
labor. They vastly overstate the
truth, and, in many respects, mis-
state the truth. No such war exists
as they represent.
Moreover, the general law of sup
ply and demand, which regulates the
price of commodities in the market,
is equally applicable to the rate of
wages to be paid for labor; and, on
the whole, operates equally in ac-
cordance with the principles of JUS
tice, imposing restraints alike upon
the sefishness OF both capital and
labor. Labor, under this law, has
an average market value, and this
the capitalist must pay, or he will
not get the labor; and SO the aborer
must accept this value, or he will
not find the employment he seeks.
Neither class, by itself, can fix the
rate of wages. This is done by the
two in combination. They trade
with each other in labor market
that is in the main governed by the
law of supply and demand, Just as
the price of commodities is govern.
ed by the same law. This law is
very far from being at the arbitrary
disposal of either party. 1t protects
both, and is really hostile to neither.
1t is sometimes denounced as a mon
ster OF cruelty and injustice, but
such is not at all its general charac-
ter. Whether in application to the
rate o.! wages ri the price Of COM
modities, 1t works, in the main, well
for the world. 1t is certainly nat
ural law, or it would not be SO uni
versal.
1t is true that evils may arise In
the relations between labor and cap.
ital; and so evils may arise in the
relations pXistinO in tho famil,.