The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-11-05
IN. Y. independents
The War of Labor and CapitaI.

The War of Labor and Capital.
The Rev. DIR. Talmage, Of Brooklyn,
recently preached a sermon on what
he characterized as "the greatest war
the world has ever seen''-namely, the
war between Labor and Capital"
He looked at the subject from the
purely ethical and Christian stand
point, and proposed, as the remedy for
this long-standing contest, the great
principle Of human conduct laid down
by the Saviour Of the world, in the
following words: Whatsoever ye
would that men should do to you, do
We 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 individuals
would be peaceful in their relations to
each other, and the world would be
much happier than it is at present.
1t is we'll however to keep in mind,
that labor and capital are by no means
such hostile and mutually repellent
forces as they are sometimes represent
ed to b By labor we understand the
oggreg te 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 always have been such persons
in large numbers, and we suppose that
there always will be- By capital we
understand the aggregate of those per-
sons who have the means to prosecute,
and do prosecute, various systems of
industry which demand the purchase
of labor. and who are consequently in
the market as the buyers Of labor.
Both classes exist, and have always
existed in human society Taken
together, they constitute the buyers
and sellers of labor.
Now, these classes are not necessa-
rily inimical to each other, and their
interests are not necessarily conflict
ing. The man who has nothing but
labor to sell, needs somewhere to find
the man who has capital, and is con-
Quoting some sort of business which
calls for labor, and who for this reason
is a purchaser of labor for wages.
These two parties mutually need each
other, and neither can get along with
out the other, and neither is necessari-
ly the enemy Of the other. The labor
er wants to find the capitalist, and the
capitalist wants to find the laborer.
Their relation to each other is that Of
the sellers and buyers of commodities;
and it is simply nonsense 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 it and pay it
wages; and it is equally for the inter-
est Of capital that there should be la
Dor to be employed The two, taken
together, make IA labor market, in
which one class Of persons sell, and
another class buy; and both meet
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 cooperation. This
great economical fact is too often
overlooked by those who indulge in
exaggerated rhetoric about the war
between capital and labor. They vast
ly overstate the truth, and, in m any
respects, misstate the truth. No such
war exists as they represent.
Moreover, the general law of supply
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 accordance with
the principles Of justice, imposing re-
straints alike upon the selfishness 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
laborer 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 COM
modities is governed 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 monster of cruelty and
injustice; but such is not at all it's
general character. Whether in appli-
cation to the rate of wages, or the
price Of commodities, it works, in the
main, well for the world. It is GER
tainly a natural law, or it would not
be so universal.
It is true that evils may arise in the
relations between labor and capital;
and so evils may arise in the relations
existing in the family. And in neith-
er case should it be assumed that these
relations are those of belligerency.
They are naturally peaceful and help
ful-far more so than they are bellig-
erent; and when they assume the lat
ter character, the exhibit is exception
al and due to reversal Of the natural
orJor of fbiprc