The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-16

Millions OF People Who Earn Their Bread In
Ways Not Classed as Labor

ways Not Chased rs Labor.
Chicago Inter Ocean.
BY a Misrepresentation of facts popular fal
| lacy has come into belief that workingmen and
laborers are those merely who devote themselves
to trades, mechanics, or to similar departments
or toll. 1t IS very narrow and 6 very unjust
view Of the vast industrial energies OF the coun-
try that stops with bench and tool in estimating
the labor interests that deserve attention and
protection. The mason. the brick-layer, the
machinist, and those who find employment for
skilled labor or muscular power, are not more
workingmen than those who earn their daily
bread in a variety of ways not commonly classed
| as labor. The conditions involved in consider
| ing the rights of one class may differ from the
conditions that affect another class, but the
broad principles the Same in all hfe-sustaln-
ing concerns and pursuits. and such Is the inter-
relation of interests class cannot be disturbed
without all classes feeling the influence.
According to the statistics of 1880 there are In
the United States over IL, 392, 600 persons occu-
pied with one another kind Of labor. This is
the total Of work people, but they are not all
workingmen in the narrow sense OF the term, as
it is used by those who have specific interests to
conserve. or who imagine the problem OF life
bears upon selected empleyments only OF this
vast numb Der of toilers $40 400 are engaged with
agricultural pursuits, 4,074, 200 are in profes
sonal and personal service, 1870 200 are in trade
and transportation service, and g. $3.50 are in
manufacturing, mechanical trades and mining
service. According to those who regard worA-
ingmen to be artifcers. mechanics, trade work
ers ETC.. there are but 5,647 200 werkingmen In
the United States; and yet, in addition to these,
there are IL, IA, 600 who live by daiiy toll, by
the exercise Of their muscle, their intelligence.
or their particular ability, who are dependent on
what they earn for the support Of themselves
and families. and who occupy the same relation
to capital that the other s. 000 600 odd workers do
When 10 comes to q question of right it may be
asked if the interests Of the 100000 are not
quite as great and important, quite as deserving
Of regard as the interests of the 8, 000, 000i by
what species Of logic is it determined that the
lesser number has the greater right TO dictate
terms, or to insst privilege, or to enforce OBJ
legations, in the respective provinces OF general
society and operating capItan In the economic
system the man who turns a lathe, or works a
drill or lays brick, is of no more consequence
than a man who holds plow, or yields an Ak,
or keeps set of books. Tt 10 no better to make
a Shoe or twist cigar, or cast . wheel, than It
is to reap field, shear sheep. or do any other
legitimate duty by means Of which the commu-
nifty IL benefited or served.
The mere banding together OF men In the
formation Of protective societies does not in
crease their rights or multiply their privileges,
though it may augment their ability to enforce
existing rights. But there is difference be-
tween enforcing actual obligations and arbitrar
rily decreeing what shall constitute obiigations
and all coercive measures based on an extra
judicial decree are apt to operate to the damage
Of interests equally important with those they
seek to benefit. All branches OF labor are CO.
ordinate in the general government, since every
form Of labor for which there is demand is es-
sential to the preservation of some vital element
of the common order.
When any set or class of workmen attempt to
act obstructively for their own advantage they
infringe the rights of others; and it is by no
means certain that the enforcement Of their de-
sires by violence tends to their good in the long
run II the 1000, 600 agricultursts should re-
fuse to till the ground, SOW seed or gather crops
unless certain absolute concessions were made
them, the injury to the public would be none
the less great because it would be distributed
among all classes It would be real and per-
ceptible injury If their terms were not acceded
to. But even il their demand were met it il not
difficult to understand how the advantage to
them might be made an indirect tax upon the
community in the increased cost TO the con-
sumner Of all products handled by the market or
middle-men The same influences hold good in
all other departments of supply and demand.
Nothing is more certain than that values adjust
themselves, and when there is a successful at
tempt to maintain labor at a high price when
other values are deteriorating, it is absolutely
certain that the balance will be struck in some
other direction. The result of it all is that
coercion must give way to arbitration, an arbi-
tration intelligent enough to determine what
lies beyond the horizon of the narrow issue.
When 100000 workingmen understand that
there are over 100000 working people iufu-
enced by the fluctuations of trade and industry
they will arrive at better appreciation OF hu-
man rights, and reason will take the place OF
brute force in settling difficulties that arise.