Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-04-14
SOCIALISM.
Rev, A. L. Wilkinson Reads Very Inter
esting Paper Before the Pas
tOral Conference.
\ paper OF General Interest to TIL" Publi"
The GIobr-R~pubIic Readers given
the Benitit of the good points
contained therein.

" lhili~uh i gwen b'-tdN. II - - '''''"''
The clash uf conflicting claims between
employers and wagrworkrr~ has become
loud enough in our day Ia attract the att"n-
tion ot all men. The interests involved in
this conflict are the interests not only Of
the visible contestants, hut of all other men
aS well. II is matter, therefore. that
makes legitimate and urgent demand upon
the iudiriuuo among all CLASSES Tor their best
Thought The cuuNumIiunS and iuNnlutiouN
of trade are 80 hrwiderimgly multitudinouS
and intricate ard complex that nu human
power i capable al making a complete
analysis of the whole. and arranging fer II
4 detailed scheme Of administration that
shall mtallIbly ~rt'urr exactly equitable
terms Ia all who are engaged IN !> "crlIa-
tiOnS. The best settlement of the NrNrd
labor question that can bc hoped for must
bc a settlement upon general principles. the
operation of which will inevitably involve
distress in individual instances sometimes
disaster To- employers. ~umrtimr~ hardship
to wagrwurkrr~. sometimes calamity I"
both. Nevertheless il seems 1" h" automatic
that the recognition of and acqulr>,~nce III
the authority uf general principles a. prop
erly reGUlatlNr0t the relations "t employers
and employees i an essential condition
equally of commercial prosperity Ia the one
CLASS anu hl ubllltSt" il'NitiNN ~ INV
other Some of these principles are al
ready understood and admitted. The nat
ural Law of supply and demand" is uni
yerSaIly appreciated and accepted even
though in particular instances. il mrtc> ont
ruin to private interests.
The practical dinculty i that not enough
necessary principles have Vet been dedured
Ia constitute working system sufficiently
comprehensive Ia he Just and sufficiently
simple to be- imtelligible. This, however, l.
the problem that challenges the skill of the
political economists. And they are deeply
engaged in the endcaVoT for its solution. 1t
is not To be wondered at. nor Is it altogether
Ia br deprecated. that the world of workers
manifeStS signs of impatlence Ia receive
from them at least report of progress.
The peSSimi>tiC spirit that. in view Of the
nimliStir and >H.iali>tic and labor agtatonS
of the day. drSpair> of hope for any lerma-
nencr of social order in the world l. not
wise. The optimistic spirit that regards
these signs aS SympionatlC only at tempo
rarV and sporadic discomfort among some
sections of the lower CLASSES il II" wiser.
The Hi>>Cz tIuC spirit of md"lent IRE
SpOn>ibility and hrartlcSS Indifference Is
equally mwi>e. The trnth Is, the whole
complicated question of the respective rights
AMI VI 'i'A li'N 'hiiA
wagr-wurkerS is up for decision. And there
will be no security Ia the interests OF either
until Il decision i reached that shall com
prrhemd substantial justice to both. 1t will
doubtless hr found also that the best settle
mrut attainabr in one generation will re
uuirr revision and modification As tO H.
terms 10 adapt it practically I" the changed
conditions OF life that may appear in com
ing time: - that the best settlement Will
necessarily be largely tentative in chaTaC-
ter.
our lot has fallen upon time that may
br fairly described a. catastrophe in the
history of civilization. The political. econ
omiC and social Developments that have been
Witnessed within the century last past eN-
crrd in Importance tn" developments
recorded in the whole previous pc
riud of human history. The movement
has been more rapid and more c"mpleN
than that men have been able I" adjust
themselves to il. The problem of today i
the problem of the adjustment Of human
life Ia the conditions of it, new environ
ment. The question of the relations of
capital and Labor l. an Integral part nt this
problem. There must be- time allowed for
itS solution. PartlSanShIp on either side
will not be permitted tO dictate the terms of
settlement; but partiSan>hip on both sides
will contribute invaluable aids I" the settle
ment. Discussion and experiment. the crude
a. well as the refined. may wisely be- Ell
ruuraged from every quarter Even the
wild vagarieS of violent extremists may
prove not wholly prUtitleSN, though they
should be found rNtraVagamtly expensive.
The lessons of the French revolution have
been learned by multitudeS who have never
read French history. The SalutarV cOnVic-
ton is more generally held than of yore in
the high places of the earth that the power
of UppreSSuTS may be- easily ONer-StTaned /
and the saving. persuasion Is more widely
entertained among the humber classes that
drunken fury with the torch and axe iS not
the kindhe>t nor the most efficient minister
Ia their comfort. Ii is tOu much. indeed. to
expect that arrogant wealth will not. pend
ing the settlement of its just prer"gatlNes.
sometimes exert its power uppreSSively, or
that ignorant poverty, eNaSperatcd bV such
oppreSSion either real or fancled. will not
sometimes break into vimdlctiyr resent
mrntS marked by fire and blood. But the
disastrous outcome Ia the guilty perpetrators
of every such iniquity will be- warning Ia
the class they represent against the folly "i
imitation. At the same time the danger oi
such OutrageS. and the observed cOndi-
tiOnS that attend them will supply AT
once stimulus and material Ia the
wiSt-heartr'g VIII" are sincerely seeking for
those principles of righteousness to all
which must constitute the basis of peaceful
prosperity Ia any.
The mischief is that while all men have
come To feel the urgent need of a wise ad
iuStment of the relations of capital and
labor there are comparatively few men who
nave al all adequately conceived their own /
utter incompetence TO draft such an adjust |.
ment There are innumerIhlr cum>idera-
tiun> necessary L. bt taken into the account /
that have not been even 80 much rs heard .
of by the vast ajority of men. There i .
probably not onc capitalist in Thousand .
that has amy just comprehension of the .
chief conditions that peculiarly affect the
Interests of his ntighbnrS in different lines .
of trade. There il not one workman in a .
thousand IN the great manufacturing eStah- .
li>hmemtS that has even stopped Ia reckon, .
or that could reckon if he should under .
take il. the innumerable points. all of them .
more or less vital. al which the concern III .
which he is engaged j. artIculated with other .
great departments of business in the vast .
body of trade For example. how little the
popular thought has been given la the sub
itrt of the preservation or cultivation of .
our Timber supply Ana TINS noiwitll- .
standing the faithful warnings that have
been given of Il rapidly approaching timber
famine, which, if it be not avrrtcd by some
manner of wise precautionary measures
taken soon. will be- upon u> within a few
years. And when ii comes. what branch
of business will il not deramge what class
of wagt-wUrkcrS will not be- inevitably af-
feCted by il? Or, if the measures called
for 10 perpctuate the forests should he
adopted. then what new scales of prices in
almost all articles of u>r would necessarily
accompany. and, changing the cost of liv-
+ng. inevitably affect the purchasing power
of all wages earned?
And this suggestion brings reminder
of one of the a~cprtdiurd lnrNUrable facts Of