Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1886-03-19
Are men to be Blamed for Becoming
Knights of Labors.

Labour question is due to what?
Within one hundred years the
modes of production have entirely
changed through the introduction
of machinery for hand labor and
wealth has been greatly increased.
The question now arises, how has
this wealth been distributed?
Have the working classes shared
as they should have done in this
increase? Statistics are given to
show that the laborer of to day is
in better condition than the
labor of theer past that is not the
question. The question for solu-
ton is, has the laborer received a
reasonable consideration in the
distribution of this enormous in
crease of labor product. A con-
siderable per centage of the wage
workers to-day owe their position
to the change in the methods of
production, and they ought not to
be compared with the wage laborer
of fifty years ago; but with the self
employing independent artisan of
that day, whose positions machine
competition has rendered untena-
BILE. The unskilled laborer of to-
day should stand on par with the
skilled laborer of fifty years ago;
for the reason that the suplanting
of skilled by unskilled labor is one
of the common effects of machin-
cry.
The question as it comes up, is
not how shall [ be fed OF were
withall shall | be clothed. The
wealth formerly employed was in
great part owned by the working
men, who carried on business in
their own shops, with their own
tools and materials, and it is the
decendents of these masters who
are now dependent on wages re-
ceived from separate capitalistic
class; and any statistics which
lignore this in comparing modern
wage workers with those of times
past, do not place things in their
proper light.
Those self employing artisans
of the past, who have by machine
competition, been driven into the
wage earning class, are the skilled
workers whose trades have been
rendered useless on their hands
by the same cause. These must
be taken into account. Is it not
a question as to whether this
general gain to one portion Of
society may not have worked
| inju1iously to this class of men:
j Have they and theirs beer
!, sufficiently compensated for the
injuries sustained by them per.
sonally? General good is sup
! posed to be the controlling con
) sideration. The greater the bene.
; fits derived by society from ma
chinery, the greater the obliga
| to ward off the injuries, inflicted
on special classes of working mel
by the changes in the mode O
+ production.
This obligation is all the
stronger from the fact that laws
are made to promote the produc
ton of labor saving machinery
Invention is not spontaneous il
its actions, and since government
tnterferes in this matter it ough
to deal with the problem as {
whole. If the government pro
notes the increase of machinery t,
extend benefits to society, ough
/ they not to consider how attendan
, evils can be averted?
Is this inattention bringin!
:, about a divorce between capita
l and labor? Are people beginnin.
to think them as distinct from eacl
> other?
I Are those who preform tn
manual labor of country to b
absolutely dependent upon small
:. class known as capitalists? Is sucl
S dependence favorable to manhood
: The manhood of a nation is mos
8 precious possession; the loss @
which cannot be estimated, as n
accumulation of wealth can com
: pensate for its loss.
4 We do not wish it to be under
: stood that the remedy for tn
above is return to the old slo,
methods of production. If th
working man cannot return to th
t old system of production, ownin
his little business, he may hav
something equivalent, an owner
! ship ar a proportionate share i,
these larger establishments, no,
I in operation. Cooperation favor
D ably and intelligently conducte,
: will result in the reunion of capi
$ tai and labor; by this the problem
of distribution would be solved
and the strikes which are no,
l widening the chasm between labo
!. and capital would be closed. Their
4 would be no seperate interests, a
now, and labor instead of lookin,
upon invention as a curse, woul,
look upon it as blessing, an,
mans manhood would be restore,
unto him; because he would fee
, himself to be himself, not another
] L