The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-03-25

oalssl No.. % pal y Eaa..eealh slEsot.
LABOR AND oApIrAL.
Andrew Carpsglp's Views Of tho AL uStmspt
Between the Two.

sNN~N%N >--F - -
Andrew Carpsgp's We've Of tho al uStmsnt
Between the Two.
From AdraRcs SAees Of The Forum for April.
A strike or lockout il, in itself, o ridicu'
lous affair. Whether u failure ora success
1t gives NO direct proof Of its Justice or in
justice. In this 1t resembles war be,
tween two nations. It is simply ques.
ton OF strength and endurance between
the contestants. The gage or battle or the
duel Ia not more senseless as Y means Of
establishing what is Just and fair than an
industrial suike or lockout. II would be
folly to conclude that We have reached any
permanent adjustment between capital
and labor until strikes and lockout are az
much things OF the past as the gage oil
battle or the duel has become in the most
advanced communities,
Among the expedisnts suggested for
their better reconciliation, the hrst place
must be assigned to the idea Of Co.Opera.
ton, or the plan by which the workers
are 10 become part owners in enterprises,
and share their fortunes. There is no
doubt that ii this could be effected 1t would
have the same beneficial effect upon the
workmen which the ownership Of land has
upon the man who has hitherto titled the
land for another, The sense Of ownership
would make Of him more Of a man as re-
CARDS himself, and hence more Of q citizen
US regards the Commonwealth, But We
are here met by a difficulty which l con-
fess | have not yet been able to overcome,
and which renders me less sanguine than
/ should like to be in regard to Co-opera
ton, The difficulty Is this, and 1t seems
to me to be inherent In all gigantic manu-
taCturing, mining and commercial opera.
tons. Two men or two combinations Of
men will erect blast furnaces, iron mills,
cotton mills or piano manufactures ad-
joining each other, or engage in shipping
or commercial business, They will start
with equal capital and credit; and to
those only specifically acquainted with
the personnel OF these concerns, sue
cess will seem as likely to attend the
one as the other. Nevertheless one will
fail after dragging along liteless exist
ence, and pass into the hands OF its credi-
tors; while the neighboring mill or bust
ness will make a fortune for Its owners.
Now, the successful manufacturer, diyld.
ing every month or every year proper
ton OF his profits among his workmen,
either as bonus or as dividends upon
shares owned by them, will not only have
q happy and Contented body Of operators,
but he will inevitably attract from his
rival the very best workmen In every de-
partment, His rival, having no profits to
divide among his workmen, and paying
them only small assured minimum, TO
enable them to live, finds himself de.
spoiled OF foreman and OF wOrkmen neCes.
sary to carry on his business successfully.
His workmen are discontentsd, and in
their own opinion, delrauded otthe pro.
per fruits Of their skill, through incapa-
city or inattention OF their employers
Thus unequal business capacity in the
produces unequal results.
1t will be precisely the same II one OF these
manufactures belongs to the workmen
themselves; but In this case, In the pres
ent stage Of development OF the workmen,
the chances Of failure will be enormously
increased.
OUGHT TO HAVE FINANCIAL DIRECTION.
1t is indeed greatly to be doubted
whether any body OF workingmen In the
world could to-day organize and success.
fully carry on a mining or manufacturing
or commercial business in competition
with concerns owned by men trained to
affairs. Ifany such cooperative organiza-
ton succeeds, 1t may be taken for granted
that 1t is principally owing 10 the exCep.
tional business ability OF one OF the man.
ayers, and only In very small degree to
the efforts OF the mass OF workmen own.
era. The business ability is excessively
rare, as Is proved by the incredibly large
proportion Of those who enter upon the
stormy sea OF business only to fall. l
should soy that twenty cooperative con.
Germs would fail to every one that would
succeed. There are, Of course, u few sue.
Cessful establishments, notably two In
France and one In England, whiCh'are or
ganized upon the cooperative plan, In
which the worknen participate directly
in the profits. But these were all created
by the present owners, who now generous.
" share the profits with their workmen,
and who are making the success Of their
manufactures upon the cooperative plan
the proud work Of their lives. What these
concerns will become when the genius for
affairs Is no longer with them TO guide, ID
a matter OF grave doubt, and, to me, Of
foreboding. l can, Of course, picture in
my mind state Of civilization In which
the most talented business men shall find
their most cherished work in carrying on
immense concerns, not primarily for their
own personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, but for the
GOOD OF the masses OF workers engaged
therein, and their families, but this ID
only foreshadowing Of q dim and distant
future. When q class Of such men has
been evolved, the problem Of capital and
labor will be permanently solved to the
entire satisfaction OF both. But as this
maniiestly belongs TO q future generation,
cannot consider cooperation, or common
ownership, as the next immediate step In
advance which II Is possible for labor to
make In it's path upward. y"
A PLAN or ADMIRATION.
I would lay 1t down as a maxim that
there Is no excuse for strike or lock-
out until arbitration Of differences has
been offered by one party and refused by
the other. No doubt serious trouble at
tends even arbitration ut present, from
the difficulty Of procuring suitable men
10 Judge intolllgently between the dis.
putants. There Ia natural disinClina.
ton among business men to expose their
business 70 men In whom they have not
entire condolences. We lack 30 tar In
America retired class Of men Of Of affairs.
Our vile practice is to keep on aCcunu.
lating more dollars until we die. II Il
were the custom here, as 1t is in England,
for man 10 withdraw from active bust.
ness after acquiring fortune, this class
would furnish the proper arbisrators. On
the other hand, the ex.presldents Of
lrades.unions, such as Mr. Jarrett or Mr..
Wiehe, after they have retired from &C.
tive control, would commend themselves
10 the manufacturers and to the men as
possessed Of the necessary technical
1 Z A II A A.. ia