Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-04-08
LABOR AND CAPITAL.
Rights OF the Laboring Men as Elk.
planned BY Andrew Carnegie-Ad-
justment Between the two
Forces.

In the Forum for April appears an
article from the pen Of Andrew Carpe-
gle, the Pittsburg capitalist, in which
he says:
A strike or lockout is, in itself, q ridi-
culous affair. Whether failure or
success, 1t gives no direct proof of its
justice or injustice. In this 1t resembles
war between two nations. IL Is simply
a question Of strength and endurance
between the contestants. The gage of
battle or the duel is not more senseless
as q means Of establishing what Is Just
and fair than an industrial strike or
lockout. IL would be folly to conclude
that we have reached any permanent
adjustment between capital and labor
until strikes and lockouts are as much
things of the past as the gage or the
duel has become In the most advanced
communities.
/ would lay It down as 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
attends even arbitration at present, from
the difficulty OF procuring suitable men
to judge intelligently between the dis
putants. There Is natural disinclina-
ton among business men to expose
their business to men In whom they
have not entire confidence. We lack
so far In America retired class of men
OF Affairs. Our vile practice Is to go on
accommodating more dollars until we die.
II 1t were the custom here, as 1t Is in
England, for men to retire from active
business life after acquiring fortune,
this class would furnish the proper ar
hitrators. On the other hand, the ex-
Presidents of trades-unions, such as Mr..
Jarrett or Mr.. While, after they have
retired from active control, would COM
mend themselves to the manufactures
and to the men as possessed Of the nec-
essary technical knowledge, and eGu-
Gated to point where commercial rea-
sons would not be without their proper
weight upon them. + consider that all
the agencies Immediately available to
prevent wasteful and embittering con-
tests between capital and labor, arbitra-
tion Is the most powerful and most
beneficial.
The influence Of trades-unions upon
the relations between the eempIoyer and
employed has been much discussed.
Some establishments in America have
refused to recognize the righA OF the
men to form themselves into these un-
ions; although am not aware that any
concern in England would dare to take
this position. This policy, however,
may be regarded as only q temporary
phase of the situation. The right Of the
- <<xxxks,xr all A. F~,
trades-unions is no less sacred than the
right of the manufacturer TO enter into
associations and conferences with his
fellows, and itmust be sooner or later
conceded. Indeed, 1t gives ore but n
poor opinion fthe American workman
II he permits himself to be deprived of
q right which his fellow In England has
conquered for himself long since. My
experience has been that trades-unions
upon the whole are beneficial both to
labor and to capital. They certainlv
educate the workmen and give them q
truer conception OF the relations of capi-
tai and labor than they could otherwise
form. The ablest and best workmen
eventually come to the front in these
organizations, and 1t may be laid down
as q rule that the more intelligent the |
workmen the fewer the contests with
It is not the intelligent
workman, who knows that labor with
out his brother capital il helpless, but |
the blatant, ignorant man, who regards |
capital as the natural enemy of labor,
who does so much to embitter the reIa-
tions between employer and employed; |
and the power of this ignorant dema-
gogue arises chiefly from the lack Of |
proper organization among the men
through which their real voice can be
expressed: This voice will always be |
found In favor of the judicious and in
telligent representative. or course, as
men become intelligent, more defer
ence must be paid to them personally
and to the rights, and even to their |
opinions and prejudices; and upon the !
whole q greater share of profits must be I
paid in the day of prosperity to the in
telligent than to the ignorant work. |
man. He cannot be imposed upon 80 |
readily. On the other hand, he will be /
found much reader to accept reduced |
compensation when business il de- |
pressed; and it is better IN the long run
for capital to be served by the highest
and to be made well awarr
Dfthe fact that IL is dealing with me,
who know what ID due to them. both ~ |
to treatment and compensation.
One great source Of the trouble be-
tween employers and employed arises
rom the fact that the immense estab-
ishment Of to-day, in which alone
we find serious conflicts between capt.
al and labor, are not managed by their
,wners but by salarietl officers, who
:annot possibly have any permanent
interest In the welfare Of the working
men. These officials are chiefly anx-
Gus to present q satisfactory, balance-.
Iheet at the end of the wear, and their
hundreds Of shareholders may receive
he usual dividends and that they mayl
therefore be secure in their positions, I,
md be allowed to manage the business
unpleasant interference either
~ directors or shareh0ld ldeFS. II iss sn0ta-
Die that bitter strikes seldom occur inl
mali establishment Ii where the owner
,Omes into direct contact with his men
md knows their qualities their strug-I
,les and their aspirations.
Although II may be impracticable for
he presidents of these large corpora
Ions TO know the workingmen' person.
lily, the manager Of the mills, having
committee Of his best men to present
heir suggestions and wishes from time
Q time, can do much TO maintain and
annfcable relation II not IN
erfered with from headquarters. /, ia
recognize In trades unions, or II
etter still, In organizations OF the men
I each establishment who select repre-