Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-04

,r,.,. a,.cu.a,on will be continued daily 20
ar,.r Il .zFTfT until compis!ed. 1hS ,s'o coa,
tyisn 10 read the views OF ~ o,ia not mlss an
trlDuieSs n, ~ ,es.ey A W. cannot undertake 70
enp, ly back numbers--hp. rAnE.'"l
nePr' RICHARD .. HINTON.
~ tt,-,on nj A Journalist Of nhuon" TO
m the relations under compeuuoh "
,,ort 20 production Of the laborer 70 tne
smnlever or capitalist, there are 'hree
se,rta fy,m which 70 view such Industrial
and social economic questions lnese
may be divided into;
The cost OF life.
2. The price OF life.
a 'rhe value Of life. 49,
The frat must be the standpoint OF .ne
Individual laboref; the second tnnt OF .he
EMPLOYER, individual OF cooperative wy
third that OF the collectiyely--tne soclai
order, which speaking through us Iepiv,
sentative organs and voices must sum W
the value OF the twain forces nlss S"s ~
and decide for society, cNiS ~. .'.ai ~
non,c. the value OF each 10 the total OF
welI.hetng and woll-doing. Unuer tne
teanhings OF a political economy Whlch
conrerns itself chiefly with modes OF pro-
dmction and the means OF profit the prlce
81 lIfA "a very nearly the only factor con
adhered. By that statement mean What
n costs 10 live. Applied 70 labor, WORK
inc Tor wages, Il means simply ior now
i,t7ie can tho laDOrers live, tnat
10 what il the actual cost
nj b,s actual necessRries. All economic
ycrIiers consider this primary factor as
n controlling condition. Therefore the
economists and the employers alike, as
regards the recognition Of eight hours es
the legal limit Of days work, are unl.eo
in opposition. The economists leat VIC
operatjon OF the "iron law oil wages,
and dread the lowering OF the standa s,I, ,
or uprlcer Of life 10 the laoorer. lne
employers fear the reduction Oh tne y,
nrodts They dread the derangement Oh
their system OF management. They natur'
elly exaggerate the fears which arise IRON
both considerations Eight hours tc
them, as n days work, means less pro
duction. less profit and less employment
TO the economist, therefore, II means
more degraded standard OF living 10 th'
many because less wages to the laoorer
FROM these points Of view II Is posi-
ble for economist and employer 10 D
az ono. in seemingly hum an
resistance 10 an unwise demand by laoOi
Whether orno this point Of view Is base
upon reasonable or logical grounds Is
subject for further examination AT pres
emit the "cost OF life" the standpof
from which the individual laborer mus
II intelligent, look at both wages an
hours, is the question which must no
discuss.
Society has seldom considered labC
questions from the attitude ana reiatol
of the laborer. Ethics, theology, ecol
4 al nrtar have nil lnen n
ranged from the attitudes OF the load'
and the employer, the proiit.maker az
the master. In the development OF man
productiyes, energies and capacities, ne
forces have arisen. Men have been taug
the alphabet in order that they might
mado more useful. The alphabet co
tains the gospel of Democracy. Lap
therefore seeks emancipation because
has been taught. The laborer IL inqu
inc as TO the cost of life. "What Is ]
Individual existence worth?" is the que
he is making. This question involves
"costr Of work upon him, physical, me
tai aud social; all these, too, ir'
a spiritual or ideal sense, a
not from that of mere existence I
cost OF living, as the workman sees
means how much Of man can / :
how well can do for those ! love- WI
kOIt OF n DlNNt I'LL w AlNiA IA nNNAN'
Civilization, like an army, travels on
stomach. But the commissiariat Is not
The workman, under the ideal OF p
sonal and civic equity--which In Anne
ca al least has been wrought into
very blood OF those who are It's citizens
does not submit peacefully 10 low
ing OF the standard, either OF wages
work. Social economy must concern
self With the "cOstn OF lie TO the lab
er. as well as the "prlces' Of life TO
employer. Therefore II Is the social eco
mists, and not the political econom
merely, that are TO consider the els
hour question.
To the largest number OF wage-earr
work under the competitive sociolog
mere struggle for the price OF living
large majority of lahorers do not liy
work, but are obliged 10 work IN OF
that thoy may live. AS E matter OF
they do not live In any but physical
muscular sense until their days wol
over. Socially and mentally In all
belongs to the individual "costn OF II
they are obliterated during this wor
hours the period wherein they are {
Ing the "pricen OF life. To most OF
work and aspiration, labor and hope
divorced. When Individual men say
81 work ten or fifteen hours and am
TO do it, IN reply to the demand
shorter day on the part OF organize
Dor, they fall to perceive, or they del
ately ignore, In their own cases the
that their work goes beyond the
price OF Lille and is consolidated
the 'costr thereof by being ma
their ambitions their attractions
theirpersonal successes, IL Is cons
tion, then, OF the cost OF life that
my Judgment, the impelllng motiv
DERIVING the great agitation of
This Is especially marked II
diagnosis OF the demand
shorter day, do
mean TO say that each workman, O
deed, IN the fullest sense, any one
man, IS making that demand Il
clear apprehension Of what impels
do So But nc feels the impulse.
acting upon H., The effort Is
nohling one. II must lift hiN TOW
higher ordeal. So the effort Ia
which ali but the pron;-monger
bid God.speod.
Society must consider the eva
llfe.n That brings 10 the scales /
movers ny well as the laboror