Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-29
CARLISLE ANp PROCTOR.
A Statesman ANA n nuslnesa Man Discus
the Labor Troubles.


A Statesman and n business Man Discuss
the labor Troubles.
NKw York, March 81 Speaker Car
isle comes rarely 90 New York. His
visits have been, until the last one, on the
occasion Of frco.trade banqucts or other
similar public gatherings Ne has tho
most agreeable manners Oiany Democrat
In public life, 80 far as have met them.
He puts his visitors rs casa from the mo.
inont they oross his Threshold. never
sit down with him, looking at his
lean figure aud somewhat cadaycr-
GUS face that am not re.
mlnded by his appearance OF the
lean-bodicd and cleanlimhgd racers OF
the Bluc-Grass region, Mon respect
Carlisle for his qualities even while they
differ with him IN opinion. was talking
with him yesterday when tho question OF
Industrial advancement came up. The
speaker has had occasion 70 meet many
OF the leaders OF tho present
labor movement He told me that
powderly Of the knights Of
Labor and other promont labor
mon had come TO him about the Az.
pointmnnt Of the labor committee ui the
present house. ] found he had formed
high opinion Of these mon, aud had comu
TO respect them, He said he had been
astonished AZ the strcngth aud power OF
| Intellect exhibited 10y some oi the labor
! leaders, who, while evidently uncultured
aud illogical In their methods OF reason.
| linz, nevertheless reached conclusions in
their own way that could not be rhakon
/ BY the closest analysis,
The speaker said among other things
| 81 believe that labor should have Just
reward always, but | am slow 70 detnr
mine that we are ready TO enter upon any
new Fysiem OF industrial society, The
4 distribution VI wealth undor any system
other than that now prevailing
wofld seem to be attended by
difficulties OF serious nature
In the South, where the negro divides
the product with the Owner Of the
land, the basis Is simple. lie says to the
land proprietor; Let me till ton acres az
your land and we viii share the product
At the end Of the year he knows Just how
much cotton he has produced, and when
| &c Is sold he knows what his share IN. hut
when Il comes 20 manufacturing estnh
lishment, where a thousand articles are
manufactured and hundreds Of mon EN-
ployed, where hundred Items enter into
the calculation of the cost and
manufacture OF "A given article, where
the capital invested varies widely
| from month TO month, the officially seems
almost inhnrmouutnble against nudlng
out what any wOrkman's share might or
ought 10 be under u system OF llSiaion OF
profits. do not say that II cannot he
done, but the obstacles are serious Then,
too, the capitalist who has 100000
can offOrd to take risks In business which
a prudent laborng man with only ~ n
day would not take, There IL no doubt
In my mind that the labor problem "a
one demanding thought and careful study,
aud trust that 70 Will receive such AZ
tontion that we shall avert consequences
that have followed labor agitations IN the
past.n
W. II, Proctor, who married the dapgh-
ter ~ Singer, the inventor OF the sowing
machine, is one Of the odd characters OF
New York. He Is vice president Of the
singer company. lie " worth 30 many
millions that he does not attempt 10 deny
any amount named for his accumulated
wealth under slb,000,000. He IL a small
man, with u slightly wrinklcd
face and black mustncho, and
was formerly skilled workman In
l one Of Singers first shops. lie re-
talns the simple habits OF his working
days In many respects, Although he
owns stable 81 fine coach, carriage and
saddle horEcs.--slx or eight IN number
he never rides bOhind them In fair
4 weather nc walks back and fourth from
the Singer niiicce In Union Square 10 his
home on Madison avenue, aud 10 wet
weather he pntfOnlzcs the horse
cars, He dresses Ia q common way
aud would NOT bn taken Tor o wealthy
man Rt ali, except BY the fact that ile
dress shows lack Of wealth rather than
itg phfseHElon I was tnikine with hllnln
the Fifth Avenue hotel lobby to-day about
this labor issue, which " rapidly coming
10 be 40 absorbing topic OF conversation.
He said its al hnmbng 70 think that
ANYTHING bot the laws n supply and de-
msad can or ever will regulate the ems
: pIOgmant ~ labor, There Is "a oyerhup.
ply OF nnssiiled labor IA Lha country. It's
therefore 80 cheepened that II does not
feehlYe remuneration much, II any,
, above actual cost II living. u ~ trying
10 link Itself up With skilled labor ~
/ order 70 get The benefit Of the lsiters
greater value and prOducliYencss, Nkllled
labor needs no protection ~ organization.
II can always gen ~ price If the price ~
fair one But there IL a bound beyond
which capital cannot 30 IN ne payment
Of wages. 10 " whcre the product
becomes unpfoduciiYc. Ia this
/ country that limit has already
! been reached IN great many lives, and
7 that ii one cause OF our troubles" Mr..
] Proctor owns very little property Ia this
B city, although be lives here ia Tie winter,
{ he said about the government Of the city
b n. New York that Il WAS the woret any
y ely "a the country had eysr known.
D "Tbink Of II coating fSs, 200, 600 . year 70
D run the city. DO you know whsl Well
4 IL you will 70 with me through the de-
Z paftments | can show yOu, f0ur-litne
: of the employees haven't gos iae hair on
J. their teeth yet"