Morning journal and courier., 1886-06-07
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
How TO Reconcile Them-Address by
Hon. ames G. PATTERSON of Hartford


Hon. ames G.. Patterson of Hartford
at LOomiss Temple of Music.
Yesterday afternoon at LOOMS Temple of
Music Hon. James 6. Patterson, of Hartford,
addressed the Labor Lyceum, his subject be-
onciled." The address, of which we give
brief abstract, was full of sound logic and
good common sense, and should have been
heard by a much larger audience. In his
opening the speaker said: I am now and
have been for thirty years an employer of
labor; and while sustaining the laboring
man in all his just rights, yet am no eniss-
airy of the capitalist. I am ready to fight for
home, its birds, flowers, and all its surround
ings. The demand being made by working
men throughout the country is social bust
ness question that must be met, and by stern
questions of fact rather than by law or senti-
ment. The remedy that Mr.. George proposes
is the prompt abolition of all land titles and
an investment of them in the government
It is no difficult thing to show that the plan
of Mr.. George is entirely impracticable. If
his statement is true that the laborer is robbed
of his rights, then it is full time to sound
| the alarm. Let us answer, what
right have lost because one man has more
property than 1? But will proceed to dis
cuss the question of less hours of labor and
| more pay. If all trades could be put an
equal footing this would be one thing. Now
| if the shoemaker should say that will les
sen my hours of labor and increase my price,
| then the price of his production would be
increased, and SO with all sorts of trades, the
price of their production would be increased.
The requirement of property by patient in
dustIy is considerable, but very few have
| the faculty of saving money little by little.
| The use of tobacco and rum, which leaves
men without means in dull times, is too often
laid to the greed of capital. All of the great
| works of the land have been made possible
| by the savings of the thrifty. Without CAPT
| tai in one form or another all would soon bs
reduced to a barbarlc state. If a man is
poor, it is because he cannot or will not en-
| deavor to better his condition.
Every invention, every machine that re-
duces manual labor increases mans prosperi-
ty and happiness. There are everywhere to
be found worthless members of society who
are ready to prey upon their more successful
brothers. The moment man begins to save
his earnings he begins to become a capita
list. The rule that every man shall have the
benefit of his own capacity is rejected, and
the rule is insisted upon that all men shall
be paid alike for their work, but this cannot
be justified by any rule of political economy
The right to work and accumulate property
has made millions rich and will continue to
do SO unless universal poverty instead of uni
versal prosperity becomes the rule. The
| sum total of property, in State nation, is
the sum total of individual wealth.
One mans wealth is in his
labor or skill, which is valu
able to him as such. If he works eight hours
| d day with the idea that he receives ten hours
pay for eight hours labor, he will find it is
al he in
the very nature of the case. What shall we
say of a man who would wreck ship or burn
house to increase the hours of labor? Yet
this is the very effect of strikes and boy
colts. The speaker here quoted from Prud-
holnmes doctrine of socialism and interest and
proceeding said: This doctrine means if it
means anything that man should loan his
money without any interest whatever. Such
Il condition of things would destroy the value
of property, as there would be nothing to
borrow and nothing to lend. This brings US
to the distinction between wealth and power
ty. If some can be rich and some poor this
must continue or all must be poor together.
The reason why SO many rich are
idle is because So many poor
men have work. If the rich men did their
own work, what a wall would go up to
heaven. If all were rich, then all would
have to work unless he groomed and drove
his own horse. Away then with such non
sensical doctrine. When we look back
on the history of enforced labor we see moth
ing but misery following in its train. Under
a system of free labor it is not to be disputed
that labor receives the largest share of the
profits and capital the smaller portion. Any
combination that the workmen may make to
force the employer is equally unjustifable
with that action on the part of the employe
who tries to enslave the workmen and rob
him of his wages. Both acts are of the same
| quality of morals, and both are species of
I, l.
| driven out of the society to which he belongs
and made a scab or rat.
| The great question is how to
regulate the question of labor we'll as the
despotism of capital. No public act on the
question of labor can be enforced for any
length of time, except by common consent
Ignorance is the source of greater evils than
crime, for crime can be overcome and ignor-
ance cannot. The labor market is governed
by the same conditions of trade, but labor
does not understand these conditions, and
they surmise that now is a good time to
strike, and through ignorance labor suffers.
What is the remedya Signal stations are
everywhere to give notice of approaching
storms. The government gives no signs or
guide boards to point the man where lalor
can be procured. It was the narrow policy
of the politician that enacted the eight hour
law in Congress, and not that of the states
man. Eight hours day and full pay
bid for votes. and dissatisfes the millions
who cannot compete with the government.
Investigation does not show that the benefits
accruing by the reduction of the hours of la
Dor from twelve hours to ten hours will be
improved by reduction from ten hours to
eight hours or six hours. Six hours in the
vitiated air of a coal mine may be all that a
man can endure; but ten hours at farm work
would be considered too short. The legisla
ture that shortens the hours of labor cannot
by any possibility establish the price of
goods, and if it fails to do this then its work
is futile and worse than useless. The great
trouble with us all is that we are too selfish.
The man who has million envies the man
who has two millions, and the man who has
a hundred millions wants the earth. Any
arrangement that is the result of force will
soon be torn ssunder. He who does not pay
all the wages he can afford to pay makes a
great blunder, and he who favors boycotts and
strikes makes a still greater blunder
There is gold enough in the Rocky noun
tains to make everybody rich. You tell the
impecunious tramp to go out and get what
he wants and he asks you how? and you tell
him I don't know but go. This is about Mr.
Georges principle. 1 tell you the great
cause of poverty among the workingmen is
extravaganza Give million Parloas with
plenty of soup and housewives who are good
cooks and we shall hear no more of strikes in
this free land
After Mr.. Patterson had concluded ques-
tons were in order.
gentleman asked-How long will it take
the manufacturers to get men down in wages
till they will have to live on Miss Parloa's
soup?
Mr.. Batterson-The gentleman entirely
misunderstood my statement What 1 said
was that a great many bones and marrow
go into the swin barrel that would make
most excellent soup.
Other questions on different points in the
address were asked and promptly answered
by Mr.. Patterson, who was apparently mas
ter of the situation.
After the questioning, which lasted fifteen
minutes, short addresses were in order by
members Of the lyceum and several made
speeches in opposition to the theories ad
vanced by Mr.. Patterson.
On next Sunday afternoon it is expected
that Rev. Heber Newton, of New York, will
address the lyceum in one of the opera
houses, due notice of which will be given.
GnnA ca NUaa<fn-