The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-02-09

wAEELINo, ". Va, FEBRUARY o. 1886


Perhaps Mr.. Andrew Carnegie alone
knows " neither it is his intention to turn
his stee! works at BraddoCk into a CO.
lucrative CONCERN, or whether he is even
seriously thinking OF devoting any part oil
his time and means to attempting solu'
ton Of the labor question. Mr., Carnegie
has given much consideration to the sub
iect, but whether he has devised new
scheme, or determined to follow in the
wake Of some one OF the few successful ex'
periments, has not been told on good sn'
thority,
Mr.. Carnegie. has laid up alarge fortune
as the result Of his intelligence and bust
ness sagacity, He has been liberal in
works of benefcelce. He has expressed
a kindly interest in the men who work
for wages, and nov it may he that he in
tends to give practical form to his kindly
feelings. he might found great pEb'ic
library, college, hospital, and so leave a
worthy monument to himself. But libra
ries, colleges and hospitals there are, and
1t Is a demonstrated proposition that with
sufficient endowment these excellent in
stitutions can live. There Is here no
striking departure, and from another great
library, college Or hospital there would
result merely the increaae OF an existing
good.
Lasting honor u in store for the man
who will demonstrate to this generation
Of Americans that /. ispossible to conduct
our great industries on a basis OF larger
aud more certain return to the wage
Garner. Something hes been done In
France and EOgland, but these alr1m'
pllshed facts have made little practical
impression on the American mind. This
example, to BE- Of abiding, value, must be
on American soil.
Some riskO attend any experimental
change In the relations between labor and
capital. The beat matured plan may fail.
Wage-earners themselves can Ill alord
great risks, and there are tOw msnuiac-
tureB who are disposed to tempt misfor'
tune in q departure SO radical. A work so
new and formidable Is best undertaken by
man, or IN association Of mon, Of large
capital, willingness to take the chance,
and experience in given business,
Mr.. Carnegie has enough OIthis worlds
goods and:to spare, and alter he has had his
life use ought Of bis estate he must leave
it all behind in some form. lie Is master
oil the iron and steel business, He is an
intelligent student Of the labor question.
What noblel epiaph can he desire than
10 have II said Of him that he did what he
could to solve the great question Of his
timer There cannot, Of course, DO praCti-
cal salution Of the labor question on basis |
Of philanthropy alone. Tho solution must
he ono that will pay capital as well as
labor, or capital will consent 10 tho
change.
Though he iisked capital in the ven.
ture, and though he went Into the enter
prise with no other motive than 10 bsneii
labor, Mr.. Carnegie would have to show,
first, a fair profit on invested capital, next
that worklngmen were content, and lastly
that the success Of his venture was due to
the application Of principles capable Of
being applied elsewhere, under like con.
ditlons, with equal success. In recent
letter in the North american Review, Mr..
Pierre Lorillard, another auCcessIul bust.
ness man ofheart, intelligence and wealth
says:
know the irresistible power OF tho
massep, and sympathize with them in
their eternal struggle to keep the wolf
from the door. Many times have thought
il some plan could not DO devised to gisO
them O moro equal share In tho good
things Of this life. How to ameliorate
their condition Is the question. Oo.opera.
tive works look well in theory, but they
have generally failed; and yet ! think We
must look to them in the near future as
the most practical method Of benEll!ting
the laborlng classes.
In the conduct OF his own large bust.
ness Mr.. Lorlllard has, wo believe, had
no conflicts with his employees, so that he
lie not looking for new device to enable
him to escape his own present troubles.
lie Is one Of the few men Of wealth who
earnestly desire to help labor to a better
plane Of working and Of living. That there
are some such men Is good sign Of the
tunes.