The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-09-23
Capital and La bor.
Cincinnati Enquirer.

trere Is hostility, Jealousy, suspicion,
hatred. Each suspects tie other of 4
disposition to oVcrreach, defcaud and
Oppress.
There may he for a time suspension
of hOStilities, but 1t is only "a truce
the war still exists. Deprecate ii as
we may, there is an irrepressible
coniiict' between capital and labor.
Wise craftsmanship should ascer-
tain the causes of discomfort and de-
wise ways and means for their removal
1t is true that both sides are to blame,
for when war RACES, strategy, decep-
ton and false pretenses are regarded
as legitimate weapons.
There can he no question but that
the lab0TiDg or wealth. h-producing class
has zeal grievances and just grounds
of complaint.
With wealth of raw material be-
yond computation, with the ADVENT
tious aids of machinery and improved
processes, with educated and skilled
labor unparalleled in history, there is
scarcely limit to production. BY
some legerdemain this vast production
of wealth is absorbed by the few. A
nleagrc subsistence is the heritage of
the tOiling masses. Millionaires and
tramps ale the results Of our high civ
illzation. The enormously rich aud
the abject poor are multiplying every
where.
Capital and labor are mutually de-
pen ent partners, and they should
share equitably in the profits and loss
es of all business YenSures. The kind
liest sympathies and the most uu-
bounded confidence should exist. The
partnership is not satisfactory. Labor
II In II
losses, while all the Profits go to the
other member of the firm.
In former articles we showed that
the rate of interest sllOwed to capital
for its use was the rule of distribution,
determining what proportion the joint
earnings should go to each factor i'll
the production of wealth. We Insisted
that labor was robbed whenever capi-
tai was allowed greater annual in
| est than the growth of the nations
wealth, and that it had hot exceeded
per cent per annum i'll hundred
years. In perfectly normal state of
society ali abundance of money at 2
per- cent would secure TO labor its just
and equitable share of the partnership
assets. But ours is All abnormal con-
ditiOn. by combinations of capitalists
legal advantages have been secured
and mOnopOlies have been organized
which allow TO labor nothing but Il
meagrs subsistence. These legalixed
monopolies not onlycOntrol the money
volume, but embrace Within their
range even the Decessaries of life. The
cost of bread anu meat, and fuel and
and light, and transportation of pro
ducts 10 market, the wages of labor,
are all detel mined 10y syniicates. How
can we appropriate to ourselves the
legitimate earnings and preliLs of o,h-
ers without giving an equivalent, is
the all absorbing problem? A few IL
Illustrations will IuIIy explain what we
mean. Every railroad entering New
| York City has daily train devoted
exclusively 10 the trausportai ion OF
milk. The train usually consists OF
twenty cars, each car holding 200 cans
of a Capacity of forty gallons. At al
most every station within distance
OF sixty or eighty miles from the city
the farmers I'LL the platforms with the
cans, whence they are carried every
day III the year TO the city. The cars
are emplied 10y the milk dealers, WHO
distribute the milk to their customers.
The railroad officials. by agreement
among themselves, fixed the price OF
transportation at forty five cents pei
| tdu, vi TOV CdT. lie udlly IIalD
yields the road $l,S0O, which for 1865
days amounts to $657 900.
Any one of these roads having q
Western connection would transport
milk train to Chicago or st, Louis
and back every day in the year for the
same money. Ten cents per can would
give large margin OF profit 10 the
| railroads. Milk is a considerable item
i'll the cost of living among the poor
Children must have milk, and the
working classes have the children
Over $2,OOO,OOO per annum is tiicled
from the pockets of the producers and
consumers of milk i'll New York, tC
satisfy the insatiaLe greed of the rail
road mOnopolies.
Anthracite coal is the principal fue
in New York City. The anthracite
coal mines are owned and controlled
by syndicate, which is com posed
largely of railroad kings The stand
aru price for coal i'll New York anC
Brooklyn. delivered, is IS 50 per ton
Without reducing the wages paid LC
the miners or the profits of the dealers
the coal can be taken by rail and de
livered at the houses OF the consumer:
allowing liberal profit, for $3 80 pei
ton. We are safe lii saying that Iht +,
Is ap average profit To the syndicate o
81 on every ton of hard coal consumed
IN the United States, over and abov.
cost, with reasonable profits to miner
shipper and dealer.
The same facts exist in the produc
tion and consumption of oil. The poo
woman watching by the bedside OF 5
sick child by the light OF All oil laml
must contribute from her meagrt
purse something to swell the profits O.
millionaire.
eyndicates determine what the cat
tie raisers in Kansas and Texas shal
have for their stock and w hat the con
sumers i'll the East shall pay for theil
meat. They are robbed al both ends
of the line. The same is true of bread
stuffs and of all materials which form
u part of the consumption of every
family.
Illustrations can be multiplied q
hundred fold, but they will suggest
themselves to the mind OF every reade
For this class of wrongs 10 labor
there are remedies within the leglti-
mate sphere of Government. 1t is not
true. as is often claimed, that rail.
road, for example, has the same right
rs the individual citizen to charge
| what 1t pleases for services rendered.
| "A IL private, DuU a
public person. 1t is creature uI the
State and owes it's existence, and its
fright to continued existence, to its
supposed advantages to the great body
of the people. 1t can never be greater
than the State, nor properly autago
niZa the public welfare.
Who will contend that the law max.
ing power Ia The State OF New York
can not fix the rate which the rail
roads may charge for transporting
nIllk, coal Or amy other articles of mer-
chandise within the limits of the
State? Who will Insist that under
the grant of power to regulate com
merce between the States Congress
has no right to pass laws regulating
the charges for transporting passeii-
gers aud height from one Stale tu All
other?
The right to dictate their own terms
ior service rendered implies the right
| to discriminate in favor oI individuals.
exacting diff .rent sums for the same
service. In au investigation Instituted
by the Senate of New York State it
was proved that there were six thou
SAND persons who were allowed speciaI
or preferential rates. Is this favOriL-