The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-23
THE LABOR QUESTION:.

Father Lambert, Catholic priest an
pretty widely known through his littl
work, Notes on Ingersoll." concluded
fine lecture on Capital VS.. Labor in tn
following words to the laboring men:
You have a means of redress, sus
you have not used il. You do not vot,
as you should. You are driven TO tn,
polls IN flocks like sheep, and many 1
man sells his vote for fifty cents or
drink of whisky. One says he is Dem
ocrat. and he doesn't know a single
principle of the party. He says he is q
Republican, and he does know what be
means. Read up on these matters and
think for yourselves. Don't be in
huenced by this one or that, but be in
dependent in this matter OF voting
which carries such serious consequence:
with il. The proportion of labor to
capital is a thousand to one. Why not
use your power; why not put up your
own man, and stand together, instead
of voting as some one else directs2 III
you had voted as you should, your
wrongs would have been redressed long
ego. Above all. be moral and Christian
like.
In pointing to the influence OF
the ballot as the means of re-
dress in the hands of the work
ing man the Father has suggested the
most potent weapon which the masses
can WELD in contending for their rights,
and alternating their wrongs. We do
not have much faith in the appointment
of committees of arbitration where an
acceptance of their decisions is left to
the good pleasure of the contending par
ties. Should the board OF arbitration
decide in favor of capital in any given
case would not labor be dissatisfied with
il, and would it not follow in nine cases
out of ten that the terms laid down by
the arbitrators would be rejected, seeing
that the decisions of arbitrators are not
legally binding2 How easy would It be
for labor to believe that the arbitrator
were bought by cspitall On the other
hand, how readily would capital be-
heve. should decisions be made against
it, that the political power Of the masses
by means Of the influence of the
ballot was feared by the arbitrators who
allowed that fear to influence their &C
ton. Equally difficult is it to perceive
hoT direct Congressional ensc.ments
can remedy the evils. Senator-elect
Daniel, of Virginia, says: "Yo1 might as
well put q mustard plaster on a bald
head for heart diseases as to apply legis-
lation for the cure Of labor troubles
The remark of the Senator-elect is
humorous; perhaps more humorous
than profound. Still, it cannot be de-
MED that the application of legislation
as q cure for the labor troubles is sur
rounded with its difficulties. Well,
then. admitting that, wherein lies the
force of Father Lambert's means of ad.
dress, viz: The proper use of the bal
lot? Does not that mean the election
of men who win enact laws fsyoring the
interests of labor7 Doubtless it does,
though the benefits must arise through
indirect measures rather than by direct
enactments. Men could be elected who
were pledgedite suppression of monop-
oily, the crying evil of capital; and who
would zeaiously guard the interests OF
the laboring classes from the encroach-
ments of heartless corporations; but
al. this could only be called adjunctive
in its character. The evils existing be-
tween capital and labor lie so deep
down that legislation cannot reach
them or destroy them Of its own force,
but it can be powerful aid. The true
solution Of the labor question lies in
establishing in the minds of the Ameri-
can people, both capitalists and
laborers, q higher regard for justice.
General Hswley recently remarked that
the universal solvent for our labor
troubles would be something like a
Christian faith AMI justice in and to-
ward each other. when the capitalist
shall live near TO and with and among
all his laborers; when he shall acknowl-
edge their right to practical co-opera-
ton BY his ready offer TO advance wages
when the mills viii afferd it. and by his
simple request to them to let wages be
lowered when the mills can not
afford to pay so much - that
spirit and that relation between
them will bring about settlement l
can name the places and describe the
men who for generations have never
had one single whisper of quarrel be-
tween themselves and their operatives.
When business permits they advance to
offer an increase; whea business Is lin
gering and dragging. rather than close
the factories or reduce the hours, they
say: We think you ought to take 9
little lower wages; can you reduce1' 1t
is matter Of mutual and friendly con-
graduation"
When this spirit shall become .univer-