St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-27
LABOR AND CAPITAL
The Theme OF the Congregational
Clubs Debate Last Night.

The April meeting of the Congregational
club was held in the chapel of Plymouth
church last evening. There was an attend
ance that filed the room, large proper
ton of those present being from Minneapolis
and other cities. The meeting was one of
the most interesting, and at the same time
the most practical of any that have been
held for long time. The subject was the
labor question, the particular phase of the
great topic being the coming relations of
labor and capital. DIR. Albert Shaw pre-
scented the first paper, brief but forclbly
put summary of the situation at present be-
tween labor and capital. Mr.. Shaw an
nounced himself at the outset as an optlm-
ist on the subject. He went into the
philosophy of the question in open
ing, and. by way of illustration.
cited various great movements in history
that have brought the world from the dark
ages TO the present civilization. He thought
the darkest hour for the laboring man was
in the early decades Of the present century.
1t was natural that labor shonld now rise
against capital. Capital had once been de-
fed. and law and the whole trend of popular
feeling were in favor of capital and against
labor. A reaction had come. The eman-
cipation could not be brought about by
coddling laws, for no law could lift the
masses to position they were not ready
for. Trades unions, he believed, had filed
an important mission, as being preparatory
to an effort by the workingmen for gen.
eral and united move in their own behalf.
He believed the eight-hour movement would
be success. He believed the present out
look was not ominous, but would prove a
benefit in attaining the great results-as a
warning if nothing else.
THE SECOND PAPER.
Mr.. S. l.. Pierce of st. Paul followed
on the same topic. Coming directly to a
point now under agitation he said the
great question is not, how many hours
ten or eight-shall man work, but how
many of the comforts of life may the man
enjoy. The central fact in this paper lay
i'm the thought that capital and labor have
intimate relations. and are mutually de-
pendent on each other. and he believed that
common sense and common prudence are
the key that will turn the combination lock
and open the doors for a settlement to
walk in. Mr.. Pierce took occasion to prod
jaw Gould with a sharp stick. two or three
times. Giant corporations were not HARM
full if the gigantic power was used prop
erly, but often the king of knaves became
railroad king with disastrous results. As
at present conducted, much of the railroad
management was criminal.
J. 5. Rankin of Minneapolis. who was
guest of the club, read very thoughtful
and interesting paper. in which he reviewed
the situation at the present time. He
dwelt especially on the eight-hour system
and believed that it would be put in general
effect The paper was practical and was
well received. Il. l.. Simpson, president
of the Minneapolis Mechanics club, read
the last paper, dealing largely with the
theoretical questions involved in settling
the labor question. AT the close OF the
papers there was brief discussion, after
which the club babe an affectionate fare
well to Rev. and Mrs. j. l.. Scudder of
Minneapolis who leave in a day or two for
Mr.. Scudder's new field in Jersey City.
The occasion was very touching one. as
Mr.. and Mrs. Scudder were prominent in
the doings of the club, and by their activity
and earnestneSs have endeared themselves
to all its members.