Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-11-09
The Solution Of the Labor
Problems.

les seem to be more nearly unanimous
than ever before in the opinion that
cooperation is to be the ultimate so
luton of the industrial problems OF
our day. This view was held, 1t is
well known, by the Christian socialists
of England thirty -tvo years ago, and
at the time they had mapped out
pretty clearly the form of co-opera-
ton which they thought future so
ciety would adopt. Among them
were some of themost gifted English
men Of this century, who have demon
strated long ago that they were not
mere Missionaries. but that, on the con
trary, they far excelled IN practical
wisdom their detractOrs. Many Of
these early Christian socialists, now
oldmen, after a life rich In experience,
still maintain their former opinion
about cooperation. Mr.. Thomas
Hughes, for example writes: II still
look to this movement as the best
hope for England and other lands"
John Stuart Mills frequently gave
expression to somewhat similar views,
though he doubtless held that public
authority would play a more import
ant role in future industrial society
than did the Christian socialists. He
sympathized-at any rate in his later
days-tO greater extent with the State
socialists of the continent. Perhaps
the result of recent studies in econ
omics is best given by Prof. Henry
! @. Adams in these words: ''The CO.
operative principle is the one to which
the wages system must give way; but
what particular form industrial or
| ganizatiOn will take no one can say
The world has ever been restless
under any social system which toIer-
ated separation Of labor Sand capital;
for although the things for which
these words stand may, as the trite
saying has it, be allies, not enemies,
the same has not always been true of
those who furnish capital and labori
nor can any honest man say their IN
terests are precisely identical. The
point of divergence Of interests is so
sharp, and the ultimate separation so
wide, as to give a good deal of sup
port to the doctrine that their enmity
lies in the nature Of things. They
have not always been so separated as
they are to-day. In the middle ages
/ production was carried on under the
| guidance of men who owned their
tools, and employed them with their
own hands. Capital was not an i'm
pOrtant separate factor, for it was, as
a rule, united with labor in owner
ship. Still earlier, and also still Ia
ter, we have slavery, which united Ia
Dor and capital in the same hands
namely, the lands Of the master, who
owned labor precisely as he owned
capital. Both were chattels. The
arguments urged for this union by
the ablest advocates of slavery were
powerful. Again and again they
pointed out the impossibility of per
manently harmonious social relations
should labor and capital be supplied
! by two distinct industrial classes
They Ewere never satisfactorily an
swered on this point But their con
cIusion was nevertheless unwarranted
The first stage in the evolution Of in
dustriaI society finds labor and eapi
tai united, and the stage Of evolution
to which we must come will also wit
ness their union, but there viii b
this radical difference: IN the one pei
iOd Of evolution they are united i
the hands of the capitalists; in tn
other, they will be found in the hand
Of the labOrers.
As John Stuart Mills says, this mus
be brought about by the develOpmer
of the partnership principle. No on
as already stated, can tell exactl
, what this form viii take, but some
things seem already clear. Corpori
lions viii play an important part
r this development, as they gradual
] become more democratic In their tel
s denotes. Corporations and cooper
tive enterprises will become more an
more nearly assimilated until the
can scarcely be distinguished-HG
perS Magazine.