The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-03
LABOR DAY.

Labor day celebration ought to be success
full and become q permanent Observance. The
idea of devoting one day in the year dis
tinctively to a non-partisan labor demonstra-
ton, showing the power and progress of free
labor and its increasing productiveness and
influence. is an excellent and admirable one.
Nothing could be more in accordance with
the spirit of our government and institutions.
Free labor is the cornerstone of civilization
and good government. 1t is particularly so
of American civilization and republican
government. In a country where so large a
proportion Of the people are engaged in the
various manual occupations and productive
industries it is eminently appropriate that a
day should be set apart for q special exhibit
Of the progress and power Of labor.
But to make Labor day a permanent insti-
tuition and its celebration successful, two
things obviously are necessary, viz: First,
the establishment and maintenance of friendly
relations between labor and capital, and Sec
ond, a recognition Of the equal rights
of all classes of free labor. Unless
both of these ideas are accepted
with entire sincerity La Dor day will lose its
significance and its celebration will shrink
into narrow, proscriptive limits. In order to
command and retain the degree of public re-
spect and sympathy to which it is fairly and
fully entitled Labor day must recognize the
equal Importance and rights of capital and
the equal Importance and rights of all free
labor. Anything less than this is at war with
the idea of republican government and indi-
vidual liberty. To make the day and its
celebration permanently successful there must
be a friendly union and cooperation of cap
ital and labor, of employers and employees, Of
manufacturer and operatives, of ''bosses"
and hands. Capital is as necessary to labor
as labor is to capital, and each to the other as
necessary as one part of a pair of shears to its
counterpart. They should be the best Of
friends. Further, in the ranks of labor itself
there should be absolute equality. An
aristocracy of labor is az bad as
an aristocracy of wealth. The tyranny Of
trades-unions may be as CALLING as the tyran-
ny Of trusts. A close corporation of labor is
no more lovely than a close corporation Of
capital, and one may be as intolerant and pro-
s~criptive as the other. The only liberty worth
fighting for is individual liberty. If a man
cannot exercise his personal rights he might
as we'll have none at all.
With the friendly cooperation Of capital
and labor, and the friendly recognition Of all
classes of labor, one thing more is necessary
to make Labor day permanently successful,
and that is that it be kept entirely out of
politics. Any attempt to introduce partisan
politics, or to turn the observance of the day
in that channel, will wreck it. This is some
thing the real friends of labor will have to
guard against very carefully. Political dema-
gogues and tricksters will always be trying to
capture Labor day and use it for partisan pur-
poses. This year it may be one party, and
next year another. The laboring men and
friends Of labor should be on their guard
against all alike. Labor day should not be
politicians day.