The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1888-08-11
Labor and Capital.

There is no question with which
the nation has to deal at this time
Of more Importance and Of greater
interest to every individual than that
of labor and capital. To solve tho
question and determine the relation
between the two is the great prob.
lem of the day. That there is o
wide breach, and that wrong has
been done, none can deny. That
there must be harmony in order to
be successful is apparent to any
thinking mind. Let us notice what
are the actual relations between the
two. You have capital, say $40, 900,
but you cay | wont use it unless |
can get labor at what / am willing
to pay for it. You go on this way
for ten years, how much of your
$4,000 have you got at that time :?
What benefit have you been to the
community? Whom have you helped
feed through your giving employ
nent? How much have you added
to the wealth Of the city or State in
which you live? Nothing But you
are poorer yourself-and if you are
q sensible man, you haven't q con-
science void OF offensc either. Capt.
tal will exhaust itself. 1t is not self.
existing. It must be used in order
to exist. 1t can not thrive without
labor. 1t is child of labor, was
begot by labor. and must be fed and
supported by the same. God said
that man should earn his bread by
the sweat of his face. But if some
meu had the giving out of tha.
bread there would be great deal.
of sweating aud but little bread.
The same One said the lsborer was
worthy of his hire. Yes you say,
but He didn't say how much that
hire should be. The man of strong
arms is rich in muscle, is powerful
in resource that will bring bin
wealth, but he can not afford to use
it without due compensation-for in
using it the same becomes of. less
value to him. You invest $4,000
in machinery; you can place insur-
.ancc upon it: if it burns or is dc
stroyed by fire, wind Or water, you
arc paid your loss. Not so with
that good right arm; there is no
insurance upon it. When the bone
and sinew and all that go to consti-
tute strength i'll that laborcr is gone,
capitalists would say he is only fit
to be troddcn under foot of man.
In other words, he is too feeble to
work for the money. Suppose he
has not been paid any compensation
for his labor, what has he now of
his once strong arm, his only wealth,
to show? But what have you done
for him? How much have you been
enriched by his labor? Oh, how
much? ? you would not dare tell.
Who was it that opened up the vast
farms all about us? Was it capital
or was it labor? Who was it that
first opened the mines of California ?
Was it the rich capitalist? No, it
was the bold, strong, daring poor
mau, hardly able to buy wagon
and three yoke Of oxen, by three Or
four of them uniting themselves and
their little all together. We repeat
that wealth, or capital, il you please,
is the Offspring of labor, but the
child has grown insolent and saucy,
and often mistrcats its paternal ia
ther, aud in turn, labor has been
driven to do that which was wrong
AS an American, and from principle,
VIC are opposed TO anarchy. The
plant will not live and grow in our
country. What we want is an m.
dcrstapding, a thorough and full
knowledge of the relation between
capital and labor, and, with this,
there should arise a feeling of sym
pathy and respect, closer relation,
not that hauty Indifference, which
only tends to widen the breach.
Show me a country that looks upon
labor as degrading, and ! will show
you q country where the annals Of
crime is appalling, But upon The
other hand where labor and the
laborer are respected and encour-
aged, there is peace. prosperity and