The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-14
SEATTLE. THURSDAY. AUeusr "a.
MASSES AND CLASSES.

The relations between 1.-The masses" and
"the privileged classes" is prolific subject
of current discussion and cheap philo-
sophy. Frequently q change is rung as to
title for the same topic and it is treated
under the head of ..the relations between
capital and labor" From the forum, the
hustings and the pulpit; in the newspa-
paper, the magazine. in works of fiction
and in ponderous works on political or
social economy it is favorite, familiar
and apparently an inexhaustible theme;
now the suggestion of one or another
utopian scheme, anon the inspiration for a
prediction of this or that great social cata-
clysm.
Men of the caliber of Goodwin Smith and
Lyman Abbot, equally with such special
lists as Henry George, Edward Bellamy
and Thomas G. Sherman, make the as
sumption Of fateful antagonism between
the masses and the classes basis for
learned dispositions and empirical reme-
dies. By tireless rsiteration from so many
and such variant authorities that the con-
dition OF affairs exists which calls for one
or another of these remedies, deep i'm
preston has been created in the public
mind that 1t is and must be so, and the
effect is dispiriting and mischievous.
But little sober reflection, based on in
telligent and candid observation, cannot
but have acomforting and reassuring effect.
1t must be admitted that IL the alleged
disease does not exist; If it is a mere Chi
mera. there can be no occasion for any of
the proposed remedies, nor for drastic
treatment of any kind. So far as this
country is concerned, this is the precise
state of the case. Here there is no line be.
tween masses" and Glasses" nor any
such division of our body polite between
which to draw line. There is in our
social system no such thing as capital
list" or ''iaborer" per SC. Whatever one
man is another may be or might have been
or his son or sons son may become.
A majority OF our heaviest capitalists be-
gan lie in humble station and circum-
stances. Exceedingly few. if any, became
capitalists by virtue OF membership in any
privileged class. There are but few of them
who have not at one time or another per-
formed manual or severe labor of one kind
or another. No man performs arduous
manual labor as a matter OF choice. No
one in his senses will chop with dull axe
If he has a sharp one at hand or the facll-
tiles for sharpening the dull one, nor will
he refuse to make use of any laber.savlng
device that he can command.
In this country any position or condition
is equally open TO all who are capable OF
attaining 1t. The same means are open TO
ali. There is nothing in our political sys-
TEN, nor in the constitution of our society
which necessarily consigns any citizen 10 a
particular lot in life. From every branch
of labor some have and others may attain
10 wealth. power and influence. Thousands
aud tens of thousands have inherited
wealth who lack the self-control, or the
habits, or the faculty for keeping it, and
have been compelled to resort to manual
labor for a subsistence. Other multitudes
are pursuing the same course, and will con-
tinue TO 90 so while human nature con-
tinnes as il is and has been since the birth
OF the first of human kind.
These are the cold facts of the case. But
1t is not true that ali who acquire wealth or
high station do so by legitimate means, or
that all who fail in lite's struggle are
thereby proven TO be incompetent or un-
worthy. But The exceptions. as a rule, are
due to circumstances " hich il is practically
impossible to foresee or guard against, and
not TO detects in our political or social
system.
That our system is not perfect may be
admitted. At some points and in some re-
spects the joint product of capital and
labor is unfairly and unjustly divided.
But they are more courageous than discreet
RECKLESS in their bFsvery--who would
venture TO remedy these defects by the
substitution OF any experimental system
for that which has evolved from ages of
human experience, observation and pro-
eress. Certainly no experiment can sue.
coed that is based on the false notion that
by the laws OF the land or OF society con.