The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-06-04
A FARMFR's IDEA OF STRIKES.
Tired Of the Stereotyped Complaint OF
War Cetween Capital and Labor.

War CetWeen Capital and Labor.
Why do the newspapers say so littl'
in condemnation of strikes9 Espe
cially where the strikers interfere b,
violence with the property of employ
ers whose service they abandon, and
assault the persons of those desiring
to take their vacant places?
I lever have known of but one
strike that was treated properly. Thai
was a strike more than ten years age
by the employees OF the East Tennes
see. Virginia and Georgia railroad
followed by menaces of violence tow
ard new employees seeking to contin,
ue the regular business of the road
The treatment then was arrest of in.
terfering strikers under criminal proc.
ess, and il conjunction with civil
suits for trespass.
That ended the trouble very splen-
didly.
/ was raised to active agricultural
and mechanical labor. I am not dis
posed to do those who earn their liv-
ing by active labor the slightest injus-
tice, bat I am thoroughly tired with
the stereotyped complaint of the war
between capital and labor.
In one sense there is no sush war
Labor produces capital; and capital
in no proper sense fights labor; but
on the other hand, invites it to healthy
action.
About the largest and best aid
which labor receives is that extended
by capital, and the most certain and
successful possessors of capital are
those who personally labor to secure
it.
1t would be well for the country
and all who live in it if all the labor
ers, either individually or IN partner
ship associations, were the owners of
the invested capital, and such would
be SO approximately but for the fact
that So many of the laborers seem
only to care for capital to squander
for unnecessary and hurtful purposes
For instance, statistics show that the
wage workers of the United States
each year expend for alcoholic and
malt liquors an amount greater than
HALF OF THE ENTIRE BANK CAPITAL
of the country. Therefore, this class
of laborers by living temperately for
two years and investing their surplus
earnings could become the owners of
every national bank from Maine to
Alaska. Now, to put a straight ques-
ton very directly, what right have
such laborers-thos who could but do
no aggregate their surplus earnings
IN the form of fixed capitalize say to
hose who have saved their earnings
until it has assumee the form of vest
ed capital, "You shall only use your
capital as we suggest and direct"
You shall employ us or nobody"
you shall give US wages, what we de-
tide as fair and right" "You shall |
accept as days work such number
If days as we think proper to per-
cribep
Now, here are few plain and very
ertain facts;
1. If man has fairly acquired
apital and invested it in operative
BUSINESS he has full and perfectly
egal right to advertise for, and en-
age operative laborers, for day, or
TX, eight, ten or twelve hours. at a
tipulated price.
2. Wage laborers are equally free
, accept or refuse his offer. If they
ccept, and find the terms unsatisfac-
Dry, they have a right to quit, but
ave no more legal, moral Or equit-
BILE right to say to the capitalist you
lall not operate your business per-
,nally, or by aid of other employees
ian they have to go and break open
is safe and steal and carry away his
loney, or go into his store room and
loniously carry away his -four and
aeon.
8. If capstalists finds that market
rices of products have so changed, or
e about so to change as to cut off
IS profits and endanger. his capital,
: has perfect legal right to reduce
lie scale of wages to be paid and
e wage-earner has an equally good
,ht to continue or to quit; but no ,
ZEN colorado right for such pro-
'sed change of terms to seize or con- J
oil or destroy the owners capital.
In point of fact, the large manu-
curing and mining plants of the
nntry occupy exactly the legal ba-
of one of our agricultural or truck
rms of the country. Here are the Ii,
cts Twenty years ago three young "
en- were wage earners. Two of them th
ent their surplus wages for whisky St
unnecessary dress. The Is
ird carefully saved his surplus and re
vested it in land, Now he is-a cap Y:
list. That is, he has 100 acres of -
nd, neat dwelling, spacieas barn
d supply of horses, cattle and