The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-07-10
Friday, July 10, 1891.
1abor,s War


The striking workmen who have, many Of
them, gone other places to find work. There
are 10000 Italian emigrants on their way
TO The United States to tske the places Of
Americans who get into difficulties with
employers of large numbers of laborers.
These immigrants are virtually contract
laborers, but eyade the laws of Congress
against contract laborers being brought to
this country. There are agencies where
employers go and engage as many hands as
they need. Those agencies know the num-
bers on the way and of course have head
quarters ready TO receive the new arrivals
and the employers ofthis foreign labor have
only to make their wants known 10 these
Intelligence" offices to be accommodated
with the kind of workmen they need. When
the strikers and labor unions haye learned
these facts and they should have known
ere this--they will see how fruitless their
contest against the corporations and capital
class is. The ballot is the only weapon in
this country to use against organized capital
If that organized, corporate power Is dis
posed to be ty1annical. the trades unions
have often shown a disposition to act as
arbitrarily and tyrannically as employing
capital, and have kept up in great measure
a blind fight, with the demoralizing element
Of whiskey often playing conspicuous part,
and never for the lettering of the condition
for either party. Corporate power and
greed will never be confined to its legitimate
place till the wage Garner with other pro-
ducing classes, whose chief capital is their
labor, makes an intelligent use of the bal
lot. These chaotic masses out Of which the
countless number OF unions has been formed
are being steadily united and fraternal
bond is being formed between the urban
and the rural labor classes which before
many years win compose political organ
ization Of resistless power, that will pro-
duce changes in the government which will
constitute revolution.
Corporate power has grown dangerous to
the liberties of the people and is now to a
very large extent, defyipg the government
and violating the spirit-and often the
letter--of the law with impunity. This
artificial person, created by law and the
power Of government. should remain always
under the control and supervision of the
government that creates it, and never be
delegated to small company Of individuals
who conceal their personality from the law
under its sheltering egis, but retain their
individual power for mischief. The COR
poration is an industrial force that cannot
be dispensed with in this age OF great enter
prises, but it is dangerous power which
ought to be, and must be, held by hand
no less omnipotent than that Of the State.
Every corporation should be under the
supervision of the State and its earnings
should be equitably distributed among those
who create the wealth, and not as at pres
emf, emptied into the pockets of the few who
are made fayorites BY law 10 the disadvan-
tage Of multitude. Every corporation that
is formed means the destruction of the
business Of many individuals who are pro-
ducing the same things. These persons
whose business has been captured by the
corporation, through its cheapening pro-
cesses of improved machinery, application
oil power and division Of labor, fall largely
under the control of this artificial person,
created by law and called the corporation,
and they should be protected by the govern
ment which, through the corporation, has
deprived them of the means by which they
were enabled to earn comfortable living,
and maintain the independence of a free
citizen. The corporation being able to
produce the same articles at less cost, the
individuals business passes from him into
the hands of the corporation, the favored
few, to whom the government has granted
charter, and they are unjustly permitted to
appropriate wealth of production hereto
fore divided among many because this arti-
fetal creature of the law is enabled to
produce the same things cheaper. This
claim has been set up by capital and allow
ed, but practice has proven the claim to be
unjust and detrimental to the citizen and
the State. 1t is rapidly producing the same
conditions that have destroyed empires, by
creating a class into whose hands all wealth
flows, with the corrupting influence of lux
ury and pride; and an opposite class which
poverty and want debase and brutalize.
When society has reached this condition no
nation can hope 10 long survive continue
ton Of such. Every individual from the
greatest TO the least employed in these cor
porations should be profit sharer and the
State which creates this powerful artificial
person that it has no power to punish,
should retain supervision over it. By
cheapening production the whole commu-
nifty is benefited, but that benefit should
not confer a royal right to the lions share
of the profits on capital above the citizen,
which unjust claim being allowed TO capital
is Immediately transferred 10 the pockets Of
favored class. This injustice is far-reach-
ing but like every sin returns to torment its
parent. The millionaires and the paupsrs
springing up among us are the baneful fruits
of this upas tree.
The law excludes partisans from
the jury box now; it should in our
judgement exclude partisans in some