The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-07-27
LABOR PROBLEMS.


an fares the land to hastning ills prey,
Where wealth accumulates and men decay"
Mr.. Editor.-You have made free use
of your columns to denounce the laboring
men at Homestead. Will you kindly al
low me space in which, as a laboring
man, may present tai few of the ques-
tions which my inability to answer my
self partly justites, in my mind, the ac-
ton of my locked.out comradesG
To begin with, has not one man as much
right to protect his means of livelihood
as another9 We will take two men, John
and Henry. John has worked years to
become skilled mechanic. Henry has
inherited or acquired few thousand
dollars. Johns capital is his skill; Hen
ry's isihis money. They place their two
capitals togetherlIthata both may prosper
A third party comes, after a time, and
says to John, 81 could take this property
and run it so as to allow you more profits
than you now get" John them says to
Henry, "You must allow me more profits
or turn your position over to this man.
MyIprofits must be increased. 1t matters
not to me how you shall get your future
living" This, you say is anarchy and
wrong Another says TO Henry that he
will do Johns work so as to yield him
larger profits. Henry says to John, "You
must work so as TO allow me larger profits
or quit, regardless Of what becomes of
the skill you have worked years to ac-
quire." This, you say, is legal and right.
Where did Henry gain his right TO con-
troll Johns capital, or when did John lose
his right to control Henry's. Is Johns
capital the less sacred simply because he
cannot draw upon the principle for sup.
port when the interest ceases to accrue
You point with horror to the discouraging
effects it would have. upon the ownership
of property. Is the private ownership OF
property more essential to the world than
the cultivation Of the minds of men.
In regard to the locked-out men a.
Homestead, most of them are the owners
of homes, To be forced from their work
was TO be forced from their homes.
Neither you nor haye the right to torce
these men from theis homes without just
cause. Carnagie, you say, has this right.
Where did he acquire 1t, or when did we
lose oursf Are the principles of right and
equity between man and man altered
when one assumes to work for the other
You say Carnagie has the right to man.
age his capital as he sees at. Ought not
the laboring man to have the same right :
His skill is his capital: Carnagie's money
Is his. Has not the laboier the right to
say, "I will allow you so much for the use
your money is TO me. The rest will re-
tain-it is the product Of my brain and
muscle" II the laboring man has not the
right TO chose his share Of the profits and
and Carnagie has, whence came this su-
pelior right Of dictation that silver and
gold has over the minds and lives OF men
1t seems TO me that neither has this su.
preme right. 1t seems as though both
were wrong in using force. Two wrongs
never make right, but one wrong IL
sometimes justified by the existence Of
another. War is wrong, but the war tc
exterminate slavery was justihable. To
oppose the law is wrong, but opposition
to that law which said man could do as
he would with his slave was right.
Where no reason is given or can bt
found to Justify seemingly wrong act, i
is supposed that none exists. II Carnagit
had had the right to reduce their wages a
all without just cause, he had the right u
reduce them to the merest plttaDce OF
which life could be sustained - provided
ouly that their love Of home would allow
him to do IT, Has he this right!
II is against this that they struggle
Tuey shot the men bought 10 force then
from their homes Shot To protect thes,
homes from the degradation so ably pict
ured In Caesars Column: shot to guar
the purity of womanhood; to perpetual
the joys Of childhood; to secure TO poster
ity the grandeur Of manhood. Carnagie
through his hirellngs, shot to drive then
from his home or TO drive from them ever
! hope that is cherished In the heart Of mar
Shot that he might the more freely regal
the aristocracy Of England with his win
suppers, or broaden his deer parks 70
them 70 hunt in. In the light OF Chris
tlanity, are the laborers more guilty tina
their Oppressors? "53."