The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-07-21

THERE should not in the nature OF
| things be any conflict between capital
and labor. What is such is simply the
outgrowth of selfshness which works
eventual injury to the correlated ele-
ments which enter into production.
Labor is not productive unless it has
capital to assist it, and capital without
labor Is devoid of power. When the
hands and feet refused to longer labor
because the product of their toll seemed
to enure To the benefit of the stomach,
the dispute had fully as much sense as
the difference between capital and labor
Labor unions are necessity and if
properly managed would prove mutually
beneficial to labor and capital. Just as
wealth when concentrated becomes
powerful, with its capacity for doing
good increased, so labor If united for the
mutual good OF its members, regardful of
the rights of capital, has increased po-
tency for good. But unions organized
for the purpose of coercion are fully as
reprehensible as trusts organized to COM
pei the people to pay more for commod-
tiles then the law of supply and demand
would make proper.
Labor unions designed to educate their
members in the special industrial lines IN
which each is interested and to teach the
interdependence of labor and capital
would be fruitful Of good. If this was
made the object from the inception CT
these organizations, they would be "a
power to-day as they would appeal TO the
intelligence and sense OF right of the
people. When people are united and
guided by intelligent self-interest there
is no power which can deprive them of
their rights.
But laborers seek to realize at once
from these organizations. They are
never so well informed as TO the basis of
tnelr demands as to convince people of
their justice. They proceed on the theory
that they are dealing with some force
antagonistic to them and that to hurt the
enemy whenever an opportunity presents
itself is the bounden duty of all. Brute
force is appealed to and this naturally
preiudices the cause of those who employ
it.
Capitals too suspicious of the co-ordin-
ate factor labor and frequently acts so as
TO justify IN measure tie means taken
by labor, for self-preservation. IL is
hypocritical when it asks for protection
in the name Of the labor it employs. Its
sense of power makes it unmindful of
leniency and it invites distrust by secur-
ing legislation favorable to itself and pre-
Judicial to the rights of labor.
Capital should aid in making labor or
CARNATIONS source of good to the labor
ers themselves. Intelligence is always
more amenable to reason than ignorance
is, although less likely to be driven by
fear There Is no surrender OF right in
recognizing and sustaining an organiza-
ton which seeks increase of power
through enlarged intelligence. If labor
ers are now swayed by demagogues in
tent only upon the advantage resulting
to themselves, it is because the field is
given to the demagogue. The loss to
capital by one strike has no compensation
In the loss sustained by the laborers.
But repeated loss could be avoided by
providing some melrs FOR the laborer's |
education and amusement which would !
make him feel that there is reciprocal !
relation between employer and employee.