The record-union., 1892-09-06

for whose benefit the world seems hitherto TO
have framed its institutions, but at the whole
body OF the people, must come to the conclu-
sion that America marks the highest level,
not only of material wel-beins, but OF intellt-
gence and happiness which the race has yet
attained"
five were to forget to compare our material
condition with the condition OF other nations;
ii we were L. forget all those things which
make our living easy and I'LL our children
with hope. remembering only our social Ills
and grievances, we might hesitate to accept
this optimistic Judgment. But the truth OF 1T
is borne in upon us when we behold such an
assembly as this and at the same time think
OF the workers OF other lands, who go to their
tasks hanked on the one side by persistent
paupers and on the other side by classes
chiefly interested in luxurious. non-productive
expenditure.
The superiority of our material well-being
has rested on two important facts. The first
is that Americans, above every other nation
taken as whole have not been afraid or
ashamed of work. We have regarded hon.
est toll as BETTING an honorable life. The
prevalence of this sentiment has hitherto rem
dered ii unnecessary for the American to turn
his back on industry and commerce IN order
to claim and receive the highest esteem Of his
fellows. We behold here, therefore, g great
nation practically without a leisure class, and
consequently all its ability and skill are di-
rected permanently 10 the progress OF those
interests dependent on labor.
The second fact which underlies our mate
rial prosperity is our abundant natural re-
sources. Speaking generally, no other land
reward for his effort than this. The superb
cial observer, however, may doubt this state
ment, because all around him he hears COM
plant, the voice of discomfort, and the noise
Of serious strife. But these signs OF discomfort
are not evidence Of an oppressed or degraded
condition OF the laborerS; they are rather evil
dences OF the fact that the laborers have be-
come so far emaEclpated rom their earlier
lot as to be able 10 direct their views TO bet
ter state, and struggle for its attainment. The
laborer in Mexico or Egypt, on The other
rrvlaFA .10r not
lest he miss his scanty,daily suStenance, makes
little noise or contention in the world. He
is absorbed in his immediate work, and his
actual plans do not reach much beyond his
meager supper and the following rest OF the
night. In general, then, it may be said that the
sounds OF discomfort come not from those
countries where the laborerS are still least
prosperous and feel most the heavy hand Of
their employers, but from the countries OF the
most advanced civilization, where the indus
trial classes have attained the most favorable
standing. Under the hard conditions of the
least favored nations, with lew rewards and
no prospects, the laborer sees nothing before
him 10 stimulate him to revolt against his
late. But when In the course OF time his cir
cumstances have become more favorable and
he is able to look about him and before him.
he catches glimpses of condition which he
would strive to attain.
Then it is that discomfort with his lot ap-
| pears; and this discomfort viii last as long as
| the laborer sees before him some better state
! yet unattained but atta1nable. From this
! point of view the progress of working men, as
| class, illustrates the general progress OF
social enlightenment. With every step for
| ward, whether in the case OF an individal, or
of class, or of society at large, there are re-
| vealed attractive positions still further on,
and il is tine view ofthese that arouses discon-
| tent with the present; it is the view Of these
more attractive positions yet unattalned that
| makes the world move. The upward move
| ment in the progress of society is not toward
completer contentment but toward more
| perfect activity.
But what is the position OF the laborer in
| these last days of the century? To answer
| this question we need TO cast a glance over his
history; and when we do this we shall find
| that he has grown from a dependent and SER
vile being to q being both independent and
! free. In the very early phases OF society the
| labOrer was a slave, in all respects subject to
| his masters will. The relation between them
was clearly that of superior and inferior. The
| first step which the workman took upward
| from this lowest position was to the status OF
a medieval sert. Here he was bound TO the
| estate on which he had lived and worked. He
could no longer be separated from his family,
| or removed to another region without his
| consent Yet even after this change one in
| dustrial class held a position Of recognized SUI
periOrity over the other, and felt itself charged
with the protection OF those below 1t; While
| these in turn acknowledged their SubOrdlna-
| ton and dependence. From this position the
laborer in modern times has moved forward
over two important stages. By the first adj
vance he became free man under an indIvid-
ual, personal employer; by the second he be-
| came the subject OF an industrial or CONNER
| cial corporation
| At first. under the complete superiority OF
| the master, the slave was Immediately de-
| pendent on his superior, not only for his daily
| food and clothing, but also for the privilege OF
| life. Later the masters power to impose the
| extreme penalty on his Slaves fell away and
| was taken up in the power OF the political
! sovereign; and thus, one by one, the acknowl
! edged prerogatives of the master or employer
! were cut of, until, in the beginning of this
| century, in the more enlightened States of the
world, the workman stood as free man in
| relation to the employer for whom he worked
| But the relation between them still continued
! to be a personal one. The workmen relied
| somewhat on the goodwill of their superior
| and the employer acknowledged still a certain
| moral obligation to hold toward his wOrkmen
| a kind of paternal attitude. an attitude i'm
| plying something more than merely the pecu-
| mary obligation OF a specific contract
| The second stage in the modern progress Of
! the working classes carries us over important
! phases of the great industrial and commercial
| revolution of our times. The most significant
| feature of this revolution, with reference to
| the relation OF employe to employer, is the
| transition from personal to corporate indus
! try. The Introduction OF the machinery which
! followed the idea OF using steam as motor
gave beginning to this transition. 1t pro.
duced important new industries, and also
made Il profitable to aggregate existing in
| dustreS into large establishments; in other
words, it gave decided advantage to produc-
| ton and distribution on large scale. But
| this involved greater risks than any indiVid
! uaI person was willing to assume; 1t involved
| moreover greater Accommodations of capital
than single private persons could furnish
| Commercial and industrial corporations be
| came therefore, in one sense necessary. They
| became necessary as a means, if the end were
| the greatest possible economic advantage IL
| production. The superior profits of business
| on q large scale was the force which called
| them into existence, and they have already in
| large measure occupied the field. The old in
! dustrial and commercial organization Is Civ
| ing way TO new organization, IN when The
personal employer disappears and the labor
| ers lind themselves in new and strange rela
tons. They find themselves under an EN-
ployer whose personality is unknown, anC
| with whom ii is impossible for them TO eStab
! lish relations of personal sympathy.
| The consequences of the loss Of the ancient
| personal relation with their employers were
/ in the first place TO remove from the labOrers
the sense of n somewhat humIliating subjec
| ton TO a personal superior which had hitherto
! existed, and which still survives in the cast
| of mental servants. The employees OF corpOr
| atoms became more widely distinguished from
| the mental servants of individual masters
| than had been the workmen under the Ole
| order of things. They became parts of I'm
! poTtant social organization
| A second consequence of the change from
| individual to corporate industry is the deyel
| opment Of combination and organization il
! each OF the two parties involved in produc
! ton, namely, those who furnish the capital
! and those who furnish the labor. The fact O
combination among laborers indicates thai
/ they have at last come TO understand thai
! they must look 10 themselves for the main
| tenance OF their cause and not 10 the good in
| tentions OF a superior. The combination Ol
| laborerS attains u certain purpose IN prepar
! ing them to stand as "a unit over against then
| united employers, and thus IL bring the CUES
! tions at issue between the parties to a settle
ment by conflict, as in these days all the more
! important social questions are SIT led, not
| necessarily u conflict OF blood and iron, but
| a conflict which manifests itself by "a crowd
| ing TO the front OF designs and claims sup
| ported from al points of advantage.
| The immediate end of the agitation in
| which the laboTers of to-day are engaged is
| the preparation of the laborers as a class FOL
/ conflict with employers as a class, in order
| that through this struggle there may result q
| satisfactory division OF the products OF in
| dustry. How large the portion of either
! party should be may not be determined indie
! pendently by either the laborers or employers