Morning journal and courier., 1892-07-26
THOUGHTS FOR THE TIMES.

THOUGHTS FOR THE TIMES
Nothing is just now more needed in this
country than the application of common
sense to the discussion of what is called
the labor problem. There has been 80
much highfalutin talk about it, so
much "agitating," and such spread of
false ideas that many have got far away
from the facts and principles which really
underlie it.
In the first place, all but few useless
people must work. If they didn't they
wouldn't live. There is not food enough
in the world to last at the outside over
three years, and If work were stopped most
people would be starving at the end of one
year, or sooner. Therefore a general and
prolonged strike can't sensibly be INDUCED
In.
The people who are obliged to work in
order to live can't always choose what
they will do, and they can't always get the
pay they want. If they could this would
be in some respects a world of pie instead
of the serious and worrying thing it is to
those who feel oppressed by the necessity
of constant labor and the lack of adequate
pay.
The inequalities of human condition re-
suit from the inequalities of human
nature and the way the world Is made.
The wisest men have failed to find specific
remedies for them, and there have been
some very wise men before Terence V.
Powderly appeared on the scene. At
present the prospect is not good that he,
Brother Gompers, ct al, will fix things as
they ought to be. 1t looks as If we
should all have to continue to work at
what we can find to do for the best pay we
can get.
1t is quite plain that the world-cure is
not to be found in communism. If all the
money of this country were divided equal
ly among the people we should have about
$16 apiece, ,and in less than week the sharp
ones would be successfully maneuvering
to get the shares of the dull ones. 1t is
equally plain that we cannot profit by an
archy. Anarchy would bring general
poverty by destroying property rights and
all incentives to accumulation.
therefore,, as we must WOIk 10 i've, auu
as we are not ready to die, is there any
sense in going about violently, assassinat-
ing each other. engaging in industrial wars
for the es establishment of so-cailed princi-
Piles which have no basis in civilized human
nature or the laws of God and mani Is
anything to be gained even by the substi-
tuition of the tyranny of labor for what is
called the tyranny of capital! The truth
| is, and it is truth often forgotten by both
capital and labor, that we are all practi-
cally in the same boat, and that it isn't
going to pay either side to tip the boat
over. There ought to be less fighting
and shooting, more repression of greed all
around, and return to sound principles.
There will have to be. The desired end
may be reached through reason and mod
Grafton, or it may he reached through vio-
lence and blood, but it will be reached. If
not civilization will be a failure and prog
ress be stayed. 1t behooves anybody who
wants to get living in peace, as well as
those who feel obliged to pay some atten-
ton to the development of the human
race, to advocate and practice moderation
and reason. Anarchy and crime are not
good things to live with or good founda,
tions to build upon.