Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-09-07


ways be the case.
Labor Is rousing from the sleep of
ages, and will soon become aware of
its strength
Capital has bound and shackled the
slumbering giant with unjust laws
Now that he is awaking and shakes his
chains, capital falls back upon bullets
to keep him in subsection.
But when labor fully awakes, exam
ines his chains and finds how weak
they are, and how unjustly they were
placed upon him, he will either remove
them or see to it that capital also is
chained, so that it may not be able to
take unjust advantage of him
AT present, enforcing the law is not
enforcing justice, because the laws arc
made by capitalists for capitalists, and
do not give due regard to the rights of
labor. When labor presents itself be-
fore court of law, it finds the law ar
rayed against it Its rights are dim,
underlined, unrecognized!
Our laws are largely modelled upon
English laws. In England, for centu-
ries, privileged class has been busy
making laws to retain its privileges
and ''to keep labor in the dust where
it belongs" American capitalists have
succeeded in fastening many of these
laws upon the American people. Where,
then, shall the laborer look for Justice?
Since he is not likely to receive it
under present laws, the laws must be
changed! If it is necessary to chain
labor, capital, too, must be chained!
Capital must not be left to devour labor
at its own sweet will When the rights
of labor are fully recognized by the
law, the laborer will be anxious to see
the law enforced. Until the rights of
labor are fully recognized we cannot
expect any great over-anxiety on the
part of the laborer to help capitalists
enforce unjust laws.
If it is right and proper that labor
should be controlled in the interest of
capital, is it not equally right and
proper that capital should be controlled
In the interests of labor?
Control capital in the interests of
labor" cries the indignant capitalist
''Never! We will let our mills stand
idle first We will move to other states
where labor is not SO well organized,
and is, therefore, more weak and help
!
always will rule Labor is but the
slave of capital Capital is monarch
and must be obeyed"
In the recent struggle capital took
this stand:
I'VE will reduce wages when we
please That is our business Take
what we offer you or get out, or we
will hire cheaper men"
But" replies labor, 1--WE can't leave
you. You hold mortgages on our
homes The little amounts of money
we have saved from our earnings are in
your possession. We have done the
work that has made you millionaires
We have served you faithfully many
years, and you have made large profits
on our labor. Many Of as have spent
our lives in mills, and would not know
how to do other work. We think you
have no right to turn us off that you
may hire cheaper men in our places,
while your profits are so large that you
are ashamed to make them known to
the public
''We are running our own business -
replies capital, ''and don't require any
of your assistance"
business too! We have as great an in
terest in 1t as you, for our livelihood
depends upon its continuation and sue
cess. Should you fail, or stop the mills,
we lose our homes and occupation,
which is all we have. Do you not see
that our interest is as great as yours?
Let us meet together and talk it over,
and see If we cannot make arrange
ments that will be satisfactory to all
parties We believe in arbitration"
I'VE do not" replies capital, I'VE are
capable of running our own business.
You must take what we offer you or
get out. Your wages are too high.
You are saving money and buying
homes. That makes You too independ-
ent"
But your profits are larger urges
labor. eff we are building homes, you
are building castles on the profits OF our
labor"
You are interfering with our busi-
ness" interrupts capital, angrily. 1--WE
will reduce wages as often as we please
and as much as we please That is our
business. We haven't castle in quite
every country we may wish to visit. We
need more profit to increase the mum
Der and size of our castles. You must
be content with less wages, although il
may mean mortgaged homes or nc
homes at all. There are plenty of mer
who would be glad to work for us a
lower wages than we are paying you
If you make any trouble about it, We
will call on the government to help us
The government always helps capital
But if you attempt to drive us out O
our homes, and away from our work
by unnecessarily decreasing our wages
the government ought to help u.s.
Try it and see! This is acapitalisti
government, we would have you under
stand Money rules, not men. Whel
we wish to drive you out and pu
cheaper men in your places, the govern
ment will help us. Then, after yea
} or two, we will lower wages again ant
} increase our profits at your expense
We shall lower wages to the life limit
We will lower wages until the home
less tramp, until even the men who ar
/ starving on the streets will refuse ou
work. If you laborers make troubl
| | we will call on government bullets t
aid us. The government is at our com
mand.''
Unfortunately, the capitalist is right
The government is at his command
} The government aids and protects hir
/ in his battle against labor The govern
: ment says the capitalist has right t
: lower wages whensoever he pleases an
, employ cheaper men-if he can fin
them.
} The government protects the capital
t ist But the government does not ste
t forward and protect the Ia b )rer in hi
f right to continue his work at a reason
5 able compensation. This is right a
yet unrecegnized by law, bat righ
which is written deep upon the hear
of every workingman, and which mus
soon find expression on our. statut
: books. It is a right which does no
. conflict with freedom of contrac;