The Oskaloosa herald., 1892-08-11
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
A Parable from Faotoryvills.

ers' Gaz9tte illustrates some Of the re-
lations between capital and labor:
Once on a time fifty young men
started out in life together. They all
had their fortunes to make, and moth
ing more for capital at starting than
the labor OF their hands. They took
employment in a large factory, and
spent some time learning their duties.
Then they entered upon the regular
routine of daily labor for weekly or
monthly wages.
| Forty eight of the fifty set at their
tasks with nothing in their minds be-
yond the performance Of those tasks in
the time allotted and in the way
directed. They became good workmen
and most of them are still good work
men.
Two Of the fifty were not satisfied
with this. They persisted in finding
out not only what was set for them to
| do, but why it was to be done and why
it was to be done in the way directed.
Furthermore, they were not satisfied
with doing the allotted task in the ap-
pointed time aud merely we'll enough
| to pass inspection. They tried to lind
| or make ways of doing more than was
required and Of doing better work than
the average.
The forty eight took what leisure
time belonged to them for personal
enjoyment and pleasure; these two used
part Of their leisure in learning more
about the business than was comprised
in their narrow round Of duties.
The forty-eight found pleasant use
for their surplus wages in excursions
and dances, and other more or less cost
ly amusements; these two used some
of their money in buying books and
educating themselves, and put most of
the rest in the savings bank.
By and by something happened to a
couple of foremen, and the employers
wanted successors. They had watched
their fifty new men, and naturally chose
out these two, because these two could
fill the positions most competently.
This brought them an increase OF
wages. They were able to invest still
larger sums and save more each year.
They kept on improving in skill and
increasing their knowledge of the busi-
ness. They soon became known as
valuable men," They could "put their
hands to almost anything in the mill. !"
They introduced various labor-saving
and product-perfecting devices,-the
fruits of their reading and invention.
They made money by the use of these.
BY and by a reorganization became
necessary in the mill company. New
blood and new capital were called for.
| These two men had some capital. They
had also reputation, not only in that
| mill, but at the banks, and wherever
they had invested their savings, and
wherever their characters were known.
They were invited to join the company.
| There was no difficulty in finding men
willing to lend them the additional
money needed for the purpose. They
became part owners and employers.
AS time went on other changes came
| to pass. Older men dropped out, but
| the mill prOspered and these two pros
pered with it, and by and by they be-
came the sole owners and the sole en-
plOyers Of help in that mill.
In the meantime some OF the other
forty. eight had proved thrifty enough
to buy themselves little homes with
gardens which they had paid for out of
their savings. But more of them were
still living in rented houses, spending
what spare money they could get over
absolutely necessary expenses on mere
ly passing amusements and grati6ca.
tions. A few had dropped entirely
out of the race and were working at
other occupations, and some had fallen
by the way in a natural course Of life
and death.
Then came to this mill village "an
apostle OF the new social doctrines,
and called the mill employees together
and began to denounce the two en-
ploYers as "robber bsrons" and "pirates
fattening on plUnder," and "mOnOpo
lists" and so on. he declared that 1t
was labor and labor alone which had
made the mill and had made its pro
ducts, and had made the money which
these two "plut0crats" had put into fine
mansions and handsome grounds and
costly furniture and fine clothes fol
themselves. And he called on the work
men to join him in abuse of the owners
OF the mill property, and in organizing
q sort of revolution which should shut
the employers out OF their mill until
they had agreed to manage the property
under rules agreed upon by the work
men employed in it.
Thereupon arose one OF the Original
fifty, one OF the men who had bought
house and a garden, and who claimed
it as his property, and briefly told the
story above, of how they all started al
the beginning together, how some had
used their money In one way and some
in another, and how the { HO mill own
] ers had become such by virtue OF hard
work, hard study, constant economy
persistent ambition, backed by uDfiinch
Ing determination and native ability.
And he concluded his brief talk by as
serting that, to his mind, the mill own
ers' tenure of their property was ex-
actly the same as bis tenure OF hi
property; that they had exactly thu
same right to use their property In &C
cordance with their own ideas, undel
the Law, as he had TO use his; and that
he had no more right TO dictate to then
how they should use their mill or tx
forbid their using 1t, than they had x
dictate TO him or forbid him enjoying
the house and garden paid for out o.
his savings.
"What better right have We" he ask
! ed, "to take possession of these mems
mill than to take possession OF theil
watches or their pocket. boOksf Wha
better right have we 20 DO either thar
we have TO take fOrcible possession o.
our homes or our fuInituTew
The question was not answered ii
words. but the meeting broke up, ant
the apostle OF the new social the0r!
that what is yours is mine IL wan
H it and can take II" left FactOryvilli
next day and went down into Penn
syivania. where he hoped people Nigh
have different ideas OF stealing.
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