The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-10
tory. without It tho race could not survive.
IL Monld dia ont hv at aryntlnn

toIy. WtCnOuJ u LtlC TdCc CDuiu HVJ buENiNo
II would die out by starvation.
Originally the relation was that OF captor
to captive. or master to slave. Superior
| power forced tho workman to lnbor. Tho
| growth Of civilization has emancipated the
laborer FROM that bondage. He Is no longer
tho slave OF his employer. He Is n
FREQ man. with tho right to sell his labor
and charge his own price for 1t, to choose
his own employer and the sort OF work he
will do. He can work or not. as he thinks
best. or as his necessities require. The great
est victory in the long battle for human
rights has been this triumph Of individual
liberty. Except In n few countries OF tho
earth and among tribcs still In savagery,
all mankind are now thus free.
Yet by the very law of nature they are
still bound and forced to labor. Tint law
Is Irresistible. In the sweat OF their brow
they must earn their bread, or they will
starve. Mama does not drop down from
heaven for their sustenance. They are
not discmbodicd spirits living on
ether. but corporeal beings who must
be fed; and all OF them must engage
in the business of getting this necessary
food. No one Is exempt. Mr.. Aston. Mr.
All. lNoCNft ELLEk, MI. SAk-
NEGIE would starvo II they had nothing
except gold and silver. groenbacks
and bonds to live upon. for there
Is no nutriment In them. They must
expend their money for the general
benefit or 1t Is OF no use to them. They
must invest it for tho use of other people.
Unless it is SO used. it Is of 10 good to them
They are forced for self-prescrvaton to
put 1t to such employment. They must
buy food. and by the buying enable others
to get food. II they lock up their
money In vaults and keep it Idle, it Is
worthless to them. They must turn it over
SD that it will serve the public. They must
build houses. establish industries, and as
sist undertakings necessary for the gem
ernl benefit. Tho money must serve the
interests Of the whole. IL il is to be made to
serve their own individual interests.
Hence. by tho law OF nature. u man Is
still bondsman. whether rich or poor. He
must lend n hand to necessary human in
dustry or else starve. Capital is no more
free from this obligation than labor.
Mr.. ANDREW CARNEGIE started out in life
as poor Scotch boy. Not one of his work
men has had to work harder than he
"olhSus III Ills lllllc uS HAS eInpOycu
many thousands OF these worknen,
He has given labor by which they earned
the bread they are compelled to have by
the law Of nature. The capital no has gath
cred has been fund accumulated by the
help Of their labor, doubtless. but it has
been labor made possible by his ability
to organize the industry for them. and
by labor exerted because he had the capital
for its employment. Workmen have not
gone to his mills because he forced
them there. They have gone under the
compulsion OF the law Of nature. They
wanted the work he gave them. which they
could not get along without. and which
they could not have had unless Mr.. CAR
NEGIEs capital. or the capital Of somebody
else. had furnished it for them. They could
not have built up the business OF them
selves; and IL 1t had not been built up by Mr..
CARNEGIE for them. they would have had
to go elsewhere to lind other capital as an
employer. If man has labor to sell, he
must find some one with money to buy it,
or it is Of no more use to him than I'M
used capital is to Mr.. CARNEGIE II
the man does not like the price Of
fered, he can reject it, II the Duver
AoSS uoI Has IHc price ASKED, no mas the
same liberty. Neither is obliged to accept
the bargain. though both are under the
same law which forces men to take what
they can get. II the laborcr does not want
the work longer than he contracted
to give it. he can throw it I'D,
and the employer has the same right
to dispense with tho laborer The
workman can choose his EN- poycr. and the
employer can choose his workman. No
law can take away that right from either.
The workman can refuse to work and the
employer to hire. Such is liberty
These are very simple. self-evident facts
and principles. but when Senator gets I'D
in the Senate to oppose them. and when vile
and vicious journals strive to cheat an de-
lude the people by denying them. it is worth
while to repeat them for the genera! benefit.
Tho lahorers who set out to destroy this
universal and immutablc law, will dash
their heads against Il rock. They are mad
men. They are tearing up the blades OF
grass and the ears Of corn which were
planted and were growing for their benefit.