The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-21
Discussed by EX-presIdent Harrison
at Baltimore
LABOR AND CAPITALS RELATIONS
Trusts and Iynching outrngcs Con,id-
ered-1hinks the workingman Now
sees That His Interests and His EN-
ployer's Are Identical

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 81. = Ex-President
Benjamin Harrison, accompanied by his
niece, Mrs. Dimmock. arrived in this city
yesterday afternoon. Later in the day
Mr.. Harrison was the chief guest at a din
ner given in his honor by Thomas M.
Pierce at the Bellevue. In the evening he
delivered an address mt the commence
ment exercises of the Pierce Business col
Iege in the Academy of Music. The ad-
dress was in the main confined TO advice
TO young men, but there were portions OF
itwhich dealt with public questions. OF
strikes and labor agitation generally, the
speaker said:
'It in a sad and dangerous fact that
capital and labor are organized TO fight
each other; that the laboring man Is
thought to regard his employer as an an
tagonist-too often an enemy. aud that
the greedy or vexed or impatient EN-
ployer, resentful Of what he regards as un-
warranted interference with the business,
Is sometimes too ready to treat a work
man with grievance as he would treat
joltipg unbalanced machine and throw
It into the scrap pile.
Good VIII Prevails.
"It is wholesome fact that the working
PeOplc Oh Tue Onlttu CNtttS 30 BtncIdlly
reject the teachings of anarchy. The
workman is producer; the anarchist is
destroyer, and fellowship is impossible.
There is ope good thing about these evil
times and that is good will. They give
men an opportunity to show their concern
for each other The roll of the largest
brotherhood is being called, and men see
with great wonder how great the family is.
"How many idle workmen now see that
Il is not safe TO assume that the employers
interest and theirs is wholly antagonistic
or that one umbrella may not shelter
both. Is not the conclusion too clear to
escape the most sluggish understanding
that hard times for the employer cannot
be good times for the employer A brisk
and regular demand for the products of
labor at fair prices is the only safe support
of the wage scale, as il Is of dividends"
Trusts.
Concerning trusts Mr.. Harrison has this
20 say: "They have been, perhaps, the
greatest factor in the rapid development
of the national wealth, they are indispen-
sable; but the magnitude and multitude
of these corporate enterprises, the enor-
nous powers they possess and the often
elusive character of their ownership and
management suggest restraint, control
and limitation.
'The capital error in our legislation has
been the failure to limit and to supervise
cooperative securities: to require that the
stock shall represent an investment and
that the investment shall be adequate TO
the enterprise, that creditors may be Sc
cured and thai the public may not be
tolled or the laborers' wages cut TO pay
interest or dividends on securities that
do not stand for investments. What is
done should be done with discrimination,
calmness and Justice"
Lynching Condemned.
The ex-president condemns lynching in
the following terms: These frightful
lynchings that the daily papers record,
with their shocking incidents of cruelty,
shame our civilization. The victims aro
the poor and weak, and the adequacy OF
the courts to punish such has never been
impeached. 1t is not enough to silently or
even openly to condemn such crimes. We
must make the sentiment of disapproval
dominant, and boldly re-enforce the off
GERS Of the law"
This evening the ex-president's recep-
zion at the Union league will take place