The record-union., 1894-05-19
ldleness, Impudence and Luxury
of the Vain Rich.
1t is These Things Which Cause
''Labor'' to AssaiI "capitaI''-
Working People Aggravated by the
Display of Wealth Fail to See the
Benefits of Employed Capital.
Irregular Correspondence of REcoRD-UNIoN. j

blares twice day the postiliion's horn OF
gay and handsome six-in-hand coach.
Driven by a gentleman whip. II carries
merry, thoughtless people of wealth and
idleness to and from Philadelphia.
Roughs stoned the jolly parties in some
of the suburbs, but were quickly awed
by an escort of mounted police and line
of guards on foot placed at intervals along
the streets of towns and villages on the
route. So the picturesque parties whirl
safely on their journeys, travelling like
the English gentry, guarded like the
great White Gar.
Coaching is harmless, tiresome sport;
but it is one Of the manifestations of
wealth that at present are SO untimely.
For as in the case of the Philadelphia
coach, its bugle notes sound the evil
dences OF Indifference Of the rich in the
ears OF the Worklngmen, passing on their
way to and from work. And, at the May
Day gathering of workingmen in Union
Square, 1t was wealth, not capital, the
speakers inveighed against under the
name of capital" They told the weary,
upturned 1aces of the audience that
Labor alone was producer; that capi-
tai rolled round the country ON useless
journeys In coaches, lived luxuriously at
home and wastefully abroad, and added
not 1.-THE to the increase of wealth and
comfort. 1t was plain, pathetlcally plain,
that such doctrines are accepted ana be-
lieved by labor audience. and by many
OF the leaders and speakers. 1t was no.
ticeable that the ostentatious and vain
luxurles OF the Ignorant rich was what
excited the envy and hatred Of industry
against laborious capital and capitalists.
At this meeting OF May lst i'll this city
stones were thrown at that coach and all
that it stands for, more dangerous, though
unheeded, that the half-bricks Of the
suburban boys. The coachers don't ask
police protection against them, because
they cannot see the missiles lying. But
the burning hot sentences of denuncla-
tion are thrown by q mad and rising
wrath, the more to be feared that it is as
irrational as the things it strikes at.
1t is the 'coachers,n the idlers in the
club windows, the dudes sauntering
saucily down the streets, the elegant
shoppers buying wildly senseless "trip
perry at high prices of poor women clerks,
that labor sees, and in Union Square
realized for the first time how exclusively
the conception of capital is made up OF
these childish, lesser attributes OF wealth.
II is very like advertising the beauties
and resources of California at the Mid
winter Fair by clownish exhibitions and
resurrected sbarbaritles. 1t doesn't give
correct notion to emphasize the weak
ness and foliies of a class, but il gives a
notion just the same. And the notion of
capital in the mind of labor is made up
of idlenesS, impudence and luxury.
These elements OF the popular error were
brought 1orcibly to the surface at that
May day meeting by the contrast of the
workingman's own condition, which has
already been described as to New York.
1t was pathetic enough to see the poor,
ignorant tailOrs and cigarmakers. fresh
from their sutterlngs and misery, listen
IN vain for counsel from their leaders.
They were recently immigrated Jews
from Poland and Russia, not at all of the
better class OF workmen known in the
shops here and generally throughout the
West. They came here with dreams of
immediate wealth, to wake up starving.
There was no knowledge in them, except
of their own wants and disappointment,
and of riches everywhere not for them.
This makes them material for socialism,
and socialists they are. 1t was social
lists meeting pure and simple. That was
q disappointment, for 1t was chance TO
hear from workingmen what they have
undergone during the year. what they
think is wrong, and how they would set
things right. Nothing of this was to be
heard. Besides the hatred of wealth,
there were only sad misconceptions of
economics, rights" and evils, and wild
ranting on what socialism shall do. None
of the great arguments for tne construc-
ton of society was expressed.
But it was observed that none of the
great labor leaders and organizations
were represented there. AS a socialist
demonstration, the audience numbering
only 800. counted on parade, the meet
ing was failure. But 1t was signlti-
cant and sorrowful exposure of the in
ternal condition of metropolitan labor
concerns that the greater, more impor-
tant bodies of workingmen stayed away.
Labor had no May Day demonstration in
New York and the reason is that the lead
ers, the big leaders," are lighting out
their petty jealousies or are engaged in
the efforts of strikers elsewhere in the
country. If the dissensions are not
smoOthed over soon, organization as such
will not develop as it should under the
stress of the depression and great op-
portunitv for real advance will be lost to
them-an advance more desirable 10
every body than the retrogression indi-
Gated In the general attacks on wealth.
How far that temper of labor has been
recognized here is shown by the fact that
a capitalist has stepped forward to defend
wealth. Ex-Mayor Hewitt, as well re-
spected among workingmen as among
his political enemies made a speech o a
labor organization Wednesday evening,
which, l think, is the first deliberate de-
fense of capital made before workingmen
by a capitalist for many years in this city.
The mere fact that in New York such a n
address should be made is significant.
But the eagerness with which Mir. Hew-
tits arguments have been caught up by
the newspapers for discussion and tinds
q support shows how general is the sense
OF danger to one Of the agents OF produc-
ton. Nothing new has been said; moth
ing indeed, that any student OF political
economy has not learned in his tlrst les
sons. All that is worth while noting IS
the mere fact that first lessons should be
received at this time. Taken IN connec-
ton with what labor is saying and think
ing and seeing, the situation in this re-
spect is clear.
1t NAV seem as frivolous as the pos
tillion's red-trimmed coaching costume
TO pass from such subject as the danger
to capital to a play. But New York has
done it this week many times. Ihe
critics have been excited and the pubiic
interested in a translation OF Gerhart
HauptmanD's so-called dream-drama,
"Hannele." One result at least OF the
agitation is good: the attention OF the
thedter-goer's mind has been directed to
the consideration of an experiment In dra-
matte workmanship. With our stages
occupied by meaningless plays. more or
less foolish, 1t will do the drama as a
"HoAe ho snia1 gooQ TO tear 10 pieces
something new and well-meant
''Hannele' is welI-meant. for it comes
from the brain of man who is thinker,
a student OF life, and an observer of men
and women-no mere purveyor of what
has gone before. He is one of those Ger
mans of the newest school who have tried
to make realism carry meaning, to pre-
sent the crude, common facts OF life. but
so selected and arranged that they shall
convey the truth or truths he chose them
for. This tendency is evident in all the
acts. In painting, among the hundreds
of exhibits at any modern collection.
which are only Studies OF anything