The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-05-23
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND.
The Distinguished Prelate Discusses
Labor and Capital.


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The following are some of the noble
and patriotic utterances Of Bishop Ire
land in his recent address to the loco
motive engineers, at st. Paul:
When asked where stand-whether
with capital or with labor-I answer
quickly: stand with justice and right
eousness, and consequently l stand
with capital for the sake of labor, and
with labor for the sake of capital.
The great thinker of the age, Leo
XIII, who loves to be called the pom
tiff of the workingmen, writes; "The
sad mistake that is made is to possess
oneself of the idea that class is hos
tile to class; that rich and poor are in
tended by nature to live at war with
one another. So irrational and so false
is this view that the exact contrary is
the truth. One requires the other
capital cannot do without labor, nor
labor without capital. Mutual agree
ments result in pleasantness and good
order; perpetual conflict necessarily
produces confusion and outrage The
interests of capital and labor are in
tertwlned and interdependent 1.-The one
draws its power Of life from the other,
the one perishes with the other. A most
considerable guardianship of the inter-
ests and energies Of the one should be
the earnest occupation of the other.
-
The interests and rights of labor. Of
ten have 1 pleaded for them and loving
ly do plead for them now. hate that
view Of labor which makes 1t a mechan-
ical force, like unto the rotation of a
railroad or q turbine, purchasable at
mere market value. l see at all times
the living generator Of labor the man,
my own brother and the child of the
supreme God, and in availing myself
of human labor, l must keep well In
mind the dignity and rights Of the man.
l must have before my eyes the man,
and the circle of the life into which
man has a divine right to expand
himself-the family; and l demand for
the laborer and his family, so far as
through just and rational measures we
can reach thereto, the means of decent
livelihood, the opportunities to develop
intellect, to care for bodily health and
moral and religious growth, to receive
due proportion Of the Joys of human
existence, In recompense Of the ills
which, whatever may be done, will not
fail to press upon them, nor is 1t solely
for their own sakes that l desire and
seek their prosperity and the prosper
ity of the toiling millions. The fruit
fulness and the blessedness of capital
the grandeur and strength Of the ma
ton, are linked with labor, and rise
and fall with social conditions. In
telligence bodily vigor, contentment of
the heart in the workingman add
hundred fold to the productiveness of
capital, which at the same time is
put to it's highest use and serves best
its divine purpose when 1t is so en-
ployed as to lift fellowment upward
in the scale OF mental and social life.
1t has veen my pride, as an American
citizen, that in no other country is the
workingman so well situated in the en-
joyment Of social advancement for him
self and his children as in our own
United States. Nowhere else Is labor so
respected and SO remuneratlve; no.
where else are the possibilities in any
approaching measure SO large that the
laborer of today may be the employer
of tomorrow, and in those social condi-
tions Of the masses do l perceive more
than in aught else the true grandeur
and the true strength of the republic of
America.
Let me now enter my brief plea for
capital. At once you will unite with me
in extending over 1t the shield which
covers property. whether this the ex-
tensive investment of the rich, or the
possessions Of the poor.
Property is the very foundation stone
of the social fabric; 1t is the incentive
and reward Of industry and energy. The
Indian tribes have slight regard for
what is owned by one may be |
used and controlled by all; the Indian
tribes remain bands OF savage idlers
He who menaces property is an anar-
chist, and the anarchist is the deadly |
foe Of order or right. OF society. He is
the wild beast solely bent on destruc-
tion, from which security and ciyiliza-
ton never can drift
Labor is IN absolute need Of the CO.
operation cf capital To what purpose
is your muscular strength unless cap
ital is nigh to reward It? without cap
ital, be there millions Of willing work.
ngmen, factory doors remain closed,