New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-19
TIE LIMITATIONS or Reform.
WITH SOME CONSIDER ALTON OF THE RIGHTS OF
LABOR AND or CAPITAL. And THE RELA-
TONS or GOvERNMENT THERETO.


LABOR AND or CAPITAL. AND THE RELA-
TONS or GOVERNMENT THERETO.
From President G. X Adans's Baccalaurcate adj
dress AT the University Of Wisconsin. June IT, 1885,
Surely IT has not been unnatural that the deve-
opment and unequal possession OF wealth whlIh
has resulted from he prevalence Of liberty Shoul9
awaken Dissatisfaction ana can Tor more ''luAl
distribution. There aye those VINO seem 90 believe
mat incqr$ Is 70 ncrcar@ mm me me very f soray
tons of our civilization Civ way ana that Socl'y
f. advancing rapidly toward revolution ana chaos
To meet these IDEAS the various forms ~ socialism
have occurred 20 spcculaiiv" minds. Not oniy mas
m. STATE been called 10 very much enlarged func.
tons but men nav" organized for N" purpos" OF
mutual support ana protection ana H,
As - whether the functions ~ tho stat" should
Dc extended is purely question " "Npedlcncy n"
'hc question whether not 'hc state should own
ana control the railroads. the telegraph lines and
-" gas companies N' u o'hlI1', ~. 90 -,
h. may control 'h~ other orfahiHitpi'. II. on
reasonable promise "' ..',I ',NI'ts - H n-;
legitimate TO-" ORGANIZATIONS for p"liiics or even
religion. such ORGANIZATIONS. W2r.9."f nav az,
% ,,i.i - ,,.,,'., i,, II has 10 dlsnose
= II is the unquc-iionahic privilege ~ any such
as, l'1.'" T '' , ,r, ,,cati6n or trade This
members !nvc ara absolute right 81 withdrawal az
continue voluntary tho rgnt o determine the price
II lihpr AMI 20 determine whether labor rhaH DC
,ar ,-r1. or whether the members - the aSsocia
ilon shall cease labor. b. rght which within The
i'n,it,fl,rs ~ contract cannot De- question~l 50
Tar As pertains 20 such reorganization or molin-
cation ~ society whether YOU call II socialism. or
communion. or "hi",cr nam. y"" FiN' ~, ~
right wlI he found. IN last annlysS t. b" unihrS-
'ionahlc The question is not one oi "Fht bu' one
MI eher an organization Of any kind attempts
90 go further than this rsht u DrsinS a. oe.' -
'r'nch upon ga" ',i. l.n.p,, MINI JIiST,;y a.
tcmpts n any Way q sonir2. ,ho.e VINO are , ao,
member. - Us ofttni~i. .'l. d. ~ a., r,s,n
within ts organization those VINO ioi any t.hS".r
desire 90 Withdraw. trans"ends rs leslimAte
duties ant The 9iicnp. ann', ANA nr,n %15, hc
tolerated by society. me sam piln..pp." a., 49,
establishes III" rgni 10 @rsan,rr 10Y mum" sor me oo
' Tnis doo,rnr o., course has lts hearing upon the
II has ts bearings upon the relations OF capital ana
labor Capital has ~ rsht ana So Jar a. Goi
make this claim. certainly the claim cannot ne
justified ,.,.-.....,. ,,,r.o .,r,,,l
m. poor cannot coercc the rich. Men often seem
20 forget that IT l. the inherent anu unaHenauIc
orrcred by ~, other -hnl or shall be accepted
Capital ana when say cnpt"l man 1g 'i IT, ~
thew sock This follows from he unquestlonable
vii pay FOR whatever he desires 70 buy. The prn-
clple is SHOWN Ia the ana r. Of every day man
buy a horse. look him over ana no one pnSSs-
lions my night to determine whether Will pay his
price Nv rich, is as absolute m" RICH, OF the
man who owns the animal g. determine whether ne
viii sell FOR the price offer There Is no ground
puie; there Is ground here for arb.ir''ion.:
Either OF Us may think the other IS un%lsr nll
neither can question the matter Of right Th' same
elementary principle mus govern thr, .''n"oiT 81
nnniyzcd. are clearly defined and are and must
be absolute and unalcnlhle. The one mas the r.tlr
has the right to determine AT what price rs labo'
sh9 be tyen n, orEa lh5reps No has legal or
ethical right 30 disturb these obligations; ,.,
unforttnntcy such ORGANIZATIONS have often not
limited their activities to the exercise 81 these OF
transcend lis natural limitations. such orsaniza-
tons power. and the common ana Iahb'tous
att'mnts 10 exercise control over those who are
outside Of and beyond their jurisdiction. - ,,
than the right to work. FOR thar right rests the
ability of men to earn an honest Nv ,t nu II ''
ms, During th, last two months voluntary assocla-
Tons Of miner in nearly all the coal producing
States have been forcibly keeping from work ,nonss
working for the support OF their families The very
first duty OF government every wh'f' anu hlW"5S -
eminent the functions ordinarily assigned to It, are
agreed this proposition. MIL and spence "n t
the other advocates u "lalssez fare, would Guy
down the functions Of government TO the loves.
possible limit but so far as Know ,n,rg hat the
duty protect persons and property Is fundamental
and paramount To all others. " -,
trlne TO have been forgotten Inc rign1 70
questionable but strike always depends for Us
efficacy upon the false assumption that tnr s lin
a
taking their places. In the exercise or TINS as.
sumption therefore. they are violating me mos.
fundamental principle of liberty. 40 SoEeriiIittnt
can tolerate such assumption without iofleltiis
every claim to respect The right to declare -
men that they shall work L. the right 10 estnpnsn
slavery; the right declare that they shaIi hv'
work is the RICH, TO reduce them ana their ltih,,
lies To starvation. To protect those VINO "o"tu
earn their bread against enforced sthrVatioh ~
surely as fundamental duty as 10 protcct Guy IA
borcr against enforced slavery. The hberV cla.,Ineu
by the labor ORGANIZATIONS does not exempt ioIn
regulation and control. for liberty IL nos anu
ought o be absOlute-a truth or unN'rsil appH-
cation that was crystaliZed century ago lh'o tne
simple sentence OF Burke when ne siu, 40
erty must be restrained In order 10 be iNpss'Ssr'.
cannot resist the conviction mat there Is IN TINS
country AT large a amount OF Ioosr tninhlHs
i'm regard To the rights and TIE wrongs or what are
sometimes called the laboring classes. \ part OF
this wrong thinking IN the result or nhturaI anu
commendabl- sympathy and part OF u - th9 re-
suit OF an undlscriminating sentlmentaiity IN
vast number If not in majority OF cases su1erihg
has come from lmprovidence. from extravaBance OF
from dIssIpation. Let take care that we 40 not
attribute results to wrong causes Inc enormous
difference between the very rich and the very poo,
seems to have parayzed what Matthew Arnoia
called 'the power 10 clear ana think Nraisht
am not the apooglst OF either the one class or tne
other for have long been OF the opinion that. AZ
between classes, goodness and badness are pretty
evenly distributed But l do not believe mere nus
been much loose thinking and wrong feeiing IN re-
gard to where the blame really rests TOT the J"
eouaiItiea ~ which complaint Is made