The Washington times., 1895-03-06
LABOR AND MoNoPoLY PROBLEM
Their Evolution Explained By Prof.
Adams at Columbian University.

AbGii EADldllC4 ny GIOis
Adams at Columbian University.
Prof. Henry c. Adams, of the University
| OF Mic higan, lectured on the Evolution OF
the labor and the monopoly problem in the
c curse ofthe School of Applied Ethics. at the
Columbian University yesterday afternoon.
Prof. Adams said that the solution of
these problems would be fraught with great
possibilities. This solution is epoch max
ing and VIII control the destiny of the Iuture
No man can make social revolutions 1t
is the peculiar problem of this day and age
to solve the great labor and monopoly prob
lems
SO far as the form of society is concerned
there can be no greater contrast than that
between the society OF England in the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries with the
present. Their government was proprietary;
now it is polite al. Society was then
/ io3 allied, composed of many Independent
units, each complete in itself; ROW society
is mobile and iDterdependent. Pr.ces of
products were then made By law; the canon
law and the Gentilcs contsolled largely the
exchange and prices of products In the
attempt to control these matters, ethical
C considerations We're recognized.
Now prices are controlled by competition.
Then labor had fixed place in society. but
the laborer had no liberty. Now he has no
/ fixed place in society, but he has berty.
These stupendous changes have been the
result or o1e principle working IN history
the principle OF personal liberty. The de-
velopment OF the person is the one thread
running through the last six centuries.
The right of property was of later devel
opment. Another great step was the evolu
ton OF intellectual liberty.
The third great movement was that for
political liberty, which resulted in eonsti-
tutional government. Underlying all these
great movements was the principle OF
liberty. To-day this same principle is
working toward the further development
of the rights OF labor.
The nineteenth century is made OF two
elements-one OF thought and one of fact.
The element OF thought found ITS first ex-
preston in the philosophers ofthe eighteenth
century. Then was evolved the individual
ism as a social principle. The jus dei was
replaced by the JUS naturae. Up to 1870
this idea of a law OF nature regulating So
ciety had prevailed.
The practical result ofthe jus naturae idea
was philoSophic anarchy. Economists such
as Adam Smith, Ricardo, and John Stuart
Mil wished to do away with restrictive
laws except those incident to property.
Smiths Wealth OF Nations was a pro-
test against the continued enCroachments
OF government on personal freedom. His
IDEAS We're in perfect cocsonance with the
modeTndoctrine oflaissez faire-the doctrine
OF non-interference. This theory OF Adam
smith might have succeeded had it not been
FOR one Industrial revolution.
Heretofore labor has been scattered; now
it is massed. The result is that competition
is different now in its effects. Modern ma
chinery and massing OF labor have greatly
changed conditions. The werkmen have
lost control over the conditions OF work.
This they arc trying TO regain. That is the
labor problem. The substitution of the
factory fort the domesticsystem has deprived
the laborer of the control of the conditions
OF labor. The labor problem is one OF civil
ization and not of cuisine. In the face OF
such great aggregations of labor Competi-
ton is not able TO perform its task.
Prof Sidney Sherwood, Of Johns Hopkins
University, made few remarks at the close
OF the lecture OF Prof. Adams.