The copper country evening news., 1896-04-13

competition. The employer Is at the
mercy OF other employers and as much
so as his employees are al his mercy. Inc
employers cannot govern prices, they can
not Ok demand, they cannot control sup
ply. and at present, I'm the world OF trade,
the laws of supply and demand, except
whom interfcrod Win py cohhp''"'s' e'' Ia
absolute control.
will the time arrive. and can IL arrive. ex-
cent by developing the brain, except by the
aid of intellectual light, when the purchaser
will wish 10 give what thing IL WORTH when
the employer viii be satisfied with a reason
able profit, when the employer viii he anxious
10 give the real value for raw material. when
he viii be really anxious TO pay the laborer the
full value Of his laborf Will the employer ever
become civilized enough 20 know that the law
of supply and demand should not absolutely APP
MY in the labor market OF tho worldy Will he
ever become civilized enough not To take adj
vantage of the necessities OF the poor, or the
hunger and rags and want Of povertyf viii he
ever become civilized enough TO say, ~ viii
pay the man who labors for Inc enough TO give
him n reasonable support. enough for him TO
assist In taking care OF wife ana children,
enough for him 10 do this and lay aside some
thing 20 feed and clothe him when old age
comes, TO lay aside something. enough 10 give
him house and hearth during the December OF
his life, 80 that he can warm his worn and
shriyelod hands at the fire OF homer
OF course capital can do nothing without the
assistance Of labor. All there is Of value In the
world Is the product OF labor. The laboring
man pays all the expenses. No matter whether
taxes are laid ON luxuries or ON the necessaries
OF life labor pays every cent
So we must remember that, day by day. la
bor II becoming intelligent. So believe the
employer Is gradually becoming civilized.
gradually becoming kinder. and many men
who have made large fortunes from the labor
Of their fellows have given of their millions 10
what they regarded objects Of charity or for
the interests OF education. This is kind OF
penance, because the men that have made this
money from the brain and muscle Of their fell
low men haze ever felt that IL was not quite
their own. Many Of these employers have
sought TO balance their accounts by leaving
something for universities or the establish
ment Of libraries. drinking fountains or to
build monuments TO departed greatness. II
would have been. think, far better had they
used this money 10 better the condition of the
men who really earned IL.
. So think that when we become civilized
great corporations viii make provision for
men who have given their lives TO their serv-
Zoe. think the great railroads should pay
pensions 70 their wornout employees. They
should take care Of them in old age. They
should not MAIN and wear out their servants
and then discharge them and allow them To be
supported in poorhouscs. These great COM
paries should take care OF the men they main
they should look out for the ones whose lives
they have used and whose labor has been tho
foundation Of their prosperity. Upon this ques,
ton public sentiment should be aroused TO
such a degree that these corporations would bc
ashamed to use human life and then throw
away the broken old man as they would east
aside n rotten tie.
It may be that the mechanics the working
vtll fpa Ia fpt al ,uh IN
really unite 20 act In absolute concert. Could
this be accomplished then reasonable rate Of
compensation could be fixed and enforced.
Now such efforts local and the result up
TO this time has been failure. But IL all could
unite they could obtain what Is reasonable.
what is just and they would have the sympa-
thy of a very large majority Of their fellow
men, provided they were reasonable.
But before they can act in this way they
must become really intelligent, intelligent
enough 20 know what Is reasonable and honest
enough TO ask for no more.
So much has already been accomplished for
the workingman that / have hope, and great
hope. Of the future. The hours Of labor have
been shortened and materially shortened In
many countries. There was "A time when men
worked 10 and 10 hours n day. Now generally |
a day ys work is not longer than 10 hours and |
the tendency is 90 still further decrease the |
hours.
BY comparing long periods Of time we more |
clearly perceive the advance that has been |
made. In 1860 the average amount earned by /
the laboring men. workmen. mechanics, per |
year was about sSs5. II is now about $500. and |
81 today will purchase more of the necessaries /
of life, more food, clothing and fuel, than 1t |
would in 1890 These facts are full Of hope for |
the future.
All our sympathies should be with the men
who work, who toll, for the women who labor |
for themselves and children, because we know
that labor is the foundation Of all and that
those who labor are the caryatides that sup.
port the structure ani slittcring dome OF civ
ilization and progress.