The Portland daily press., 1896-09-12
The Relation of Labor to Capital.

l am thoroughly conscious that there
10 suoh thing as running good thing
into the ground. and it Is with much
heaitanoy that venture to say anything
more about free coinage. There Is one
thing cerTain: shat all the points have
been presented, and we'll presented by
able writer's and speakers and am
equally sure that all sound money men
have long since come to the conclusion
that free coinage hasn't got leg to
stand upon-that, in fact, it never hos
had-but 1t is only sort of monstrosity
b.acsd up on the stills of hard times and
monopolistio silver greed, and vitalized,
somehow, by the gaseous elements OF
decentralization and appreciation, and
that as both stiIts are fastened to one
log, instead OF being helps. they interfere,
naturally. with the looomotion and
equilibrium of this most extraordinary
dummy. Many intelligent wage earners,
agitators and poor farmers of the east,
who have really been convinced of the
fallaoy and nonsense of free coinage, have
d desperately fallen back on the position
that times cannot be worse under any
change, and support this unreasonable
conclusion by nursing a grudge against
capital, centralized capital cooperative
capital, or individual capital. What in
heavens name would the wage Garner
do whose Only claim to being skilled
artisan is displayed in his tools, th Q
shovel and pick. without the cooperative
capital invested In railroads, telegraph
lines and municipal corporations? Where
wouldS he look for his bread and butter?
What would no do as alskilled mocha mic
without the manufacturer who, while
he may be worth so or hundred thou
sand ollars, often distribute more than
that each year to his worknen and in
times like these is only able to support
from his direct income single family,
his own, while be supp lies the means Of
support to 30 to 100 Iamiliesp No sensi-
BILE workingman will dispute that capital
issshis best friend and so far as means
OF living and support are concerned, his
only friend. Another wrong idea, emf
mating from class OF social revolution
lists and agitators Is that capital Is hoard
ed up, kept away from the poor
sna sssas a n G 81 o1sy
barons. bloated bondholders, and
the like. No capitalist is such a
fool as to let his money lie idle II he can
help it-and where does it goP TO the
bottom layer Of labor, everytime. The
laborinR classes are using it all the
time. 1t is mistaken notion that the
bond holder is any exception to this
rule. He simply takes mortgage on o
railroad. or water plant as he would on
q house, and the mortgage money goes to
the laborer for developments or improve
ments, or to the wage earner for running
expense. Money is never locked up in
good times, and labor. as a whole, alwav 6
has the use of by far the larger part OF
all the money in circulation. Of course
there are hardships when the times
force the manufacturer or corporation to
lower scale of wages, or when the
wages of labor are forced down by the
greed Of the manufacturer ana producer.
But such greed is exceptional. Low
wages are result of nard times over
which the manufacturer and producer
have no control and for which they are
not directly or individually responsible.
Capital, In the sense of money accumu-
lation, has nothing 70 do with it. 1t ie
through the working Of trade laws, ex.
oessfve competition and oyorsupply,
which apply alike to business and laboii
elements. 1t is very unreasonable man
who expects good times all of the time.
and 1t is barely possible that we have
not seen the end OF hard times, but that
we are still farther to be tried and proved
by the reckless and senseless experiment
of free silver. The soundest and most
prosperous countries in the world to-
day, are under single gold standard
II free silver advocates mean anything
they mean that the condition Of onI
laboring CLASSES would be improved un.
der the conditions which prevail in fres
silver countries. like Mexico. Jtd0esn'i
cost much for working man to live in
Mexico, If IL did he c0uldn It live. The
MeAicans whether Zambos, negroes. o,
half breeds who work about the wharfs
get the magnificent gum of Is cents !
day, or two bits. The Ameri can steve
him, and if anyone wants to be- con.
WINGED of tho aristocraoy Of labor the,
should visit at Least one of these fra
silver countries as have dong. The low,