The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-28
LINCuLN UN LABOR.
CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE GREAT
EMANCIPATOR'S DAY.

CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE GREAT
EMANCIPAToR's DAY.
To the Editor of the San Francisco Cdll-SIR:
President Lincoln made a most significant
reference to laboring men in his first 1naugu-
raj address, which commend 10 the consid-
Grafton of David Starr Jordan, president OF the
Stanford University, and the men for whom
he speaks. Let me give two or three sentences
which refer to what Lincold calls "the effort
to place capital ON an equal footing with II
not above, labor in the structure OF the Gov
ernment." He said these words as he entered
upon his duties as President thirty-six years
ago:
connection with capital; that nobody labors
unless some body else owning capital some
how by the use of IL induces him TO la Dor. "
Capital is only the fruit OF la lor and could
never have existed if labor had not first ex-
listed. Labor is the superior OF capital and de-
serves much the highest co sideratfon." Cd II
them Chose who Labor beware of surrender
ing political power mich they already pos
sess, and which if surrendered will surely
close the door of advancement against such as
they and fix new disabilities and burdens
upon them till all of liberty shall be lost.
There are those among US who think we
have come to that pass now, and they might
seem TO be not far from the truth If some one
will tell US how men get chance 10 work
now. How is it in San Francisco? Do not
few men owning more or less capital hire all
who are at work to-day? This was not true
third of a century since Then there was land,
free land for all poor me n, who had right to
take up" 160 acres OF it and earn the means
to pay ST. % an acre for it by their work on
the land
All such land is gone now, and no man can
'get back to the land" till he can make terms
with those who had the means (eapitaD to buy
1t up cheap that they might sell IL dear i'll
small lots and thus get great gain ii the poor
man Can make the means to pay the price.
And all trades are in much the same fix
the land. Can the man who makes shoes sit
down in his shop and with his own hands
make his way against organized capital and
improved machinery?
When Artemus Ward objected to being
drafted as q soldier during The late war, on
the ground that he not willing to fight
for his third-rate boarding house. the Jest,
ike many another, expressed the profoundest
philos phy. Imperial Rome persisted because
her la boring people had nothing left to inspire
patriotism. Capital was as indfferent then as
now to The condition of the common people.
century since more appropriate illuStra-
ton of the folly of ignoring the welfare of the
laboring people occurred in The French reyo-
luton which capital ana monopoly would do
well TO consider. Out of 1000 millionaires in
this country only know one, our townsmau,
Claus Spreckels, who is wise in his genera
ton.
Claus Spreckels is reported as proposing to
place unemployed men and their families on
$500 acres OF land 10 raise sugar beets for his
factories and 10 provide shelter for them, CIV
ing them u chance to buy the land in small
allotments and pay for them in ten-year INSTALL
ments This is certainly a beneheent work,
apeit it is a modified form of feudalism.
But why Is 1t a noble philanthropy worthy of
unstinted praise for man OF wealth &c do
this thing and reap the profits and gain the
praise but not wise or well for the State to do
a like thing and finish the work begun by Mr..
Spreckels? "Une Employed men are liza bIlity''
which the State must face, as Governor Adams
has aptiy said. We can make them ''valua Bile
asset is" by setting them 10 work for the State
on land provided and made available for them
and their families in the form of colonies by
the State, the homes to be in the center OF the
tract OF land. where stores, shops and schools
will be placed. with the farms on the outside,
from which a small single tax would be
paid to the State with a sinking fund TO repay
the outlay made on behalf of the colony TO
run for term OF years. In this way the State,
too, can do a benefcent work and reap the
profits and gain the praise.
JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON.
San Francisco May g. 1897.