Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1897-09-10
LABOR VERSUS CAPITAL.

present t., ua problem. the solution
Of which goes to the very heart of
eoripty and Ia the very essence Of
our government
That strike. toge'he- with those
otheSI which have occurred during
the past ten years. IA an object lesson.
the Importance at which cannot be
overlooked. -.-.|
Many have critic I'D severely the
language OF Eugene v. Debs in his
addresses TO the ."nve ms of re-
pre- sentative lab ,rer' and - ,eci lily
severe has been rhe crit is n pass ID
up IN his speech ma 'e Mt Chi:aZ 20
Those criticisms ar iii rect md pro
per 40 far as they apply to the in.
cit ng language used b. Mr.. D'b'.
=: for law aid order shomlA he the
wat 'h-word of every true .merican
heart and those things which III then
very patnr. tenl:o Il subver 'inn of
government should be promptly con-
demnpd. =.
But is not this man excited TO
the q things by the inju stice he aces
.done;end the oppression he sees prar-
, ,ticed ? ,;.y. a..,....., ....
&c.,. Let us consider the propn. tirate in
come IF labor, with that Of the enr-
plOyer. &c.. ~. .,...,...
-. Perhaps no nation up N earth pays
as high wages to its working men as
the Unit ii States. but on the other
hand there is no labor upon earth
which is more valu lbie. which will
produce more in ii given time or
which will do the work allotted to it
so intelligently and vol.
IT sesms ho wevet' that the price Of
labor in the United States is gradu-
ally coming to IA level with that Of
European nations. Steadily it is
working its way down the scale t.
rest at last upon bedrock basis
This ia what American labor is
banded together to prevent. -: 1t
costs Americans NOR = to live than
any o.her working. man in any other
country. the prices Of the ne 1e sslties
Of lie are on higher level, and those
who arc in a posi- ion to regulate them
too andlrd which will co.npar ,
with the wages Of these coneu ners
have instead raised the prices of them
for the benefit Of the cou sum ers
employer, while at the same time the
employer is seeking to reduce the
income wherewith the labofer sup
plies himself and family, .,.r.
The taxes of the laborer are still
held up to the highest margin and his
means Of paying is at the same time
sought to be cnt down. .....s ~,..l
On the other hand. the income '6i
the employer ID raised by legislation
and protection by tariff : duties
which does not benefit the laborel
in any degree. The employer is thus
enabled TO pay his taxes without any
special effort on his part, he can pay
the increared tax upon Injuries and
necessities which are not d part 1oi
his individual enterprise, froin the
increase Id the price Of what he him
self controls. In fact his laboreri
pay it for him and thus is labor doub
ly taxed by low wages for the benefit
Of his employer and taxed from his
own income for those things viii ,h he
himself consumes.
For years 1t has been the idea O
labor that organization was the only
protection which it hal. The the Dry
is correct, but IN every inst Ice Of it.
actual practice and N every trial o
efficiency as u me ms Of uphold ing
labor's hands, it has been virtually @
failure. In no case has labor organi
zAtion secured a decisive victory
Not only has capital won, but it ha
Won by force Of the laws Of the land
and, however pernicious those law
may be, they are still in effect ant
must be recogniz ID. Government b.
injunction has TIED the working ma