The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-21
40 WAR BETWEEN
W CAPITAL AND LABOR.
BY W. W. DE LONG.

became enlightened. after ages and ages.
il came To abhor system fraughl with
SO much injustice and suffering but IL
could not lightly give ZIP the advantage
! derived from the control of the Dor II
Others until some new scheme was de-
yised The pressure became great, knowt-
edge spread the nations became more and
more enlightened. new lands were dis
covered the inventive genius in man
awoke and as never before man was delv-
ing into the great storehouse of nature
still opea TO all. and taking .herefrom
immense treasure of all things needful
and beautiful without in anywise de-
creasing the visible supply.
To set free the worlds enslaved mill
ions and TO give them free access to ma
lures bounties would mean that all who
would work might be clothed and fed,
ard as long as natural opportunity should
remain open 10 ALL he who was the most
willing and able to labor would be the
greatest of all.
With natural opportunities open to all.
labor with his magic touch could produce
all that goes To make up the sum of earth
ly grandeur and greatness. level all class
distinctions. and bring about that golden
time in which all men would ne broth
ers. AS beautiful as this might seem. in
the abstract, 1t has no charms for the sell
fish element in human nature.
Men have been taught throughout sll
time that what is mos desirable of all
things is To obtain some special advant-
age. AS the control of labor under the old
slave or feudal systems, and when the
time came to give up human slavery and
the monopoly Of the results of its la Dor,
another and greater scheme had developed
TO such extent that the same results
could be obtained II a much safer and
more scientific manner.
This new scheme Is but 20 control the
sources of wealth. |. G.. the natural or
portuni,ies of earth, and force a tribute
from labor for the privilege of applying
itself TO them. The plan was tried. and
II has produced its results. In the United
States we have the spectacle of "A nation
OF willing workers who have produced m
the past century the greatest volume OF
wealth ever known - this world. a coun-
try OF unbounded resources. and after all
this during the closing years Of a century
OF such great progress. labor idle. capital
going 10 waste, the one arrayed against
the other, strikes. agitation. failure, sui
eide. ruin, waves of prosperity. periods az
depression. very apparent unrest and
discomfort on one hand and a stony hard
Indifference and logged determination en-
the other and labor and his handmaiden
capital engaged in strife which can only
be disastrous to both and an insurmount-
able barrier to future progress.
In view OF the wonderfully bountifill
supply placed by nature in her great
storehouse. EARTH" and the fact that ev-
cry human being born into the world Ia
endowed with the desire and means OF
entering and taking therefrom all he
needs 20 satisfy his every want. Is il not
strange that there should exist one case
OF involuntary poverty-to say nothing
OF the almost countless thousands II
starving human beings in all civilized %
countries7
Indeed a stranger upon this mundane
sphere would be amazed at the spectacle
on the one hand an unlimited fnexhaust-
IDLE supply of all that Is necessary 10 fur
nish thousand Tins the present popu-
latton OF the earth with every necessity
and luxury the human mind can conceive
Of and on the other hand a large major
ity Of the children Il men suffering for
the most meager and bare necessities Of
lifs.
He wo I'D be justified in setting us down
as OF lower plane of intelligence than
the brute beasts that roam the field
for they at least take advantage. each
Tor himself. Of natures supply. and nv
the exercise of natural desires and f,lnc-
tons, they satisfy their needs. grow ia.
and sleek, fulfill the mission for which
they were created and pass away.
DO YOU suppose for a moment that man
IN" crowninS result Of all Of natures Gre
atiVe powers. could not be trusted 10 take
10 himself Of her free gifts 70 supply the
wants. needs and desires with which she
has herself endowed him?