The labor world., 1899-04-01
Just Before
=. 3. Daylight
Everything Is Wrong and
Everything Is Right.
by ThOs. e. Hill.
is wrong and e,


thing is right. That seems para
~ doxical. It is, however, true,
As compared with the higher and the
better it is wrong; as compared with
tn. lower it is right.
The miscellaneous scattering OF ma
) terial about the ground, upon which
a. building is to be erected, is wrong
as compared with the perfect edifice
which will stand there by and by; and
vet it is evident that the parts which
will compose the building must lie
there, in the separate pieces, before
the edifice can be reared.
We gradually ascend from the lower
i to the higher. As we look upward,
to the better condition., to which we
aspire, our present situation is wrong.
But as we gaze downward we have
1 occasion for congra tulation. Know
ing that we are doing the best that
can be under the circumstances.
9 . .
AS we look out over the field of hui
man activities and see the rich and
the prosperous possessing beautiful
homes, fine equipages, elegant dress,
having grand entertainments, all the
travel desired, and are sojourners at
the delightful resorts, the man down
under the grind of fourteen hours a
day, and the barest support for his
family, murmurs at his lot. But stop,
man, for little while and think.
4. Where that pavement is over which
you Travelled just now, not many years
back, was the !muddiest kind of a
walk, and pedestrians picked their
way through by stepping from stone
to stone. This well-lighted street
was a dark and dangerous thorough
fare at that time. How all this has
been improved. At that time a ten
mile journey through the brush and
~ sbogs would cons s,ts1e suearl va
day. The electric car today takes us
over that route, in a very short time,
for five cents. The postage on a letter
was twenty-five cents; the light was
candle, in the log school house, in
struction was obtained only three
months in the year.
Behold the change, in finely paved
roadways, brilliantly lighted streets,
cheap transportation, and free instruc-
ton under the best of supervision in
palatial school buildings thas would
have been only the, lot of the very
rich to have enjoyed a few years ago.
The lesson Of all this is that we have
much to be thankful for, and much
Ito remember, in the spirit Of congratu-
lation, that we are SO well off. @
The grumbler that will look back
to former days will find general con-
ditions improved, except that oppor-
b sssunities for engagement in business
= Z v =.
in successful competition with others,
{ is largely past. AZ s..-.
A broad and comprehensive view will
reveal that this is all right. The day
of intense competition with others
ought to go by. The day Of SANDER,
yillitication and abuse of others, who
happen to be in the same line Of busi-
ness as ourselves, ought to pass.
The day of fierce rivalry is nearly
gone. The period of excessive yearn-
ing for wealth is about to become a
thing Of the past.
True, it was necessary that we had
the acquisitive age. The desire for
wealth has been the .impelling force
that laid, the foundation for great en-
terprises and improvements, but the
developments are SO far on the way
now that the demand for supreme ef-
fort to make money is not so great as
formerly.
Therefore, as if controlled by a
great unseen power, the rivals in busi-
ness are coming together into one
great combine in which is learned the
lesson of cooperation.
This combine is great step along
the way However, the. fact will be
realized, by and by, that it is not ex-
teasivc enough. 1t is trust for the
benefit of the few.
The combine will fast bring forward
other results. 1t will increase prices
to consumers. 1t will open the eyes
of people to the evil of monopoly. Il
will show that a few people will have
the advantage of great wealth, while
u large majority will be without such
privilege.
Deprived of The opportunity for sue.