The labor world., 1900-06-09
ADDRESS ON LABOR.
HON. G.. A. TOWNE SPEAKS BEFORE
THE TRADES ASSEMBLY,.
Compliments Delegates on Their
Knowledge OF the Law Of DeIibcr-
ntivc BodicS-LnbOr is Entitled to
the Highest Respect and Honor
Labor and Capital Should CO-Op-
crate HarmOniOusly Toward u
Common Object.

pOTL OF MI. IOW1lc duuI6SS jUclOIe llc
Trades assembly, but the copy was in
some manner mislaid. Mr.. Towne's
speeches are, however, always new,
so it is with pleasure that we report
it in this issue.
Mr.. Towne said that he felt greatly
honored by the invitation of the FEEDER
ated Trades assembly to be present but
that, while he had expected to acknOW-
ledge the courtesy with a few words,
he was quite unprepared to make a
speech. which was evidently the ex-
pectation of his auditors. He stated
that be had listened with great interest
to the proceedings and the discussions
of the meeting which admirably illus
trated the American proclivity for par
liamentary government. He compli-
mented the speakers on their know
ledge of the law of deliberatiye bod
les and on their capacity for direct and
forcible speech on matters under de-
bate. He referred to a statement by
aicelebrated author, illustrative of this
American habit, to the effect that if
a vessel loaded with American passen-
gers were to run ashore upon a desert
island, it would not be half an hour
before a meeting would be called and
somebody elected chairman and some
sort of local government be in complete
and regular operation. Mr.. Towne
thought he discovered in this proceed
ure Of the Federated Trades assembly
and other similar organizations great
school of citizenship. Just so soon as
regular procedure is inaugurated, and
matters are dispensed of by argument,
that moment the rule of passion and
prejudice begins to weaken and the
authority of reason begins to grow.
There can be no better discipline for
the American citizen than the habit
ual procedure and discussions Of such
organizations.
Coming to some general observations
on the subject Of labor Mr.. ToWne
said that while there is a great deal Of
can't INDUCED in on the dignity Of labor
yet in any true View of the relation Of
labor to the progress of society and
the welfare Of the individual, labor
must be accorded the highest respect
and honor. In the old biblical view
God labored six days in creating the
world, and surely heres was a recogni-
-tion of the dignity oss-toil. But III the.
modern scientific reading OF the pros
cess of creation, even greater dignity
belongs to it, for it shows the infinite
purposes Of the Almighty slowly work
ing themselves out through innumer-
able SUGGESTIONS of ages, from the time
when space was filled with diffused
gases, out OF which all material things
We're to be formed, until the planets
had been evolved and the slow ascent
OF life upon them had been perfected
in the existence of man himself. In
this view, all the. infinite powers and
mysteries of the universe were har-
moniously working together to produce
conditions favorable to the develop
ment of an ultimate happy social con-
dition and free and noble individual
life
Mr.. Towne said it was interesting to
observe that when the point In this
long process of evolution had been
reached at which the gray matter in a
mans brain began to develop in size
and capacity, his physical organs ceas-
ed to undergo there after any appre-
ciable change. Thence afterWard it
was a question of brain evolution and
the growth of the power Of thought,
Whereby man became in very large
measure the creator of his own condi-
tions and the conscious maker of. his
own destiny The hand no longer need
ed to develop, because now the brain
could teach the hand to supplement its
own power and dexterity with the lev
er, the wheel, the screw and all the
mechanical processes. The eye no
oI tn 4
brain discovered how to make the mi,
croscope and the telescope and thus to
anticipate, in a few generations results
that the process of physical evolution
could only have achieved, if ever, by
endless ages of specialization. Mans
destiny, therefore, in the opinion of
Mr.. Towne, is to be what he shall make
it, and all the methods he employs in
realizing it are necessarily dependent
upon some form of labor, which he de-
sired as any proceeds or occupation
which a man performs that is con-
cerned in carrying out any of the nee
essary functions of human life. Thus
labor comprises not only manual work,
but mental activity, not only the hew-
ing of wood and drawing Of water,
out also elnplOylnenlS IN the afCS OF
sciences and professions which are
just as necessarily involved in the COM
plcated advance of civilization. Even
capital, he claimed, when properly en-
ployed, when engaged, in other words
in toll for the purpose of reproduce
ton and of increasing the welfare OF
society, is a form of labor. Properly
considered, the antagonism which soci.
ETY. now so frequently experiences be-
tween capital and labor is foolish anC
destructive. There can be no doub
that the present tendency in the con.
trolling opinion of the world is to EN-
phasize and amplify the authority ant
rights of capital. MIR. Towne declared
his belief to be that of Abraham Lin
coin, namely, that capital is not abov,
labor. but that. If a contest arises be
tween them, labor, which existed be
fore capital and inheres in manhood
itself, must be considered as havin;
superior rights to capital. AT thu
same time, in his judgment it il
entirely possible that capital and 1abo
should cooperate harmoniously i'll thei