The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-11
The Democracy of INDUSTRY.

The Democracy of Industry.
DIR. Lyman Abbott. lecturing to work.
ingmen In New York the other day,
said: Now the capitalist owns the tools
with which the laborer must work. Now
the laborer Is subject to the man who
owns the tools. This means that the la
borers should own the railroads and
mines on and In which they work. That
II. that labor should employ capital, in
stead OF capital employing labor" The
mere ownership OF the tools and the
capital with which to employ labor com
prises only a portion Of the essential ele-
ments for the successful conduct of
great Industrial enterprise. Lacking
these other essential elements. the own
ership by the workingmen OF the plants
In which they labor would not OF ne
cessity mean an Improvement in their
condition: rather. as In many co-opera-
tive enterprises heretofore started. It
might mean failure, and the loss Of saw
ings invested.
Behind every great enterprise which
has proved successful Is the master
mind. the directing force, the executive
capacity. the genius for organization
and mastery of detail Of one man. AS
rule. he has risen from the ranks OF
the workers for wages and his person
ality Is a vastly more important factor
In the business than the mere capital
which he is able to command. Captain
Of industry" is not an idle term: II
signifies a distinctive type OF man. well
known TO all. Men Of this type rarely
lack command Of the capital with which
20 set on foot and conduct successfully
their enterprises. Successful institu-
tons have such men at their heads;
unsuccessful ones fail oftener from this
lack than from want of sufficient cap
itsl Industrial enterprises. controlled
solely by workIngmen. none of whom
has developed the great executive ca
paeity which would mark him as a cap
tain % Industry, are presestined 10 fail
ure. soon or late. Such enterprises from
their very nature are. In their struc-
ture. not republics, but elective mon
arches. In which one supreme head Is
executive. law-maker and Judge,
Politically speaking. the weakness OF
a republic lies in its inability 10 act
promptly in a sudden emergency. Mat
tiers which properly require immediate
action are debated at length IN the
legislative bodies and the resulting &C
/ tion u often simply the best compromise
which can be effected between radically
| DIVERGENT opinions az % the manner in
| which the emergency can be met In a
stat. the many advantages OF the re-
this onr weakness; bat in Industrial en-
| trrpr.ses. under competitive conditions.
I there are 10 such coupcnsations. The
ono consideration is the ability 90 man
ufacturs ana market product with the
minimum - expenditure and the max
iuum ~ rriarn- inability 20 90 thls
means tnevitahie failure "a competition
ath ccncerus which have such ability
Nsverthelr-s. it IL unaoghtsdly true
tsat ideal csu1ltions. which VIII - far
tlvarts setrrr ere -ounicts between
.sFitai ant iaher. can he more nearly
arEroar hsd wheu ere wcrk .nguen q
fh.s rruntry have a shave q ownership
ln the -rursg-s tsT ehirh they work 10
uuuil serm thaf the BEST means % this
trsirat'e ems vouli - in making every
sdert ta rufs1s them fe invest thfir saw
l.rs Or ere sta.k no fs-.r smplotiur ----
rorati'ua a. ar hcnest valuation. 70
sath stoas - rons Sores raoa invest.
Heuf o. uUa - szsIness traini-s. 90
Fat ri. Do esd investment frr tss
et Hu % aher. aaa osvaniv Asu
ernsfi1rs vm srrroarh -,re -arIrg
afrr the u-rs.nFmer hrc -rrres.rtr.
u..a rhrnssires - t-,th rabor ana car
uaI
De- s frua taaf fh'a sn-s noe take n--
e.rrf % er rrsrfEr Pop t,s unfor,anat..
] tts Isle er the uuthrfty. Their con-