The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-10-31
WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 81. 1900.
MI. cowIsN AND THE BALI lMor:1s


There has been a pretty lively scrap in
the past few days between John r. Cowen
Esq, president of me Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, i Gold Democrat, who is going.
TO vote for Mckinley. and the Baltimore
Sun. ex-Gold Democrat, which is support
ing Bryan. Neither party has as yet called
the other either a liar. thief or a dog;
dicating such characters for the other as
could be used without emphasizing the
actual words.
The casus belli is as follows: Cowen
made a speech in Baltimore few nights
back. in which he said that he had given
an order for 5000 cars of pressed steel
Tor his railroad. The steel required TO con-
s,ruct them. he said, would fully load ten
Of the largest ships that sailed the ocean.
Il Mckinley Was reelected the order would
stand, but If Bryan was elected the order
would be cancelled as to all not actually
made en- November 9th.
The Sun took this up, and said Cowen
was another. or words to that effect, and
Cowen came back at the Sun in d long
puDllSisSu Is an III
the Sun, in which he reiterates his state
meats and calls the Sun more "anothers'
than the Su, called him.
Putting aside all the hard language that
each of these disputants uses towards the
other. we take from Mr.. Cowen's letter its
final paragraph, which states some truths
that il would be far better for all TO think
rasias one class against another. 1t is
as follows:
We nave never had a canvass pitched on
80 law key. Baltimore may he described
as Boston was, "a place where reSpecta-
hility stalks unchecked" Even Mr. Bryan,
When ne paraphrased the stately diction
ii the Old Testament in a clown:sn joke,
selected Tammany audience and not a
Baltimore one, for his performance. i can
only explain your course on one theory:
You have confused The workman With the
hoodlum and selected your language to
suit
All of us believe that capital and labor
are dependent upon one another and profit
best when they agree. In this country
there has been close and better under
standing from year TO year. The man who
pays wages and the man who has TO main
tain his family by those wages Will not
agree always on that subject II cannot be
expected SO long as both are merely HUI
man. But The workman has fr4n: year to
year made more allowance .or lie diff
Guilty OF one who has TO raise mercy FOR
wages, and the employer has had more
consideration for the hard problems Of the
employees life. There has been less ana
less Of quarrel. more and more and more
discussion and adjustment, and out of it
ali two facts stand forth:
FiTst-Tnat the proportion of earnings
soie3s 10 wages has been steadily greater
Secoud-Ihat The deposits in the savings
banks have been steadily larger and the
depos.tors more numerous.
The connection of employer and en,pioye
is not a romantic lafe affair or sentimental
friendship. bat is trade relation, charac-
,e,ized more and more by mutual cons.de-
ration and mutual respect. The enlight-
ening Influences of trade. the softening IN
tluences OF Christianity have been and are
al work here as elsewhere, AID il would be
a shallow philosopher who would say that
capital ard labor had not come Closer to-
sether. ]; is not the Garden of Eden yet,
By any means. but there can be little doubt
that Mr.. BRYAN and You have stolen the
sob of the snake. Yours respectfully,
JOHN *. CoWtsN.
This IS entirely true. and i, is we'll sad
The relations between capital and labor
are getting better every day. and say What
NE Viii IN deaus,riatlen Of the corporations
thai are called trusts, they eersailaly pay
TIE Very best wages siiat arc paid by any
other employers 81 Labor. and thy sive
steady employment ali The time 10 their
laborers, They require the best character
of labor, i; is true. and a lazy norkingmaa
has no chance Win Them. Sut the man
.sho Is really skilled in his business. and
Is willing TO work hard a reasonable num-
Der of hours. has never been known 20
complain Of trust us his employer. This
may not be for the advantage of Labor. ne
are exp pressing 10 opinion upon that point:
we are only stating a fact. and about tha,
there can be 10 sors Of a doubt.
--s
PROF. DAEs1sf AND Mi, liRY.AN.
The latest of M Btsan's asolosisss is
PROT. r. IL Dabney. of tle University