The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-01-26
JUDGE THOMAS H. DILLON
On Capital and Labor, in 1886.
Al most Prophetic as Shown by Present
Conditions.
Ke-frinied from a communication Of his
I" lac Jasper Courier, of April -, 1886.
Labor. lis Achievements and Necessities

Labor. lis Achievements and Necessities.
The great question Of which shall
AXE the supremacy capital or
labor-is plant OF slow growth,
but Is surely assuming gigantic pro
portions. In the early days of the
United States the former did not
figure very conspicuously, for its
Iprogenitor, labor, was but youth
lconining its inll Ience to the states
bordering on the Atlantic. Lu
under the benign influence of liber-
ty, which inspired our ancestors to
strike the blow that ielled the shack
les from thelrwriSts, that bound hem
'tD an eastern monarchy, labor
broaiened its dominions, until it
transformed Observation-Disclosures,
but for the path Of savage Indi,ns,
InoiselesS, but for the howl of wolves
and the moan Of winds as they
swept throug1 the b0ughs of the
fore ;t-into a blooming and beauti
ltul garden, checkered with railroads
and thJroughtares, dotted hither
and thIther with beautf full villages
and cities, that have sprung up a..
If by the wand OF cnchantment
Labor has done all of this. But it
mas done more. The beautiful chain
of inland seas On the north, ard the
mighty network OF rivers that
yielded their ripping bosoms only
to the canoe OF the savage they seem
ed TO have no other mission than 10
speed rapidly on, till their silvery
wavelets commingle with the deep,
blue waters OF the ocean but today
the same waters bear millions OF
products of labor on their tosoms
TO the sea, and their banks. that
were yielded only to the deer and
buffalo, are now the sites of marts
OF industry, thronged by people
from every cline, who have come
hither to enjoy the blessings Of
liberty. Labor did all this and
more. The hills and valleys of this
highly favored country are fairly
bristled with the spires OF churches
and school ol-houses-the former call
ing with its deep-toned bells, and
the latter calling the youth oi the
land 10 the place OF instruction aud
education, that they may be able to
play their part in the great drama
Of life, and settle upon the side OF
virtue and sobriety. Labor erected
all of the spires and towers; yet
how often are their families deprived
OF the use Of either by reason Of
poverty.
Labor builds palaces anl erects
mansions, vet it inhabits huts and
novels
Bui it has done more than all OF
this i created c,pital. The very
power that has throttled labor, and
is attempting TO PROSTATE it, is a
child OF labor. Without labor cap
ital never could haze existed. La
Dor is the creator, and not the
creature of capital. Labor i the
parent and capital is the child.
But the child has become insubor-
dinate, and the sooner it is taught
the lesson OF submissiveness and
subordination the better it will be
for all parties concerned.
In Abraham Lincoln's mes age
to congress in the year 1861 (see
Barrett's life of Lincoln, pages 309-
3lO) he said: 'rhere is one point
to winch | ask attention; it is the
eff 'rt to place capital on an equal
footing with labor, il not above la
Dor, in the structure Of The govern
ment. bid the laboring people
beware of surrendering a power
which they already possess, and
which, if surrendered, will surely
be used to close the door of ai.
vancement to such as they, and fix
new disabilities ani burdens upon
them until all Of liberty shall be
lost. y
These are the words of the inn
mortal Lincoln. A quarter Of cen
Jury has passed since this prophetic
warning was given by man in a
position to know, and honest enough
to speak his convictions. Let me
ask, does the experience OF labor
since Lincoln made this statement,
Justify il? II 50, no graver question
ever agitatej the minds Of the
American people than the one w
are discussing. Nr. Lincoln said
there was an effort to place capita
upon an equal footing with, il no
above labor. Do | sound falls,