The Minneapolis journal., 1901-10-04
VIEWS ARE DIVERSE
AS to Value of Workingmen's Polit-
ical Economy School.
WHAT LOCAL socIoLoGIsTs SAY
The Plan of Capitalists for a School
at Paterson, N. j., Viewed
From a Distance.

Oh WorKingmen, with view to doing away
WIN strikes and finding solutions OF
otner industrial problems, as reported
from New York, meets with divided ap-
proyal by Minneapolis students of So
GEOLOGY, such as G. H. Lockwood, Charles
u. Raymer, Rev. DR.. Marion D. Shutter
and others.
According to the telegram, a school OF
political economy will be established at
paterson, n. j., and the movement is
packed by several men of great prominence
In the world Of thought and finance,
among the number being John D. Rookie
feller, E. H. Hartman, Charles M.
Schwab, Seth Low, H. H. Rogers and
Charles r. Flint
The main idea of the project is to bring
about better understanding between
labor and capital with view to recon-
Cling existing and future differences and
to preventing the recurrence Of strikes
and other troubles. 1t is also proposed
to employ the correspondence plan in
orde rto extend the schools field of use
fulness. Under this system the subjects
included in the curriculum are discussed
in personal letters from prominent edu-
Gators. 1t is understood, further, that
lectures will be given by subscribers to
the enterprise, who have made special
DIR. Shutter Speaks.
Rev. DR.. Marion D. Shutter says:
l can tell better what l think about the
scheme when 1 know more Of the details
On general principles I should favor any
practical plan by which labor and capital
could come to a, better understanding. The
perpetual warfare between them is not in
harmony with the spirit of the age. I have
sometimes advocated conventions where the
leading men of affairs and the leading spirits
OF labor organizations, such as Gompers and
others, might come together and discuss
the questions that concern both sides alike.
One great trouble nowadays is that con-
yentions only embrace side or the other.
Let us some day, and that very soon, have
a convention where both sides will be rep
resented. believe that much good would
come Of it. Conference and discussion are
always better than warfare, and would 10
much to prevent it. Why would it not be
a good idea to begin right here in Minne-
apolis with public gathering at which GER
tain questions concerning the relations of
capital and labor should be discussed by
such representatives, on the one hand as
the labor organizations should choose, and
by such employers of labor as Mr.. Peavey,
Mr.. Partridge, Mr.. Shevln, Mr.. Washburn
and Mr.. Lowry? 1 am sure that splendid
!
result, there would be a better understand
ing. Is the plan not worth trying? l would
gladly DO all in my power to promote such
conference.
An Organizers View.
G. H. Lockwood, organizer of the Social
ist party, with headquarters at 125 Nicol-
! let avenue, speaking Of the plan, says:
TIE socialists are certainly in line with
any movement to get capital and labor to-
gether Capital being but the surplus prod
uct Of labor, there can be no conflict
between the two. But the idea that any
| school Of political economy can ever har-
monize the interests Of the capitalists and
the working class IS, to a socialist, alto
gether foolish. The capitalist has long been
hiding behind that word capital, and, by a
juggling Of terms has trieked the public into
a misconception of the exact situation.
Before we talk of harmonizing the int erests
of these two distinct classes, let US see
what their interests are. The interest of the
capitalist is to get all he can out of his in
vestments; he wants dividends, and he is a
''timid'' creature when called upon to invest
his money where there is no certainty OF
adequate returns. There two principal
ways Of increasing his dividends. The first
Is, under trust manipulation, to limit the
supply and raise the price OF the commodity
which he controls; the second is TO decrease
the cost of production by employing fewer
men at lower wages. In this way the IN
terests'' Of the capitalist prosper.
The interest Of the workingman is to get
all he can for his labor and purchase the
necessities of his existence at the cheapest
price possible The interests Of these two
classes are then diametrically opposed to
each other They cannot be brought to-
gether' and harmonized by any scheme
whatsoever.
AS long as the present system of capital
istic production lasts, SO long will there be
strikes and labor difficulties.
There is but one solution to this labor
problem; it is to adopt scientific system OF
industry that gives to the workingman the
full product Of his toll; a system where
every citizen will belong to the working
class and perform some useful service to
society, an equivalent Of the product which
he consumes.
This attempt of the capitalists to start
school to teach capitalistic political economy
to working people is one of the signs Of the
times. It is the attempt of a drowning man
to grasp at straw. The capitalist system
of production Is doomed; it is self-destruc-
tive; the capitalists themselves cannot stop
the Capitalization of wealth. The economic
trend Of events is towards the cooperative
commonwealth. The society of the future
will be without millionaire or a pauper,
and the present capitalistic class will be bet
ter off then than they are now