Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1901-02-22

pToductiveur,- oi any eutrrpris.. uheiii-r
engaged ia ~ oar uT IuaDy. eannoi d..
limited OF restricted; h,ithrr eau ihe
profits IL Ilie methods 81 obtaining ihrm
are lawful. Many seem t. think that
When auy u.au lass got enough De may
aud onght 10 h. limited hy law. aud
that q man engaged H. q lawful bu>i-
ness ought to he compelled 60 pay his
help wage, ia proportion io his profits.
Such ID not seem 10 stop o. thiuk that
even II il Was right uo rule euuid lee
made Of sufficiently universal applica-
ton Ia regulate aud adjust profit, aud
compensation for lahur. The law rest,-
latrs mouopolies, restraint, aud abuse OF
trades. Il SANS that large accumula-
tions OF property la hands likely 90 keep
it intact Tor a long period are dangerous
10 the public veal. Individual acquisi-
ton stops At the grave. But corpora
tions IRE immortal a. the law terms IL.
and having perpetual succession can 90
on accommodating until they grow to be-
as strong as TO bee injurious to those
whose plans are limited to a single life.
Long ago the law became Jealous of the
growth of such bodies. 1t restricts
them in their power OF acquiring lands,
prohibits perpetuitieS, while legislation
restricts them in every possible way.
The laws provide all known means of
regulating large trusts, corporations and
the uses OF larg' capital. They condemn
and restrain whatever tends to prevent
competition between those engaged in a
business impressed with public charac-
ter as opposed to public policy aud
therefore unlawful The law condemns
all unfair means to prevent competition
and makes everything which tends to
create monopoly unlawful because con-
trary to public policy. But the law cam
not prevent the usual advantages OF a
large capital and combination or aggre-
CATION of mep and if conducted fairly
and one man acquires a million OF
money and the subordinates and crew
only get into. comfortable circumstances
there is no rule of law or of right hy
which those men or any one of them can
say to the millionaire You have
made large profits; YOU could have
afforded me better wages; now give me
my share of the profits" And this is
because if the protector of the enterprise
had given too large wages aud the men
had grown rich while he was reduced to
want there is no rule by which any one
of the men could be compelled to share
the ruined capitalists poverty.
What then is the true course to pur
sue in these times? It is for each indi
vidual to go to work diligently, take adj
vantage of the abundance in the coun
try, he thrifty, and laborers will rise tC
comfort, strength aud influence. STAMP
with adherence and pursue with The
law all mean coutrivances to lowe
wages or advance the prices of living
be jealous of your rights, especially thos,
OF citizenship; congregate at seasonablc
times and places, discuss aud keep "
with the times in Intelligence on al
subjects relating to the relation of capt
tai and labor; appeal to the law where
ever you can make it available; save til,
money that is now spent to pay mer
who get a living by exhibitions of noel
sympathy and telling you when to com
NIT violence peaceably retire from Tia
business of a tyrant capitalist in a bod
if you can and leave him to rot trea
the man or men who undertake to regu
late real or fancied abuses by disturbin
the peaceful pursuits of others as an Ell
emy or enemies of mankind; and labo
will be more honored and respected, an
its votaries will stand higher in public e:
TEEN and will be stronger even in Ian
in which they have always stood at tn
front. Time and nature will reguat
the aristocracy of capital. There al
some few huge and horrid exceptions
the rule but wealth is as a rule easil
: dissipated; and although the waves al
;, running high now and piles of wealth
waves are rising all over the surface the
will soon break up and the surface wi
become choppy.
Hitherto we have had competition {
labor with capital and capital has bee
the stronger; naturally so, and mad
more SO by the waste and violence {
labor which has scarcely touched til
capitalist. 1t is true that the amour
produced falling to capital is from til
: nature Of things larger in proportion
the amount falling to labor in times whe
= the capital is large than whenit is smalle
But it does not necessarily follow tina
!, labor's share is less when capital
greatest because the opposite of tb'