The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-08-24


from labor. In former times labor was
degraded to that extent that 1t had no
ambition or desires that could not be
appeased with but small effort. Suffi-
cient sustenance to maintain life was
all that labor demanded. Under such
conditions capital must lie idle. It la
Dor did not serve capital, no tribute
could be collected. Labor became the
chattel slave of capital, and tribute
was collected.
White workingmen, of Caucasian
blood, have, by their spirit of discon-
tent, by give their "give-me-liberty-o
giye-me-death" methods, succeeded in
advancing in the social scale far above
their colored brethren; while In Africa,
masters and slaves are Of one blood.
and in Asia social conditions are but
little better.
1t Is true that once the English mas
tiers grew fat on the product Of his
English slave; but Watt and Tyler,
marched on London, gave up his life at
Smithf1eld, and left as a legacy to Eng
freedom.
Not many years have passed since
Russian nobleman lived by the labor
of his Russian serf: but the nihilist
came, sacrificed Car, and social con-
ditions are changed in Russia.
The Caucasian man Of wealth find
ing that Caucasian slaves are given to
ANARCHY" resulting in bloodshed and
the destruction of property, have usual
1x clio -
other races-the colored races. The
capitalists of all civilized countries once
built vast fortunes sailing ships to the
black" coast and exchanging tr1nkets
for negro slaves. Spain became opu-
lent upon the products of the labor
extorted from black slaves.
But, in time, negro slaves became
improbable in most lands where white
capitalists cared to dwell. While slaves
have been sold at public sale in the
State of New York, not more than a
century back, and ships have discharg-
ed cargoes of products Of Jamaican
slaves in the port of Liverpool within
the same period; slaves ceased to be
profitable to white capitalists, except in
the cotton belt" of the United States.
Here the climate was mild, Whitney
had provided the cotton gin," the
world demanded cotton, and negro slave
labor was peculiarly adapted to the
culture Of cotton.
David Hume, the plain-spoken Eng
lish historian, said:
Il shall add that, from the expert
;ence; Of our planters. slavery il as little
advantageous to the master as to the
slave, wherever mixed labor can be pro-
cured. A man is obliged to feed and
clothe his slave-and he does no more
for his servant. The price Of the pur-
chase is, therefore, so much loss to him.
not to mention that the fear of pun
from the slave as the dread Of being
turned off and not getting another SER
vice will from a free man."
Thus the white capitalists of the
more advanced nations, and the north
ern sections of the United States, dis
carded chattel slavery as an unprofit-
able investment, and resorted to wage
slavery"
In the producing states, black
slaves were immensely profitable, and
any system that has brought great
profit to the capitalists Of any country,
at any time, has been right" The
people honestly believe in right; the
church proves by the Scripture that it
is right: the legislatures enact laws
protecting that right, and the judiciary
uphold that right. Although the great
civil war emancipated the slaves in the
cotton producing states, the principle
Of declaring right" that which brings
profit to capitalists is Just as dear to
the people Of all the states today as
when it was fright" to excommunicate
and imprison the preacher, John Ball,
asking the question:
When Adam dali, and Eva span,
Who was thanne gentilman?"
Since the days Of Lincoln, slavery
has been detested by Northern people
because is was a political and Sec
tional issue. The Northern people now
defend slavery in the Sulu Islands,
while the Southern people detest slav-
cry anywhere under the American flag
because it is a political issue.
1t it had been profitable TO employ
slave labor in Northern states, slavery
would have been fright" at present
time. The fact that slaves were en-
ployed only in one section of the coun.
try made it possible to agitate against
slavery on political lines instead Of on
the lines Of social reform. As long az
slavery was opposed in Northern states
only by social reformers, slavery was
fright" with nearly all Northern CAPT.
talists, but when political and Sec
tional issue was made Of slavery It
ceased to be popular with one Of the
parties.
President Lincoln assured Southern
slave owners, in his first inaugural ad-
dress, that slavery was not to be inter-
fered with, the following being his ex-
act language:
apprehension seems to exist among
the people of the Southern states, that,
by the accession Of republican ad-
ministration, their property and their
peace and personal security are to be
endangered There has never been any
reasonable cause for such apprehension.
Indeed, the most ample evidence to the
contrary has all the while existed, and
been open to their inspection. It ID
found in nearly all the published
sneeches of him who now addresses