New-York tribune., 1902-12-11
DISAGREES WITH DR.. ELIOT.
DR.. Abbott Discusses the Industrial Sltua-
tion

DR.. Lyman Abbott addressed the Graduate Club
of Columbia University last night on our lndus-
trial Problem" His speech vigorous and caus-
tic He criticised with the greatest freedom MOD
ern conditions. and disagreed with the opiiom " VI
President Eliot of Harvard in regard TO soaps as
heroes He declared: Whenever combination or
canitsIists get together and control OF the
pecessaries of life they control me. Under these clr
cumstances there are three things for the govern
ment to do-to make competition free again. 10
control it, or to own monopones ilse1'
DR.. Abbott said in part:
Herbert Spencer said in a recent letter that there
was a movement toward socialism IN the uhlted
Social tnstitutens and that bloodshed would prob
ably result to bring about military despoLSIIi ai
to agree. That will depend upon the virtue OF the
Our tendencies are from the indviduaIistic to the
socalistic. Original industry was purely indiv1du5
p capitai developed in @ order Capital, shan de-
fine fine it'd it. is r, what dnd m man r. has e must % have
combinations of capital to-day, but we need the
whether there Garden of Eden or not, but l
do know that to go back to the days OF Adam
The real question before us today is. Shall LABOR
when labor union demands recognition it may
desire a brief display of authority. but at pot
S own Behalf f beeT that S the demand Of labor
right. Al our institutions must be democratic; &
our democratic community. Despotsm is never
The object of the great labor organization is to
say itself what shall be its hours OF labor. the
conditions and the wages. The phenomenon or
trades unions is not TO be measured by an unrea-
sonable demand OF one OF them There are dangers
in great combinations OF wealth and there are
dangers In great combinations of labor. Herbert
Spencer foresees organized army Of capital and
organized army of labor. which Will lock horns,
and boodshed will follow until horseback
What want is to get rid OF the abuse of power
and the Incompetence of power when 1t gets In the
hands of the demaSoEue. DemagogueS are danger
Because there bosses and demagogues in
gRnizations. but rather 10 rid them OF bosses and
Gemagogues. The fundamental question is not
whether corporations labor unions are dangerous,
how bring them within the democratic
spirit Government must have greater power than
either labor capital II must be greater than
any citizen. else the citizen becomes the SOW
eregn and the government the subject.
At Schenectady. In this State labor organiza-
ton said TO a citizen: You shall not your
daily bread because you are fulfilling your duty TO
the State by serving in the militia
The Governor ought to do OF two things.
He ought to tell the District Attorney 10 put the
labor union trial. II there is no law that
governs their offence 10 say to the legislature:
Make
The right OF the individual TO labor is inds-
pensabie The union which prevents men from
working breaks the fundamental basis of our In
sttutions.
cannot agree with my fellow citizen who calls
legal right do what he When see
railroads in Pennsylvania owning coal lands
against the law blood fairly boils. The late
Mr.. Reed said that there were monopolies.
hands of labor which almost caused us TO freeze
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