The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-03
LABOR AND CAPITAL.


Both Is a PrOblem.
How TO secure fair treatment alike for
labor and for capital, how to hold in check
the INSCRIPTIONS man, whether employer
or employe. without weakening individual
initiative, without hampering and cramp-
ing the industrial development OF the coun-
try is a problem fraught with great DIM
culties and one which it is OF the highest
Importance to solve on lines of sanity ana
far-Slghted common sense as well as or de-
Votlon TO the right. This is an era OF teo-
GRAFTON and combination. Exactly as busl-
ness men find they must often work
through corporations, and as ii is a con-
slant tendency Of these corporations TO
grow larger so IL is often necessary Tor Ia
boring men to work in federations, and
these have become important factors or
modern Industrial life. Both kinds of fed
Grafton, capltalistic and labor, can do mucn
good, and as a necessary corollary they
can both do evil. Opposition to each kind
or organization should take the form or
opposition TO whatever is bad In the conduct
of any given corporation OF union, not of
attacks upon corporations as such nor upon
unions as such, for some of the most far
reaching beneficent work for our people
has been accomplished through both cor
poratlonS and unions. Each must refrain
from arbitrary or tyrannous interference
with the rights of others. Organized CAPT.
tai and organized labor alike should re-
member that In the long run the interest
of each must be brought into harmony
with the interest of the general public. and
the conduct of each must conform to the
fundamental rules of obedience to the law.
OF individual freedom and of justice and
fair dealing toward all. Each shoul re-
member that in addition TO power it must
strive after the realization of healthy, lofty
and generous ideals.
Every employer, every wage worker must
be guaranteed his liberty and his right to
do as he likes with his property or his labor
so long as he does not infringe upon the
rights OF others. 1t is of the highest i'm
portance that employer and employe alike
should endeavor to appreciate each the
view point of the other and the sure disas-
ter that will come upon both in the long
run IL either grows to take as habitual an
attitude of sour hostility and distrust to-
ward the other. Few people deserve better
of the country than those representatives
both of capital and labor-and there are
many such-who work continually to bring
about a good understanding of this kind
kindly sympathy between employers and
employed. Above all. we need to remem-
Der that any kind of class animosity in the
political world Is if possible even more
wicked, even more destructive to national
welfare than sectional, race or religious
animosity. We can get good government
only upon condition that We keep true TO
the principles upon which this Nation was
founded and judge each man not as a part
or a class, but upon his individual merits.
All that we have a right to ask of any man.
rich or poor, whatever his creed, his occu-
patton, his birthplace or his residence, is
that he shall act well and honorably by his
neighbor and by his country. We are
neither for the rich man as such nor for
the poor man as such; we are for the up
right man, rich or poor. So far as the con-
stitutional powers of the national govern
ment touch these matters of general and
vital moment to the Nation they should be
exercised in conformity with the principles
above set forth.