The Lambertville record., 1903-12-23

The InbOr 1OhuitionS ot thAh"
would Mean sinking of the
whole Public Economic Laws
Govern the Question of Wages.
Among the many communications
which We are receiving on the ques-
ti0n Of the restriction of immigration |
Is one that says the only defense which |
this country has against the tyranny |
of labor unions" is to leave our gates |
wide open to the invasion of aliens who |
Will work on reasonable terms and not |
LAY down conditions Of hours aud pay |
which drive capital out of business"
The argument of our correspondent. |
of course, is that ii Is much more I'M
portant to the welfare of this country |
to break Tie power of organized labor |
than to maiuta.N the American stand |
ard of wages and living. We do not
agree with him This paper has never |
hesitatcd to take ISSUE with organized |
labor when ii has committed acts or
pursued policies which were neither 10 |
It's own real benefit nor to the benefit
of the general public When organized
labor has attempted TO perpetrate eco
nomie follies=and such attempts have
been all too frequent i'll the last two
or three years=we have been as quick |
and as earnest to oppose them as 10
oppose follies of organized capital. But
there has never been any thought In
our mind there never can be In the
mind of any man who has studied the
social and political and industrial con
ditons of the world = that American
labor. organized or unorganized, does
not add the most and the best to the
welfare both of Itself and of the gen
crnl public When its members not only
find ready employment all of them.
but get the largest possible share of
what they produce compatible with the
permanent safety aud the reasonable
remuneration of the capital engaged
with labor in that production.
There IS no possibility that organized
labor can cenliseatc all of capitals
share of production with excessive de
mands MS tn ''scales," for before capital
will submit to such coutiscation it will
withdraw from participation in that
production, going clseN here and seek
Ing other employment where an nde-
quate return Il guaranteed or permit
ted To capital. In urging labor unions
to refrain from demanding too much
for their share, as we have had ocea-
sion 10 urge frequently of late, our con
cern has been, first OF all, for what
would happen io labor itself under
those circumstances and then to the
country, since the welfare of the coun-
try aud of every body in II in the long
run must be measured by the welfare
of its wage earncrs.
The check. the abolute check, that
there is ON the tyranny of the labor
union" Is that when It's excesscs com
pei capital to withdraw from produc-
tive cooperation with II union labor or
any other labor instantly pays the pen
atty 10y being thrown out of work in
that particular field and the only terms
on which II can 70 back are II conces
sion from those excessive demands,
permitting the capital TO return To its
former employment and activity. No
labor union In the world can compel
capital to pay for long higher wages
than it can stand, for II must quit at
that point, and when ii quits labor
quits also and can only begin again on
reasonable terms with the capital. At
the very worst the mistakes or wrongs
of labor demanding too much can be
only temporary. for the situation Is al
ways governed automatically hy the
natural laws of economies, and when
ever labor is thrown out of work be
cause capital viii not operate without
some share of return on the production
labor viii concede fair share In order
that II, along with capital. may go back
to work
But NJ the very best restraining the
tyranny Of the labor unions by having
two men ready and anxious TO do one
mans work would he permanently dis
astrous. We cannot receive millions
more of wase earuerS here than there
is work for without creating labor con
diuonS and labor standards such as
there are in Italy or in Russia or In |
China. No work for any considerable |
proportion of nations wage earning |
population means poor pay for those
W w iilN' NitllitN ilthtt lpI NNtTS ulun
who is out OF work will bid desperately
for the work of the man who is more
fortunate, bidding always at n lower
scale till he gets it, when in turn the
other must again bid still lower TO re-
tain or regain it. And no nation can
have the labor conditions and labor
standards of an Italy, Russia or a
fttts In h1l no
whole general publc-to the social. In
dustral and political depths Of an 1t
ally, Il Russia or Il China.
Any problems that we have within
our own borders. lodged there with
sufficient stability to enable us TO take
hold of thcm In coherent shape, we
can manage. We can manage the
Of our own But the lnbor OF the world
pouring over our boundaries In floods.
never ending and overwhelming. is a
problem shifting too quickly for ad.
justment. rising in new forms too
swiftly 10 be met. nundating irrcsisti-
bly, and destroying mercilessly from
without While we are attending TO
our labor voXations within, let us bar
out tie labor veNations of the worl
If we do not. our country teeming wi
the unemployed. we shall change our
trend frol the dazzling heights OF
Americanism to the lower levels and
the haser standards of an Italy. Il Rus
sla or Il China New York Press.
Wnue. of :. ooo c,,.