The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-15
VIEWS OF A SCIENTIST.
He Discusses the Relations of Capital
 and Labor.

anu 4aOOT.
 Boston. Mass. May H.-The general meetings of 1908 of the American Social Science Association began here today. The principal speakers were George H. Anderson and Lewis D. Brandies. leading members of the Suffolk County. Massa- chusetts, bar, and Prof. Eugene Wam- baugh of the Harvard law school.'f
 Mir. Anderson spoke on Some Respon- abilities of Capitalistic Organization. l" He said in part:
 Tn considering some of the responsi- bilities of capitalistic organization 1t is not to be overlooked that the career of the labor organizations has not been marked by any such love of wisdom, jus tice and fair dealing as to evoke our moral enthusiasm. Nor have the labor organizations any moral standing to de- nounce trusts, for their movement is as distinctly a combination or trust as is the capitalistic movement. The two movements are like in motive and object.
 "In the contest as it is now carried on between these two opposing forces. 1t Is obvious that there are at least two main desiderata.
 First. that the parties to the contest should become so nearly equal in real and apparent power that each may come to respect the other. to the end that an equilibrium approximating justice may re- suit. The organization of labor Is an ab- solute condition precedent under present conditions to any sound social and indus trial progress. To oppose that organiza- tion, to attempt to prevent 1t by legisla- ton, or to denounce 1t in terms recently used at the Manufacturers' Association at New Orleans. is both futile and foolish.
 ''rhe second desideratum is that there should be an increased respect for law and for justice on the part of both the laborer and the capitalist. The final ap- peal must be to justice.
 "In weighing the power of the two con tending forces nothing is more foolish and misleading than comparison of wages with interest and dividend rates for the purpose of determining the share received by capital, and the share re- ceived by labor in the joint production of both.'
 He declared that 1t did not follow that the remedy is to be found In such legis- lation as the Sherman act. It was law far more likely to be abused than used.
 President Eliot summarized the ques- ton of the incorporation of trade unions in the statement that if they wanted It. there seemed to be no objection and if they did, not want 1t, there was no Ob- jection. There was, however, an oD1ec- ton to the imposition of a money penalty and this whole talk of incorporating trade unions was fairly attributable to desire to get at them and to impose a fine or collect damages.
 Tt must be noted" said MT. Eliot that the activities of trade unions involve only moral. not legal responsibilities. The po- sitions of the unions Is virtually that of 9o m OO0 men who systema tically permit moral and physical violence in tho at- tainment of their ends in the limitation of output than which there is no more corrupting or degrading influence. Un- skilled Iaborers cannot gain their aims in a labor struggle without permitting vio- lence but this is moral question and not one of damages. To attempt to get at them yindictively by inducing or com polling incorporation and making them financially liable Is not all the way tG settle the problem"