Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-10-10


II collectively, they might apply for
charter, invest their profits, as the,
annually accrue, In good securities, and
W hen their capital thus acquired
and augmented becomes sufficient
they might bet up an industrial estab
lishm ent of their own. They NIGH
dec ide, however, that the sum tota
OF labor's share of the profits should
be dlvi ded per capita equally among
the individual Is. or they might dis
tribute 1t according to the needs Of each
without regard to the quantity or the
quality of the work done by HIM. This
would be in accord " it'll the principles
OF eommunism-fa falsely called socialism
such as Louis Blanc taught In France,
and such as the SOC allied socialists OF
America are now advocating. But our
union men would probably prefer that
the pi offs assigned to labor should be
distributed among the workmen &C
cording to the amount Of wage-money
each had earned; and they would refuse
to admit any non-nnlon man into the
distribution. The consequence would
be that the 'scab" would join the
union.
Wealth once acquired, mankind, in.
dividually or collectively, can do with
1t as they like" But they cannot do as
they like with the conseq uences OF
their volitions. The result OF the
proft-sharing system will be that no
labor can be employed, In manuiact ur-
ing or mining, except union labor.
Capital, proverbially timid and sus-
picious, even when no injury is In
tended or likely to happen. may stand
aghast at this prospect; but there is
really no ground for alarm. The Ameri-
can working man is generally too sensi-
BILE a fellow to join In the rabid cry,
" We demand the complete surrender
Of the capitallstlc class" Heis deter
mined. however, that capital shall not
insist upon the unconditional surrender
Of the laboring class.
The evil results Of a complete subor-
dination Of labor to capital were acutely |
appreciated by John Stuart Mill: wit.
ness the passage with which Chap.
XIII Of Book ii Of his Principles OF
Political Economy opens. 1t should
70 promised that the sixty years which
lave elapsed since the first edition OF
ais work appeared have brought great
hanges In the condition and the pros
'ects OF the laboring classes in Great
|rltain and elsewhere. Having dis
used, In Chap. XII OF Book II, va
ious popular remedies for low wages,
'hlch had been tried and found OBJ
'ctionable. Mill begins Chap. XIII by
uestioning
"By what means. then, is poverty to
3 contended againstY How is the evil
low wages to be remedied {? II the
Ipedients usually recommended for
lie purpose are not adapted to it, can
, others DO thought Off Is the prob
IN incapable Of solutionf Can polit.
al economy do nothing, but only OBJ
CT to everything, and demonstrate =
lat nothing can be doneH
" III this were so, political economy
10 n mi httf h.x |
and a thankles 50 task. II =
o bulk OF the human race are always
remain as at present, slaves to toll In
hich they have no interest and there
re feel no interest-drudging from
rly morning until late at night for
re necessaIies. and with all the intel.
,tual and moral deficiencies which
at implles-wlthout resources either
mind or feeiDgs-untau ght, for they A
mot be better taught than fed self
!, because all their thoughts are re-
lred for themselves; without inter
g or sentiments as citizens and mem D,
RS Of society; and with sense OF IN
Justice ranking in their minds, equally te
what they cave not, and fol what
leIs have; | know not what there is w;
ich should make person with any of,
)acity OF reason concern himself ba
put the destinies OF the human race. ~,
ere would DO no wisdom for any one on
in extracting from life, with Ell. th
can Indifference, as much personal -
isfaction, to himself and those with mn
ON he synpathizes, as 1t can be rio
dc to yield, and letting the unmean- scl
! hustle OF so-called civilized exist t,,i
70 roll by UNDECIDED. But there IL
ground for such a view OF human a.,
Iirs." mo
he world has certainly moved since tn,
1 wrote this passage. This is the WI
/ thought suggested by reading 1t. az, al
second thought is, that IL Min did !
despair In his day, there is still less Of
SO for dependency now, when fifty per
oriLg men are members OF the Brit "
parliament and one OF them is q Bo,
met minister; and when the Ameri-
Federation Of Labor is likely soon I
ecome a controlling factor In Ameri-
politics.
he day Of labor's triumph will be FL
;ened II labor leaders will stop de-
lding that the laws shall be admin
red solely with reference to the sup.
I'd interests OF one class Of pro- II
,rs. An analysis OF the results OF B
Congressional elections In Maine tive
rs that the public sympathy with 70
,ers does not go so far that 1t will R tno
tenance any defiance OF lie gal nity
ority or sustain demand that the Tn,
to shall be shorn Of their power. F.,
1t will be compa ratively an easy :.
8 for working men to put the gov ne ~
lent In the hands Of a party that era
establish a system Of industrial form
t-sharing for In this way they will "a
the active sympathy end support n ION,
men In whom the sense Of justice
lot been blunted by long career !.
fish greed or by intense or preju- Oct