The labor world., 1906-09-01
LABOR AND CAPITAL
WILL COME TOGETHER
Improvement of Relations 50
Pronounced as to Attract
General Notice.
Men at Head of Great Labor
Movement Take Broad
View of Economics.


View of Economics.
From the Baltimore Sun:
The improvement of late in the re-
lations between labor and capital has
been 80 pronounced as to attract the
attention of impartial observers Of
social and economic evolution in
the United States. OF course,
this republic has not yet at
attained ideal conditions. 1t Is not
yet the Utopia in which the only law
will be the Golden Rule. But by ap-
plying the rule of common sense and
by holding steadfastly to the princi'
pie that labor and capital owe a Ger.
tain responsibility to the pub1is, which
neither ought to shrink nor disregard
through any act subversive Of the
rights of all citizens, the United
States is gradually approaching a
sane solution of the greatest problem
of the twentieth century.
This improvement in the. relations
between the men who work and pro.
duce and the men who supply the
capital with which this labor Is util-;
lied for production profitable to both.
is due, principally to the ..developmenF
of high order of intelligence on the
part of labor leaders. The men who
are at the head of the organized hosts
Of labor today are able to- take
broad view of economic conditions.
They have the capacity, to compre
hend> the snoment tons consequences
involved in general disturbance OF
the industrial situation. They are
mot less. efficient, Or earnest because
t3with larger; knowledge ana: greater
responsibilities s.4they:>ehaxe-- become:
| more conservative. They do not &C
conplish less as leaders because the
weight OF their authority and expert
ence makes them hesitate tozresort to
extreme measures, Labor leaders like
John Mitchell. the president of ,, the
United Mine Workers, and Samuel
Gompers, the president of the Ameri.
can Federation OF Labor cannot fail
! to understand that the workingmen
| and the capitalist whose money and
labor are interested In productive en-:
/ terprise have more to- gain by dwell,
| ing together In harmony than by fly
ingzat each Other. The motive Of self.
interest ought normally to be- sufd-
cfent to- make them act: in concert,
each respecting the rights of the
other, each eonceding to the other all
that conditions warrant all that en-
IHghtened policy demands President
Mitchell and President sGompers have
given evidence that they are In touch,
With the spirit OFFS the age that they
lIea1izea that thes atcnworks OF Il the:
fuentietl 80 sfAr - labor ana
Icapitsi Il bernsli5 szfesa c6tnlllia.
tionn and codnpr g
{ Nowadays little Is = heard, com.
parati9e1y,s Of the once potent shfb-
bo1eths, hoycotts,: strikes and loekouts.
| OF course, no: one but the :optimist:
| will be SO rash as to assert that there
fl0ckouts. It sometimes requires gen.
feratlons to get rid of fixed. econ:
omic and industrial IDEAS But what
/ isa apparent to all who give careful
consideration to the subject is. that
Ethe5 tendency to- resort to the strike
f:or the lockout or to violence is stead
FLY decreasing. The intelligent and
progressive labor lader understands
that there is q third element in the
situation which practically holds the
balance in any controversy between:
labor and capital. This element is the
public, whose demand for Just, treat
ment must be needed by both capital
and labor. President Gompers and
President Mitchell know that the pub.
E11c will not allow itself to be- wan.
tonly sacrificed and injured. to pro
mote the interests of either labor or
capital. It is creditable to the ear.
nest and broad-minded men at the
head of the labor organizations that
they have an intelligent comprehen-
sion OF this phase of the situation. 1t
capital has not an eQuany thorough
! understanding of the temper of the
American people. it is regrettable.
The spirit OF the American public in
the twentieth century is justice for
all and favors to none. Wise is the
labor leader and wise is the capitalist
who in their relations with each other
and with the public act upon this prin.
c1ple. Labor has cause for profound
satisfaction that In Mitchell and Com
pers and others who might be named
1t has sagacious counselors and lead
! ers who, without sacrifice of convic.
tion, stand for conservatism and sense
In the relations between organized
Workingmen and their employers.
| 1t is to be hoped that this gratifying
movement toward pacific and sane ad
justment Of controversies between
labor and capital will not be arrested
When the influence of President Nit
chell was exerted recently to prevent
a strike in the anthracite regions of
Pennsylvania, his course was ap.
plauded by the public. There were
practical reasons why the miners
should not strike-the principal ones
being that they would have entered
upon the struggle under the greatest
disadvantage. Mr.. Mitchell had judg.
ment enough to grasp the salient facts
In the situation. Years ago the case
might have been different A leader
not equipped or balanced as Mr.. Nit
chell might have plunged the miners
into an Industrial warfare in which
they we're bound to be crushed. La
Dor is blessed, indeed, that it is bet
| ter led now than heretofore: that it's