The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-09-08
LABOR AND CAPITAL.

on laDOr, we WOulu duu u WOIu vi
warning against a natural tendency
when mems minds and hearts have
been fixed upon the accomplishment
Of one definite purposes tendency
to consider themselves set apart from
the rest of the world. a tendency to
consider that their circumscribed
community Of interest extends to ev-
cry question that may affect the
members of the organization in any
way.
A Labor union does not set dts
members apart from the rest of the
world more than a grocers' associa-
ton sets them apart; a medical so
ciety or a bar association sets its
members apart from the rest of the
world.
SO far as their craft or trade or
profession or business IS concerned
and outsiders are not affected TO
|their hurs or benefit. there Is an es.
elusive community OF Interest among
the members of that particular or
ganization. But as human beings,
creatures of the same God, and citi-
zens of this common country. the
members of trades union, a bar as
ISOLATION or a medical society stand
on an equal footing with every Other
man. The, governmental policies
they should advocate are the policies
that apply to all men alike and that
benefit the whole country. We can
not get away from the fact that we
are all members of a common coun-
try, heirs of a common heritage, chill
dren Of the same heroic ancestors.
There are laws that apply to the con-
dition of laboring men. regulating
hours. child labor. safety appliances,
and responsibility for injuries, that
most directly affect the man who
works with his hands. but which in
the end benefit al men and afford
opportunity for the advancement of
the race. These and others of siDui-
lar import are laws that benefit all
the people. The justice OF them is
easily understood, and popular sup
port is merely matter of publicity.
But this matter of common benefit
must be the criterion for all laws.
There will be demagogues. who viii
say, Eve have an organized political
power here il we just use It. Let us
secure laws that will give us an I'M
due advantage; that will differentiate
us from all other men I'm the cCun-
try" Then will commence am era
of class struggle, the success of the
class in which, will hamstring the
industrial progress of the country
and in the end crush the man first af-
fected by prosperity or the reverse
the man who produces the wealth
with his hands. No man can assume
that the condition of the rest of the
country will continue just the same.
while he secures some exclusive per-
sonal advantage.
It is still true that Labor is prior
to and independent of capital. Capital
Is only the fruit OF labor, and coulo
not have existed IL labor had not first
tAlcltus 10 tnC buPNArSA
capital and deserves higher considera-
ton.
abraham Lincoln said that, and he
did not steal 1t from William Jen-.
nings Bryan.)
But In the complexities of our so
c.al organization, IT must not be TAX
en- too literally. Remember the free
soup house under the Cleveland ad-
ministration. There was a case in
point-capital was prostrated; but
labor had a hard time living in the
cities. The truth is capital and labor
are interdependent nowadays. We
are not living the simple life of orig
inal man, and experience has taught
us that laws which benefit capital
also benefit labor, and laws which
really benefit labor, benefit capital
Sometimes the laborer thinks the
structures of the courts too severe;
sometimes the capitalist thinks the
laws for the amelioration of the con-
ditlon of his employees too drastic,
but in the end both must realize
when they come to adjust themselves
to the situation, that everything was
for the greatest good TO the greatest