Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-11-30
THE MONEY POWER
AND THE LABOR COMBINES

Ed. Journal: The trial of the Nc
Namara brothers, now progressing in
Los Angeles, California, brings to the
forefront again the great issue be-
tween capital and labor. This pend
ing case will doubtless be considered
a cause celebre affecting as It does a
remarkable array Of persons and in
cidents, 1t will require an estimated
expense Of more than one million
dollars, besides hundreds of witnesses
trom many states, IL is thought that
the trial will cover a period of six
months or more The end of il will
be but another chapter in the great
conflict between capital and labor.
1t is far from our purpose to express
an opinion as to the guilt or limo
cence of the defendants in this case.
Our purpose is To point out what the
Bible plainly teaches will be the in
eyitable outcome OF the principles in
yolved. Inspiration gives a remarka-
bic outline of the issue between the
rich and the poor, capital and labor.
The Apostle James writes the follow
ing on the subject:
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and
how for your miseries that shall
come upon you. Your riches are cor
rupted, and your garments are moth
eaten. Your gold and silver is can
kered and the rust of them shall be
"a witness against you, and shall eat
your flesh as it were fire. Ye have
heaped treasure together for the last
days. Behold the hire of the labor
ers who have reaped down your
fields, which is of you kept back by
fraud, crieth: and the cries of them
which have reaped are entered into
the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth."
In the light of the past record of
concentrated wealth, 1t must be ad-
mitted that the present intense stage
of the controversy between. capital
and labor is nearing the greatest cri-
sis of American history. The great
Lincoln described existing and ap-
preaching conditions with an accur-
acy almost inspired when he said at
the close of the Civil War:
Il see in the near future a crisis
approaching that unnerves me. and
causes me to tremble for the safety
of my country AS result of the
war, corporations have been en-
throned, and an era of corruption in
high places will follow, and the
money power of the country will en-
deavor to prolong its reign by work.
ing upon the prejudlces of the people
until the wealth is concentrated In
the hands of few, and this repub-
lie is destroyed. | feel at this mo-
ment more anxiety for the safety of
my country than ever before, even in
the midst of the war
In addition to what inspiration fur
nishes on this question, we have the
history of the past, by which we may
discern the future for, as Patrick
Henry said, I'VE have no sufficient
means of judging the future but by
the past" History records the fact
that two per cent of Egypt's popula-
tion owned nearly her entire wealth
when she became a vassal power.
Persia went down with one per cent
of its population owning all the land.
Two per cent of the population of
Babylon owned all the wealth at the
time Nebuchadnezzar was king. Dur
ing the reign of the Caesars, Rome
reached its pinnacle OF wealth and
power. But it went down because of
corruption, largely brought about by
unwise uses of its wealth
Fifty men in these United States" ~"
said Senator Depew, have 1t in their
power, by reason of the wealth which
they control, to come together within
"a hours and arrive at an understand
Ing by which every wheel of trade
and commerce may be stopped from
revolving, every avenue of trade
blocked, and every electric key struck
dumb. Those 80 men can paralyze
the whole country, for they can CON
troll its currency and create a panic
whenever they will"
On the other hand, 1t must be re-
membered that labor in its attempt
to defend its interests has to a great
degree justified the impression now
eXtant that, as mOnopolistic force,
1t is treating capital with spirit of
revenge and intolerance, also that the
labor combines seriously affect those
toilers who may not be in the same,
thus bringing in disorder and putting
to naught property as well as indi-
vidual rights. Former President
Rooseyelt's words on this point are
noteworthy:
ours is a government Of liberty.
by, through, and under the law.
Lawlessness and connivance at law
reaking-whether the law-breaking
take the form of a crime of greed and
cunning or of crime of violence
are destructive, not only Of order but
of the true liberties which can only
come through order. If alive TO their
true interests, rich and poor alike
will set their faces like flint against
the spirit which seeks personal ad-
vantage by overriding the laws, with
out regard to whether this spirit
shows itself in the form Of bodily Wo-
lence by one set of men or in the
form Of yulpine cunning by another
set Of men"
Instead of labor resorting to vlo-
lent means to obtain justice, the Lord
counsels, BE ye also patient; stab