United labor bulletin., 1912-06-27
SOMETHING NEW ON CAPITAL AND LABOR

In his Ways of the World, >, running in the edi-
torial page of the San Francisco Bulletin John D.
Barry few days ago had novel and striking
article the old, old subject of Capital and Labor
Here's part of it:
Just now many hard things said about
Capital Some of them deserved On the other
hand, some of them require explanation We don
hear much in self-defense from Capital The reason
is that like so many human beings, Capital is proud.
1t stands disdainfully aoof. Lately it has seemed
little hurt In fairness something ought to be said
for it. After all, it hardly be blamed for trying
Ito keep itself alive The fe-nstinct is strong In
Capital. just it is in human nature Indeed, Cap
ital may be said to be human nature For the prop
erty that identify with Capital is merely the ex-
terna expression of human needs and human
achievements. From habits of regarding Capital
inhuman have very naturally fallen INTO the
way of forgetting ignoring its essential humanity
Capital has some beautiful qualities. 1t Is
often exceedingly generous Without it should
be fearfuy crippled. We should have to begin all
over again and accumulate more ccpltal- Ihnk
what task that would mean- what labor For, OF
course Capital is Labor, beautifully dressed SO
comfortably and beautifully housed, that we have
stopped calling it Labor 1t has even gone SO FAR
ms TO change its and to deny that 1t Is Labor,
to refuse even acknowledge any relationship with
Labor For this denial ought not to censure
Capital. 1t merely displays very common human
weakness We all know how uncomfortable rieh
people be made by their poor relatives now
they can be put to shame. And. IN defense OF zap
ital it should be borne in mind that Labor mas not
been appreciative of the relation either Often t
acts as if it did realize that 1t was the very lie
of Capital.
The truth is that the difference between Cap
ital and Labor is only difference In manners Some
people think that, the whole, the manners OF
CAPITAL are better. Others think that, III spite OF
outbreaks of extreme rudeness, the manners OF La
Dor are better. They say that Capital instead oil
being openly rude, be naughty ana coVeruy
malicious and cruel, murderous.
But there is one great virtue III Capital that
ought to be appreciated and held up before LABOR
as an example and an inspiration. Capital stands
by its own 1t has wonderful solidarity All over
the world the friends of Labor are elamorlng for
the rights OF Labor. They are giving expression to
nrofofnd human sympathy. And yet OF solidarity
they know nothing. Many don t seem TO value IL or
even to think of II. In spite OF their devotion TO
what they believe to be the cause OF justice they
find plenty of time to quarrel among themselves
Sometimes the causes are absurd to appear al
most unreal They are like those fantastic dlsputes
of the medieval philosophers about matters that
have existence only in the imagination 10 hear
some of the friends of Labor talk about one another
is one of the most disheartening experiences IN the
world 1t shows how much people will sacrifice,
even people with generous ASPIRATIONS tor the sake
of their own opinions.
ssDo we ever hear capitalists fighting one an
other for the sake of opinions Never lhey knew
better They know that there Is something vastly
moro important to them than their oplnlons-thelr
oower and all that their power brings them IN the
way of advantage over their poor bloodrelatlVe
And vet between Capital and Labor, there is
no comparison in natural advantage 1t Is all on
the side of Labor Its friends have everything Inc
world is theirs They need only reach out their
hands But when they do reach out their hands 1t
is to prapple with one another to wrestle to create
strife of the most distracting kind.