Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1912-10-03
IN DEFENSE OF CAPITAL.
BY IOhn D. Barry.

about capital. Some of them are de-
served. On the other hand, some OF
them require explanation. We don't
hear much in selfdefense from capi'
tai. The reason is that like so many
human beings, capital is proud. II
stands disdainfully aloof. Lately, il
has seemed little hurt. In fairness
something ought to be said for it At
ter all, it can hardly be blamed for
trying to keep itself alive. Indeed,
capital may be said to be human ma
ture For the property that we iden-
tify with capital is merely the extern
al expression of human needs and hu-
man achievements. From our habits
of regarding capital as inhuman we
have very naturally fallen into the
way of forgetting or ignoring its es-
sential humanity,
Capital has some beautiful qualities.
1t is often exceedingly generous. With
out it we should have to begin all over
again and accumulate more capital.
Think what task that would mean,
what labor For, of course, CAPITAL
is labor. so beautifully dressed, so
comfortably and beautifully housed,
that We have stopped calling it labor.
1t has even gone so far as to change
its name and to deny that it is labor,
to refuse even to acknowledge any re-
lationship with labor For this denial
we ought not to censure capital 1t
merely displays very common human
weakness. We all know how uncom-
Portable rich people can be mace by
their poor relatives, how they can be
put to shame And in defense of cap
ital, it should be borne in mind that
labor has not been appreciative of the
relation either. Often it acts as if it
did not realize that it was the very
life of capital.
The truth is that the difference be-
tween capital and labor is only diff
fel ence in manners Some people
think that, on the whole, the manners
of capital ale better. Others think
that, in spite of outbreaks of extreme
rudeness, the manners of labor are bet
ter. They say that capital, instead of
being openly rude, can be naughty and
covertly malicious and cruel, even
derous.
But there is one great virtue in cap
ital 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
clamoring for the rights of labor.
They are giving expression to pro-
found human sympathy. And yet of
solidarity they know nothing. Many
don't seem to value it or even to think
of it. 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 so absurd as to appear
almost unreal. They are like those
fantastic disputes of the medieval
philosophers about matters that have
existence only in the imagination.
To hear some of the friends of labor
talk about another is one of the most
disheartening experiences in the
world, 1t shows how much people will
sacl ifice, even people with generous
aspirations, for the sake of their own
opinions.
Do we ever hear capitalists fighting
one another for the sake of opinionsl
Never They know better.
know that there is something
more important to them than
opinions-thei power and all
their power brings them in the
of advantage over their poor bloo
ative, labor.
And yet, between capital and i
there is no comparison in natural
vantage. 1t is all on the side of lal
It's friends have everything.
world is theirs. They need only re
out their hands. But when they
reach out their hands it is to crap
with one another, to wrestle, to cree
strife of the most disgracing kind!l
San Francisco Bulletin.