The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-05-27
The PRESENT and FUTURE
OF CAPITAL AND LABOR
An Interesting Discussion Of The Present Status
0fCaptaI And Labor, And The Possibilities
Latent In Their Relation To The Social State
Of Future Civic And Economic Progress.


teIlectually. socially and financially,
we realize this to be more the re-
suit of circumstances than of human
design on the part of either the
employer or employee. We see
our improved condition, and that of
all men, to be the result of the great
increase of intelligence, invention,
etc., of the past fifty years in par
ticular. These came up so rapidly
that labor as well as capital got a
lift from the tidal wave. and was
carried to higher level; and if we
could see prospect that the flood
tide would continue to rise, and to
benefit all, we would feel satisfied;
but we are anxious and restless now
because we see this is not the case.
We see that the flood tide is beginning
to turn, and that where as many have
been lifted high in wealth by it, and
are firmly and securely fixed upon the
shore of ease, luxury and opulence yet
the masses are not thus settled
and secured, but are in danger of
being carried as low as ever, or
lower, by the undercurrent of the
now ebbing tide. Hence, it is that
we are disposed to grasp hold of
something to insure our present
state and our further advancement
before it is too late.
To state this matter in other
words, we see that while all man.
kind has largely shared the blessings
Of the day. yet those who by the
reason of greater talent for business.
or by inheritance, or by fraud and
dishonesty, have become possessors
of tens of thousands and millions of
dollars, have not only this advan-
tage over all others, but, aided by
the mechanical inventions, ETC., they
are in a position to continue the
ratio of their increase in wealth in
proportion to the decrease in the
salaries of the laboring man. We
see that unless some step is taken
toward the protection of the wage
worker against the increasing power
of monopoly, combined with labor
saving machinery. etc.. this exorable
law of supply and demand will
swallow us up completely. 1t is
against this impending disaster,
rather than against present condi-
tions, that is causing organization
of labor in order to seek protective
arrangements. Each day adds large
ly to our numbers by natural in
crease and by immigration; and each
day adds to the labor saving machin-
cry. Each day, therefore, increases
the number seeking employment
and decreases the demand for their
services. The natural law of supply
and demand, therefore, if permitted
to go on uninteruptedly, will soon
bring labor back where it was fifty
years ago, and leave all the advan-
tages of our day in the hands of
capital.
This ultimate tendency of many
real blessings to work injury, unless
restrained by wise and equitable
laws, was long since seen; but the
rapidity with which one invention
has followed another, and the con-
sequent increased demand for labor
in providing this labor saving ma
chinery, has been SO great that the ul-
innate result has been delayed, and
instead, the world has a BOOM
an infliction of values, wages,
wealth. credits and ideas from
which the reaction, is now COM
mencing gradually to take place.