The sun., 1919-11-05

OF capital CApltal Is only tne Irult
OF labor, and could never have ex-
listed II labor had not first existed.
Labor Is the superior OF capital and
deserves much the higher considera-
tion. Capital has it's rights, which
are as worthy of protection as any
other rights. Nor Is 1t denied that
there IL. and probably always will
be. a relation between capital and
labor producing mutual berchts.'
again, as has already been said,
there Is not, Of necessity, any such
thing as the free hired laborer being
fixed to that condition 20. life. Many
independent men everywhere In these
States. a few years back IN their
lives, were hired laborers
This is the just and generous and
prosperous system which opens the
way to all-gives hope to oil. end
|, consequent energy and progress and
improvement of condition to all"
Mr.. LINcoLN's thesis is apparent at
glance. He was presenting the fun
damental truths Of our economic and
social system. Neither In the remarks
quoted above nor In anything that
follows Is there a word warranting
the twist which Mr.. GoMPERs mas
slyly attempted to give to the utter
ance, namely, that when the great
American, the great human and hui
name philosopher, spoke of the su-
periority Of "labor" to capital, the
labor he meant was organized labor
undertaking to dictate to the rest of
the community.
Having quoted from his own re-
marks primarily suggested by the is
sue between slave labor and free labor
at the beginning of the civil war. Mr..
LINCOLN, speaking from the point Of
view Of 1854 when slave labor had
been emancipated by his memorable
act, continued his sound advice to the
workingmen who had gone to tho
White House to honor him:
| ''The strongest bond of human
sympathy. outside Of the family re-
| lation, should be one uniting all
working people, Of all nations and
| tongues and kindreds. Nor should
this lead to a war on property. or
the owners Of property. Property is
the fruit Of labor property is desir-
able; is a positive good in the world.
That some should be rich shows that
others may become rich, and hence
is just encouragement to industry
and enterprise. Let not him who Is
houseless pull down the house OF an
other. but let him work diligently and
build one for himself. thus by exam
pie assuring that his own shall be
safe from violence when built"
We can conceive Of no better advice
to the individual laborer than tina
which In contained in these conclud
ing words of ABRAHAM LINcoLN's ad
dress to the New York workingmer
more than half a century ago. Ther'
is nothing in his philosophy Of labo
that can give comfort to the Foster
or the Gomperses in any effort eithel
to overthrow government and substi
tute mob rule In this country, or t
erect within our government a super
government controlled by themselves
In the case of Mr.. GoMPERs's adroi
perversion of LINCoLN's utterances
as in all similar cases, the trick is t.
identify labor in the broad economi
sense with labor" in the marrow
Gompersian sense. 1t will not worl
with intelligent Americans. The,
must know what ABRAHAM LINcoL,
would have done to the preachers o
revolution and anarchy of the sor
advocated In Fosters red pamphlet
They can imagine what would hav
been his attitude and course towar,
GoMPERs or any leader of organize
labor encouraging, actively or pas
sively. defiance of the law and resist
,, ance of the orders OF the courts.
We observe with satisfaction tn
evidence that even within the rank
of organized labor the sound view o
its responsibilities and real interest
the Lincolnian view, not the Con
persian view-is gaining strength an
courage. Utterances like that whic
we copy In another column from tn
Railroad Employee Of Newark Civ
reason for hope. AS the Railroad En-
plopee expresses it, ut is high tim
that the reputable and responsible eli
ment within the ranks Of organiza
tions Of labor denounce the prevailln
spirit of brigandage in no uncertai
terms" The definite advocacy Of tn
= establishment of basis Of legal n
: sponslbllity on the part Of the en-
, ployed, enabling contracts to be mad
, which shall not be on one side mer
8 scraps Of paper, is notable and ell
couaging manifestation Of America
q fairness and common sense.