Show THE ONLY SOLUTION THE solution of the labor and capital question tion like that of almost every other social subject depends solely upon the moral status of df humanity it cannot be brought about by any other process than a general reaching after justice on the principle of reciprocity it cannot be done by legal enactments because when men will to climb over or crawl statutory enactments they can find methods by which chef can do so BO justice is twofold two fold it is every man mans Is duty ta to accord it to others it is the right of each to receive it until the disposition to apt act upon this high moral standpoint predominates society will always be torn and distracted by disturbing contentions col ingersoll in an article entitled the three philanthropists which will appear in the north american review for december presents the following parable of capital and labor 01 mr C used to think about this law of supply and demand as applicable to individual he found that men would work for exceedingly small wages when pressed for the necessaries of life that under some circumstances they would give their labor for half ot of what it was worth to to the employer because they were in a position where they must do something for sule or child he concluded that he had vi right to take advantage of the feces of others and ahat he be should in the fost place honestly find what the work cas worth to him and then give to the ban who did the work that amount aher manufacturers regarded mr 0 as substantially insane while most of his workmen looked upon him as an exceedingly good natured man without any particular genius for business mr C however cared little about the opinions of others sp long as an he maintained his respect for himself at the end of the first year he be found that he had made a large profit and thereupon he divided this profit with the people who had earned it some of his friends said to him that he be ought to endow some public institution that there should be a college in his native town but mr C was of such it a peculiar turn of mind that he thought justice ought to go before charity and a little in front of of egotism and a desire to immortalize ones self he said that it seemed to him all persons in the world entitled to this profit were the men who had earned it the men who had bad made it by their labor by days of actual toil he insisted that as they had made it it was really theirs and if it was theirs they should have I 1 it t and should spend it in their own way mr C was told that he would make the workmen in other factories dissatisfied that the other manufacturers would become his enemies and that his co course roe would acanda scandalize lize some of the greatest greatest men who had done so much for the civilization of the world and for the spread of intelligence mr 0 became extremely unpopular with men of talent with those who had a genius for business he however pursued his way and carried on his business with the idea that the men who did the work were entitled to a fair share of the pr profits olits that after all money was not as sacred as men and that the law of supply and demand anh as understood did not apply to flesh and blood the course described as having been pursued by C is so rare as to be almost ideal the fact of its if attracting general odium I 1 in n place of approval the illustration being in accord with facts as they exist shows how far the problem in i from solution the workmen were satisfied because of the superiority of their situation to that of employed emp loyes in general and that barthey reciprocated by appreciating the good mans methods As an there is ILA no present prospect of the system becom ing universal this side bide of a revolution in the moral condition of mankind there to la no need to speculate as to whether emp employee loyes would be satisfied in the absence of proof of their position being in advance of that of others it is probable however that they would because the tremendous stride made in the direction of justice by capitalists would mean a corresponding development of every other class of the people |