The Relations of Labor and Capital. 57 



It is a liopeful sign that tlie minds of pliilosopliers and plii- 

 lantliropists and practical working men and capitalists are Just 

 now intently engaged upon this problem. The surest way to 

 reach the true solution of the problem is to enlighten the people 

 generally respecting the elementary principles involved. By 

 these both rights and interests are to be defined, and when they 

 are distinctly apprehended, both parties will be drawn by nat- 

 ural affinity into harmonious union. 



We may deduce from the principles, already stated, three 

 leading circumstances which favor the most profitable union 

 of labor and capital. 



1. First to he named is the general distribution of capital. I 

 mean such a condition of things that the capital of a country 

 shall be in many hands rather than few — that laborers them- 

 selves shall have some capital. Whatever in the social organ- 

 ization creates or sustains privileged classes is opposed to this 

 and needs to be removed. Whatever in legislation or usage 

 by the easy allowance of public opinion tends to create or 

 maintain monopolies, is opposed to this and needs to be espe- 

 cially guarded against. If no hindrances are in the way on 

 the one side and no special protection accorded on the other, 

 the natural working of things on the principles of self-interest 

 will secure a pretty general distribution of capital. The end 

 will be promoted by all measures which encourage saving on 

 the part especially of laborers. Savings banks, such as New 

 England has had and profited by for a century, or perhaps 

 better yet a government savings bank through a modification 

 of the postal order system, on the plan now in use in England, 

 will be of great service in this matter. In large manufactur- 

 ing establishments the stock may be divided into small shares 

 and brought within the reach of the employes so as to induce 

 them by their savings to become owners in part of the capital 

 and so entitled to dividends from the profits in addition to 

 their wages. Such measures elevate labor and give it inde- 



