28 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
not so closely interwoven a'S to-day, and labor then, as compared to 
the present, could be more separate and independent. You can¬ 
not sunder the ties now binding them together, without the most 
fatal results to all branches of trade and commerce. Capital could 
endure the separation with little immediate danger, while labor 
must exchange its force for food and other necessities now and 
every day. I have ever believed, and the more I observe and in¬ 
vestigate the question the firmer are my convictions, that capital is 
arbitrary and oppressive to labor; that it is taking an unjust share 
of the profits of the partnership of these forces and factors of 
wealth, and that our laws discriminate in favor of capital, when the 
reverse should be true, as the weaker element needs support to 
give fair and honest competition. One of the first and highest 
duties of a government is, to protect all her citizens in their just 
rights, and, so far as possible, create contentment, and hence happi¬ 
ness, throughout her domain. This contentment and happiness — 
the strength of a republic — cannot be created while labor is poorly 
paid, eking out a bare subsistence, and while capital at the same 
time is making handsome profits from this labor, upon investments. 
Peace, contentment and quietude can never follow injustice. I 
wish here to repeat what I have said in substance in former vol¬ 
umes, that labor, after deducting a good living for those who per¬ 
form it, should have a large proportion of the surplus products as 
its share, as it assumes all the risks incident to the growth or pro¬ 
duction of articles of utility in all the varied channels of industry, 
while capital assumes few or no risks, being always well secured 
before it enters into partnership with labor. Interest on money is 
the underlying principle of this whole subject, and until interest 
shall be reduced so as to bear a just comparison with the profits of 
legitimate, productive industry, capital will continue to increase in 
the hands of the few to the detriment of the many. The remedy 
is with the people, in the enactment of wise and wholesome laws, 
such as shall be just towards labor and just towards capital, and in 
industry and economy in every industrial department. These w'ould 
bring contentment and happiness to the people, and strength and 
permanency to the government. 
An epoch in the history of this Republic has come and gone, and 
we now step upon the platform of the second century. The histo- 
