Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1880 — Employers and Employed. [ARTICLE]

Employers and Employed.

In that Dot very clearly defined period of the world'■ history referred to by oldish people ss the good old times, masters and workmen, such was their simplicity, believed that their interests were identical. Oat of this apprehension of their relations came the result that instead of being enemies they were friends. The masters held their workmen personally in esteem and were in the habit of promoting their oersonal comfort. The workmen, on their part, esteemed and respected their masters and frit in honor bound to work well and faithfully. In some cases self interest may have exercised s considerable influence in maintaining these amicable relations, esch party to the contract feeling that his own aids were best served by a system that assured good work and well-cared-for workmen. Whether this feature of the matter was or w, s not kept in view, the result was the same. The workmen did try to do good work and the masters did try to make them oomfortable. It is a commonly accepted belief that this wholesome condition of affairs has passed sway; that befere “the breathless march of s civilization driven by steam" the good old kindly custom* have been swept aside dr trodden down. Speaking generally, this belief is well founded. Machinery having come to be everywhere, men themselves nave come to be machines. Workmen are regarded by masters as machines necessary to the manufacture of raw material; masters are regarded by workmen ss machines necessary to the manufacture es wages—and on each side there is a disposition to take every advantage, fkir or unfair, of the other. Bat while this is the rule, there are to be found here and there exceptions to it Which not only prove that it exists, but strovef trove also that a little of the old-time kindiness between masters and men still survives. Machinery has not wholly expelled humanity from the world, and there are still to be found men who have a further interest in their hired laborers beyond that involved in wringing ont from them the worth of their hire; who try to make the work light by providing the most perfect tools for its accomplishment as well as by providing the many small conveniences, trifles in themselves, but far from trifles in the aggregate, by which the hardship of laboi is taken away; who do not ask for more finished work than the workmen can give, and who, above all, exhibit toward their workmen a positive personal good will. Masters of this sort have a right to be and usually are exacting in their demands; but the demands unifoimly are just. They naturally feel that a faithful discharge of their part of the contract deserves equal faithfulness on the men with whom the contract is made. And if the men possess any real manliness they do live up faithfully to the mutual agreement. Indeed, it must be a very poor specimen of a man who, under such conditions, would not try his best to do his best work all the time. The consciousness that good work will be appreciated at its full value is always a strong incentive to honest endeavor, but when there exists'the further incentive of the desire to make a just return for just wages, to show by promptness and willingness that the many friendly concessions are not taken ss matters of course, but are properly valued, deliberately bad work becomes impossible. Leaving any warmer feelings out of the question, mere abstract justice would declare wilful carelessness or neglect, under these circumstances, to be a crime.

It is comforting to know that between some masters ana men such pleasant relations ss these actually.do exist; it would be more comforting were they not the exception but the rule. It is certain that when friendly feeling exists between capital and labor both profit by it; better work is done, more money is made and each earns a larger reward. This is the mere utilitarian view of the case, but it is a view that should not be neglected. From a higher standpoint a still more desirable result may be perceived. When employers and employed are upon such terms as these, both lead better, truer, manlier lives. The best Bide of the moral character of each constantly is being simulated, the beat feelings of each constantly are being aroused and called into action. Short qf the millennium perfect happiness is not attainable, but a very fair substitute for perfect happiness is found in the mutually helpful, honorable lives which masters and men, when thus disposed toward each other, can lead.