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For my own part I do think that the principle of unionism,
so far as relates to the regulation of wages, is fondamentall7
and entirely wrong, but I see no reason why I should therefore
be supposed to have less sympathy with working-men. I
believe that they are striving earnestly and honourably to raise
their own condition, but that they take tho wrong way to do it..
From wrong they must ultimately come to right, and I have
no doubt that they will achieve more than they look for. But
this right road will not be in struggling vainly against capital,
but in making capital their ally. If the masters do not take
tho initiative and adopt the partnership principle, the present
ovil state of affairs must be much prolonged; but I do not
doubt that tho hard, sharp line which nom exists between
capital and labour mill ultimately vanish. Partnerships of
industry aro, 110 doubt, an innovation, having hitherto existed
only in exceptional trades and rare experiments ; but T assert
confidently that they are an iuuoratiun of which the atility is
cvidcnt anti tlto mcessity urgent. They are required, not by
tho restless desire of change, but as the natural sequel of great
rcvolutions in our socinl condition. Our great factories and
our great army of artizans have sprung up within one hundred
years, and it is quite to be expected that so vast an innovation
should lead to other innovations. Tho lives of ourselves and
our fsthcrs and our grandfat,hers have been passed in the midst
of peaceful revolutions, such 88 society has not known before;
nnd it is most legitimate and proper that the artizan should
seek to work yet another revolution-in his own moral and
material condition. Already the artizan is less below his
wealthy employer than he is above the poor dependent labourer
of former days; and I do believe that we only need to throw
aside some old but groundless prejudices, in order to heal the
discords of capital and labour, and to efface in some degree the
line which nom divides employer and employed,