You have questioned me about strikes. This question is and will be for a
long time the subject of great difficulties. Strikes are due to two
causes. One is the extreme sharpness and rapacity of the capitalists and
manufacturers; the other, the excesses, the avidity and ill-will of the
workmen and artisans. It is therefore necessary to remedy these two
causes.
But the principal cause of these difficulties lies in the laws of the
present civilization; for they lead to a small number of individuals
accumulating incomparable fortunes, beyond their needs, whilst the greater
number remains destitute, stripped and in the greatest misery. This is
contrary to justice, to humanity, to equity; it is the height of iniquity,
the opposite to what causes divine satisfaction.
This contrast is peculiar to the world of man: with other creatures, that
is to say with nearly all animals, there is a kind of justice and
equality. Thus in a shepherd's flock of sheep, in a troop of deer in the
country, among the birds of the prairie, of the plain, of the hill or of
the orchard, almost every animal receives a just share based on equality.
With them such a difference in the means of existence is not to be found:
so they live in the most complete peace and joy.
It is quite otherwise with the human species, which persists in the
greatest error, and in absolute iniquity. Consider an individual who has
amassed treasures by colonizing a country for his profit: he has obtained
an incomparable fortune, and has secured profits and incomes which flow
like a river, whilst a hundred thousand unfortunate people, weak and
powerless, are in need of a mouthful of bread. There is neither equality
nor brotherhood. So you see that general peace and joy are destroyed, the
welfare of humanity is partially annihilated, and that collective life is
fruitless. Indeed, fortune, honors, commerce, industry are in the hands of
some industrials, whilst other people are submitted to quite a series of
difficulties and to limitless troubles: they have neither advantages nor
profits, nor comforts, nor peace.
Then rules and laws should be established to regulate the excessive
fortunes of certain private individuals, and limit the misery of millions
of the poor masses; thus a certain moderation would be obtained. However,
absolute equality is just as impossible, for absolute equality in
fortunes, honors, commerce, agriculture, industry, would end in a want of
comfort, in discouragement, in disorganization of the means of existence,
and in universal disappointment: the order of the community would be quite
destroyed. Thus, there is a great wisdom in the fact that equality is not
imposed by law: it is, therefore, preferable for moderation to do its
work. The main point is, by means of laws and regulations to hinder the
constitution of the excessive fortunes of certain individuals, and to
protect the essential needs of the masses. For instance, the manufacturers
and the industrials heap up a treasure each day, and the poor artisans do
not gain their daily sustenance: that is the height of iniquity, and no
just man can accept it. Therefore, laws and regulations should be
established which would permit the workmen to receive from the factory
owner their wages and a share in the fourth or the fifth part of the
profits, according to the wants of the factory; or in some other way the
body of workmen and the manufacturers should share equitably the profits
and advantages. Indeed, the direction and administration of affairs come
from the owner of the factory, and the work and labor, from the body of
the workmen. In other words, the workmen should receive wages which assure
them an adequate support, and when they cease work, becoming feeble or
helpless, they should receive from the owner of the factory a sufficient
pension. The wages should be high enough to satisfy the workmen with the
amount they receive, so that they may be able to put a little aside for
days of want and helplessness.
When matters will be thus fixed, the owner of the factory will no longer
put aside daily a treasure which he has absolutely no need of (without
taking into consideration that if the fortune is disproportionate, the
capitalist succumbs under a formidable burden, and gets into the greatest
difficulties and troubles; the administration of an excessive fortune is
very difficult, and exhausts man's natural strength). And, the workmen and
artisans will no longer be in the greatest misery and want, they will no
longer be submitted to the worst privations at the end of their life.
It is, then, clear and evident that the repartition of excessive fortunes
amongst a small number of individuals, while the masses are in misery, is
an iniquity and an injustice. In the same way, absolute equality would be
an obstacle to life, to welfare, to order and to the peace of humanity. In
such a question a just medium is preferable. It lies in the capitalists
being moderate in the acquisition of their profits, and in their having a
consideration for the welfare of the poor and needy; that is to say, that
the workmen and artisans receive a fixed and established daily wage, and
have a share in the general profits of the factory.
It would be well, with regard to the social rights of manufacturers,
workmen and artisans, that laws be established, giving moderate profits to
manufacturers, and to workmen the necessary means of existence and
security for the future. Thus, when they become feeble and cease working,
get old and helpless, and die leaving children under age, these children
will not be annihilated by excess of poverty. And it is from the income of
the factory itself, to which they have a right, that they will derive a
little of the means of existence.
In the same way, the workmen should no longer rebel and revolt, nor demand
beyond their rights; they should no longer go out on strike, they should
be obedient and submissive, and not ask for impudent wages. But the mutual
rights of both associated parties will be fixed and established according
to custom by just and impartial laws. In case one of the two parties
should transgress, the courts of justice would have to give judgment, and
by an efficacious fine put an end to the transgression; thus order will be
re-established, and the difficulties settled. The interference of courts
of justice and of the Government in difficulties pending between
manufacturers and workmen is legal, for the reason that current affairs
between workmen and manufacturers cannot be compared with ordinary affairs
between private persons, which do not concern the public, and with which
the Government should not occupy itself. In reality, although they appear
to be matters between private persons, these difficulties between patrons
and workmen produce a general detriment; for commerce, industry,
agriculture and the general affairs of the country are all intimately
linked together. If one of these suffers an abuse, the detriment affects
the mass. Thus the difficulties between workmen and manufacturers become a
cause of general detriment.
The court of justice and the Government have therefore the right of
interference. When a difficulty occurs between two individuals with
reference to private rights, it is necessary for a third to settle the
question: this is the part of the Government: then the question of
strikes--which cause troubles in the country and are often connected with
the excessive vexations of the workmen, as well as with the rapacity of
manufacturers--how could it remain neglected?
Good God! is it possible that, seeing one of his fellow-creatures
starving, destitute of everything, a man can rest and live comfortably in
his luxurious mansion? He who meets another in the greatest misery, can he
enjoy his fortune? That is why, in the religion of God, it is prescribed
and established that wealthy men each year give over a certain part of
their fortune for the maintenance of the poor and unfortunate. That is the
foundation of the religion of God, and the most essential of the
commandments.
As now man is not forced nor obliged by the Government, if by the natural
tendency of his good heart, with the greatest spirituality, he goes to
this expense for the poor, this will be a thing very much praised,
approved and pleasing.
Such is the meaning of the good works in the Divine Books and Tablets.