986 THE PRINCIPLES OF PERSONAL INTEGRITY
Each party in this warfare regards the subject from its
own selfish interests. The capitalist supposes that gain to
labor is loss to him, and that he must look to his own inter-
ests first; that the cheaper the labor the larger his gains.
Consequently it is for his interest to keep the price as low
as possible. On the contrary, the laborer thinks that he loses
what the capitalist gains, and, consequently, that it is for his
interest to get as large wages as possible. From these opposite
points of view their interests appear to be directly hostile.
What one party gains the other loses; hence the conflict.
Both are acting from selfish motives, and, consequently, must
be wrong. Both parties see only half of the truth, and, mis-
taking that for the whole of it, fall into a mistake ruinous to
both. Each one stands on his own ground, and regards the
subject wholly from his point of view and in the misleading
light of his own selfishness.
Passion inflames the mind and blinds the understand-
ing; and when passion is aroused men will sacrifice their own
interests to injure others, and both will suffer loss. They will
wage continual warfare against each other; they will resort to
all devices, and take advantage of every necessity to win a
victory. Capital tries to starve the laborer into submission like
a beleaguered city; and hunger and want are most powerful
weapons. Labor sullenly resists, and tries to destroy the value
of capital by rendering it unproductive. If necessity or interest
compels a truce, it is a sullen one, and maintained with the
purpose of renewing hostilities as soon as there is any pros-
pect of success. Thus laborers and capitalists confront each
other like two armed hosts, ready at any time to renew the
conflict. It will be renewed, without doubt, and continued
with varying success until both parties discover that they are
mistaken, that their interests are mutual, and can only be