The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-01-18
CO-OPf RATION.

on our part, not because Of any loss d
faith in it, but simply because the condition
OF our organization required our every
effort In other directions. We propose in
the future to devote some space to its ad
vancement, and while we may not advance
arguments that are new, we will certainly
endesvor not to advance any that will not
bear thorough analyzation.
There is but one reason why cooperation
has not taken a deeper hold among the
people, and why to-day, instead Of the
half-dOzen cooperative associations, they
cannot be counted by the thousand, and
and that Is the want of knowledge, or gen
eral ignorance on the subject, and to any
practical knowledge-that is, knowledge
gained by experience-we admit we are as
far behind As the great majority. Like all
great reforms, it makes headway very slow
the customs and prejudices of thousand
years have to be overcome the direct and
indirect opposition of capital in the hands
of the few is certain and the uncalled
for jealousy, coupled with inuendoes and
misrepresentation from our fellows, Is t.
be expected; and these draw backs, coupled
with want of faith even on the part Of
those who are disposed to try the expert
ment, renders practical illustration of the
great good to flow from its general Applica-
ton almost an impOssibility.
The various attempts made to carry out
the system of cooperation as advocated by
all the discouragements above mentioned,
and the great wonder is, not that 50 many
have died, but that so many hay lived.
The fact that even one cooperative manu-
featuring association should prosper and
secure to itself firm foundation, is, under
the circumstances, proof positive Of the
correctness Of the principle, and should
give heart to those who for years have ad-
vocated the system without any apparent
permanent benefit Workingmen have 80
long been accustomed to wages, that it is
but natural that any innovation locking to
another means of payment for labor per-
formed should be viewed with distrust.
They see every year men who own or can
borrow few thousands Of dollars, rapidly
becoming rich of the profits Of their labor,
but so long as their wages are paid
promptly, they are not disposed to investi-
gate the subject, content to belong to a
trade union to keep up their wages to
standard based upon their daily necessity
The press Of the country occasionally
favors US with what it supposes an unan-
swerable argument as to the prosperous
condition Of worklngmen, mechanics espe-
cially-it is the immense amounts depos-
tied in the numerous savings banks scat
tered over the country, amounting in the
aggregate to many millions of dollars. We
propose to make of this fact an argument
in favor of cooperation. Savings banks
pay interest to depositors to do so, the
money 30 deposited must be employed /;
must be loaned to those willing to pay for
its use an amount sufficient to paw the
depositors interest, as well a. pay all the
expenses Of the bank and a handsome
dividend to its stockholders. Who are the
borrowers Manufacturers and middle
men and thus worklngmen, out of their
savings from wages, furnish millions Of
capital to those who pay them the wages (;
or, in other words. furnish all the labor
and a goodly portion Of the capital to
others, that they may receive in return a
small portion Of the labor and capital
furnished by themselves, as wages. Not
only do workingmen thus furnish the cap
ital that is supposed to keep them EN-
ployed, building up fortunes for the EN-
ployer, who, in such instances, issmerely a
middleman, put they also render it possible
for hundreds and thousands Of nOn-pro-
ducers, in the shape of bank officers and
bank stockholders, to live on the fat Of
the land, and to amass at the same time
fortunes.
Go into any manufacturing establish
lnent in the country, and you will almost
invariably find that the brains directing
the movements Of all the labor employed,
are in the possession of one or more who
are working for wages. They are practical
mechanics. The clerks, statesmen, and all
who in any manner contribute to the sue
cess Of the establishment, are all working
for wages, while ono or more men, with
little, if any, knowledge of the business,
are receiving, in the shape Of dividends OF
profits, sums beyond the conception Of the
wage laborer. Workingmen furnish labor.
capital, and brains for wages to those who,
possessing nothing but cunning and a
knowledge of the world, manage t. secure
to themselves the hons share Of The pro-
ducts Of that labor, capital, and brains.
Now if workingmen can and q, furnish all
the requisites for some one else ! success
fully carry on a business, for so 10 other
persons pecuniary benefit, is ere any
reason to be given why they cannot carry
on the same business for their own pecuni-
airy benefit Want of capital is the only
plea we have ever heard given that had
any reason in it and that want is more
imaginary than real We venture the
assertion that there are manufacturing
stablishments-many Of them-in which
the men employed for wages have or can
command, in the aggregate, a greater cap
ital in cash than is employed by the man
or men who furnishes them employment,
and yet, if they were approached ON the
subject, they would assert their inability
to start a cooperative manufactory, slmply
because they had not capital. Millions oi
dollars in the savings banks for others to
carry on business with, but not dollar to
carry on business for themselves We do
not mean to assert that all workingmen are
in a condition to invest in cooperative
enterprises we are sorry to say we know
all are not in that condition And vet
when we study the origin of the greatest
success of modern times, the Rochdale Co
operative Association, we are attempted to
assert that there is not a man OF woman III
the United States who cannot contribute
to the success of cooperation. Look at
the figures
In the year 1874 the number of members
was twenty-eight, holding property to the
amount Of E28. In the year 1884 the mum
Der Of members had risen to 800, owning
property to the amount Of e., ,l72 los. I'd
their sales amounted to E33, ,364, with a
profit Of 81, 1868 lis 2td. Whilst in 1864,
with 4, $50 members, holding property to
the amount Of E55, $40, their sales aug
mented to ETA, 200 IS. 4d., with proht
of f22, 163 rs. Sd.
With this great cooperative store, how
ever, the pioneers did not rest contented.
Though not under the same name, the
same individuals established, in 1851, the
Rochdale Corn Mill Society, which, in
1864, was running fifteen stones, with q
canital of Gao ono and a husinass of pIAl