The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-07-11
FhOM ILLINOIS.
To the Editor Of the oRKIssMASs ADVOCATE.
MAPLEToN, June 80, 1874.
COOPERATION
AVWH"f N~'l
A. M. VIM

To the Editor Of the ORKIssMAS's ADVOCATE.
MAPLEToN, June 80, 1874.
COOPERATION.
The subject of cooperation is one that
should demand the constant attention of
every workingman in the United States
1t should be kept alive in the minds of all
the laboring classes in the country, so that
some one might arrive at its first starting
point some day before long, as we stand
much in need of it in America, ID these
days. Now, in the first place, | shall take
$40, 600, 900, 900 as basis for the wealth
of the United States. Let it be more or
less, it don't make any difference to my
subject, whatever, a. | only take it as a
basis to start from, and we will suppose the
population Of the United States to be
about "a, 800, 900. Now take out of that
number 5000, OOU, as the laboring class
Of people, including farmers and all the la
boring class in the United States. If the
said D, OOO, 900 would organize fund, and
pay, a. contribution, 500 per month,
each, would amount TO 81, 900 per
month, or S6O, 600, 600 per year Now take
the city of New York, as a starting point,
and establish two wholesale stores with a
capital of 81, 900, 600 each; this would leave
in the treasury the sum of $56, COG, 900 to
establish two Wholesale stores in each and
every state in the Union with 800, 600 as
a capital to each store there would still
be in the treasury a balance of $49, 600,
600, for the purpose of establishing retail
stores. In each and every state we could
establish 90 retail stores with $25, 600 cap
ital to each store, and to keep one at those
figures for term Of ten years, would draw
q capital into the laboring classes Of about
$50, OOO, 900 worth Of stock, and 1876, 0O0
in cash, to pay expenses, that would come
against the cooperative company in any
one year. No one person should be allow
ed to have more than one share, or il
would soon be in the hands of monopoly,
and leave us Just as we started. If we
could only start on this principle we would
soon be able to say that We can hold our
own with the capitalists Of the country, as
we will also mold q pr Wy the uua h Of
the country. Unless we can nold q Part Of
the wealth of the country, our union and
all other unions amounts to nothing, AS
they are all built on nothing, and it is im-
possible for them to stand on nothing, and
all unions tat have been organized have
failed for want of being built on a good
foundation, and the present unions, am
afraid are little better, unless they make
thar fo.,nIaA.o,, Tha,, I -,
sure they will stand and stand firm for
ever. / think if all the leading men of
each and every organization would assist
in trying to establish fund on the coop
erative principle, and each lodge canvas its
respective district, that the corner stone
Of co operation would soon be made fast
and unmoveable in this county, and this
system if adopted would do us a great
deal of good, in fact it would do us more
good than free banking, for as soon as the
New York bankers and brokers would lock
up this money in New York and cause a
panic, a. they are doing and have done the
cooperative system would lie standing
alongside of those bankers and brokers,
and push out their money into all the
Western states, and still keep up some
little commerce in the country. By CO.
operation We can combine all laboring
classes into one body, and make US able to
elect all the men into Offices that will ad-
vocate, and stand by all the labor organi-
cations in the country in their legal rights,
and justice; and know it will increase 80
per cent. into the pockets of the laboring
class of people, and if the working people
OF our land, would resolve to spend one
fifth less for drink and tobacco, and
deposit 1t in fund upon which to draw
such ~ stayting, cooperative enterprises
aud 80 on, they would have at the end of
the first year fund of 5000, 900. If the
money thus saved, together with this in
terest or profits. was invested each year,
in business that would yield two per
cent per year, he total amount would be
five thousand five hundred and ffty-nins
million three hundred and fifty thousand
dollars or about sixteen hundred dollars
apiece for every wOrkingman in the
country. These are startling results; think
of them, ! leave this statement, hoping
some one ell correct it if have made any
false stateme nts. JAooB GAAHAM.
D. T.