The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-07-31
FROM CALIFORNIA.
SAN Francisco. july al, Il

! New Departure" proposition for the
co-operators Of England and the Changers
Of the United States to unite for the pur-
pose of exchanging their products without
the aid Of middlemen. This is an impor-
tant movement, the future result of which
no human eye can distinctly foresee at the
present day. But that it is .Arl niger
Of better time ccwing for thu working
classes no one can ooubt. Co-opere;ion is
making rapid strides in England, VI
this country, outside of the oranges, it
seems to be scarcely thought Of, and some
pretend TO doubt if the oranges have
really been very much benefited 6nanci-
ally by their organization. That they do
not reap as much pecItniary benefit as the
co-operators of England, seems positively
certain
The advantages Of cooperation are very
Imperfectly understood in this country,
and to many it seems TO be a mystery
how the capital Of co-operators in Eng
laIsd could have accumulated so rapidly.
When the facts are considered, there Is
nothing ~onderful about it, for the money
invested in cooperative enterprises aug
ruents with wonderful rapidity. For ex-
ample, If cooperative consumers invest
fifty dollars in articles the first week of
their organization, and thereby save %
per cent, they will gain $3.50 the first
week, SO. 50 the second, S19 % the third,
and S24 Al the fourth week, thus increas
ing the capital Of fifty dollars in one month
To over Sl22, and in the same geometrical
ratio this capital continues to increase as
long as the accumulations or savings are
reinvested The great difficulty to over
come in the United States seems to be the
disposition among workingmen to organize
in imitation of the capitalist when in re-
atty they have nothing to organize or
ass for. If they would only follow the
Rochdale plan-the only successful one
III England, and its originators first con
trlbuteo pennies to raise pound to start
wlth-there would be no difficulty, but,
unfortunately, in our country We too often
begin to build with the fgure-head Co
operation, when pr.cticed in this country,
will be even more successful than in Eng
land, for the reason that interest being
higher profits are greater, and more espe-
clally Is this the case with the market
dealers The workingmen in cities are
not in condition to initiate the grangers ;
they cannot so well afford the means to
pay their dues, 70 organize secret societies,
and in reality there is no need Of it, The
grangers might do the city consumers good
service, if they would, by having but one
price wholesale and retail for their goods,
but l fear they are not quite far enough
advanced TO pursue that course yet 1t
does seem hard that the one who can
least afford 1t pays the highest price for
his goods, and yet this is always the case.
The poor labo-er, because he buys in small
Ter quantities, must pay more than his rich
neighbor, and, besides, the latter often has
the opportunity to buy at Wholesale prices
from the neighbOring wholesale dealer, to
whom he reciprocates similar fsvors.
But the principal object in writing this
article Is to inquire what is to become of
these middlemen, whom We propose to dis
pense with by our cooperative associations
Of labor and consumption. Already in
their eagerness to divide the profits of la
Dor with the monopollst, the middlemen
have hurled the gauntlet Of defiance at
their heads. This seems to Indicate the
working out Of principle, for when these
profit margins are attacked in front and
rear, though showing bold face now. they
are sure to 20 down. But the struggle
that is to end in the Acknowledgement of la
Dor, will only have begun the middlemen
will be driven into the ranks Of labor. al
ready overburdened with idle laborers.
But labor, though reduced to desperation
by greater competition, will gain by the
auspices Of intelligence, and then the final
struggle VIII come That will break up
this serial system that enables our class to
make slaves of their fellow men and
why should it not come Why should we
not watch and pray for it as the adventist
hopes for the millennium
What kind of condi ion for intelligent
human beings to endure is that in which
we live A condition that makes wars.
pestilence and famine blessings to those
that survive. That makes fires, ship
wreck, waste and extravaganza necessar-
to keep the millions employed to prevent
them from starving. These are the Just
retrlbutions of God, or Natures offended
laws. Man makes these conditions, while
nature strives to counteract their immedi-
ate consequences.
There is no need of this suffering and
misery every able-bodied individual, with
a few hours daily labor, not more than is
needed for recreation and exercise to en-
able them to enjoy the manifold blessings
that nature has provided for our use, can
produce tenfold more than is necessary for
his or her Subsistence. Then Why should
we waste or destroy by our recklessness
Why should we keep portion Of mankind
in ignorance, the better to make them
slaves Why should we have millionaires.
while the producers are starving Why
should we have standing armies and
lavies nurseries Of murderers, who claim |
he admiration Of their fellow beings in
proportion to the murders they have com
nitted and directed.
Who can doubt that the very men
whose whole thoughts are bow directed 10 |
orging letters for the millions, would be |