The Labor enquirer., 1883-01-13

choose to demand, we must remain their
slaves and toll in poverty for their en-.
richment even though we have the soil
free from rent.
Here seemsto be the root from which
all social denominations spring and receive
nourishment. Every 1arge3anded estate,
if purchased at all, has been purchased
with gains derived-either directly or in
directly-from speculative profits. All
our joint stock nonopolies owe their ex-
lstence to the, same sourse. Therefore,
If our present system of exchange is not
the bottom social evil there can be no
bottom at all to the accursed .abomina-
ton. What, then, is the matter?
Let me ask, an important question: Is
it possible that God, when creating the
earth, committed such a terrible blunder
as to make it a hot bed in which such
stupendous abomination as the bottom
evil" appears to be could possibly take
root and grow to such proportions as it
has reached?
The inference is both false and bias
phemous. Our present system of ex-
change by which the labor class are i'm
poverished for the enrichment of others
IS based upon and sustained by nothing
but the need, greed and caprice of man !;
the "bottomless pit" yawns beneath it
and in it must go-down to perdition
whence it came.
Some of our friends are making a
great noise about lending money at
usury; forgetting or ignoring the fact
that before man can lend money he
must get money to lend; and to make
money lending a money making busi-
ness, especially at 8 or per cent interest,
he must get a bigger pile to begin with
than man can usually accumulate in
lifetime by his own honest labor. If not
by his own honest labor, then how,
unless by speculative traffic? After
saying all that can be said in derogation
of money lending at usury, the fact yet
remains that it cannot possibly be any
thing more than the crowning infamy Of
an infamous system of extortion, fraud
and corruption which still prevails. We
need protection from that villainOus ex-
tOrtiOn. An honest, progressive reform,
that will serve the need Of the labor
class, must necessarily be based on
national system Of free exchange that
will give all the benefit to the people and
recover all cost by graduated income
tax, by which those who realize the
most benefit will pay correspondingly
most of the cost.
A national system of free exchange
must necessarily be supervised by
national board of arbitrqtors to deter
mine the price at which all goods shall
be received by government agents, who
shall deliver them at cost. The price
awarded must be based on the cost Of
production; and labor being the only
element Of cost that enters into produc-
ton, the adjustment Of labor compensa-
ton on an equitable basis will be the
first necessity. The compensation of
employers as we'll as employees must
necessarily be fixed by arbitration. 1t
will, therefore, make no difference to
employers what compensation employ
es receive. Instead of hiring men at
the lowest rate and driving all the work
out Of them they possibly can, it must
be so much work for so much pay, else
how can we fix standing price on the
product?
A national system of free exchange
is simple, strag ghtforward method of
permanently settling the labor question
on an equitable basis 1t cannot fail to
give satisfaction to all who will be salts
fed with just compensation for their
own honest labor. That it will deprive
individuals of the opportunity to swindle,
each other l freely admit; but l cannot
see why it should deprive them of their
liberty to exchange their products when
it is convenient for them to do so,
for none but themselves can possibly
make or lose by it. AGAMEMNON.
Information Wanted.