The Labor enquirer., 1884-03-08
E1plan.tion..

4 Il i p .
The ENQUIRER who may not know the
meaning of the words and terms used in
this and other Socialistic journals and
documents, give the definitions as we
understand them and use them. The
people have been mistaught to great
extent by the capitalistic press, partly
from intention and partly through the
ignorance Of the writer's, and it is time
the disinherited began to understand
these things as they really are. The ex-
plantations which follow are taken from
the columns of the San Francisco Truth:
Modern civilized" Society is divided
into three classes as follows II II
THE ARIsTocRAcY, consisting of those
people in Europe who come Of gentle
blood' and who live on inherited wealth
the Drones.
The BoURGEoIsIE, consisting of all Of
those who derive their living from rent,
profit or interest; those In short who are
not wage-workers, together with their
hangers-on and allies-the Robbers.
THE PRoLErARIAT, the working people
of the world, those who really do the
work and who receive in return for their
labor a part Of its worth called wages
the Plundered Slaves. y
THE adjectives formed from these
words are, bourgeois, proletarian; the
singular nouns defining an individual of
these classes are, bourgeois, proletar-
ian, proletarieSE Bourgeois is pro-
nounced, boor-zhwau. Boureeoisie is
pronounced, boor-zhwau-zie.-The word
"proletariat" originally, and still, means
'the disinherited."] :
The two former classes sustain the
present method which governs the OBJ
tanning of livelihood in this. world
which is denominated the Competitive
System of Industry" By the aid of
pulpit, press and politician owned by
them and because of the ignorance of the
working people, this system is main
tanned.
THE CoMPETAT1vE SYSTEM Is that
method of invisible government by
which the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie
enslave the proletariat.
CAPITAL is the surplus remaining of
the earnings of labor after all its needs
have been supplied-lt is stored up labor,
or honestly earned property.
CAPITELIzED PROFITS (familiarly and
wrongfully known in the commercial
world as "capital'') is either the unpaid
wages of the producer, or a forced tax
upon the necessities of the consumer.
PROPERTY honestly acquired; stored
up-labor), is sacred.
PROFIT Capitalized profits; misscalled
property" and "capital") is the solidi-
fed fruits of wholesale brigandage.
RENT is robbery.
PROFIT is theft.
INTEREST is an immoral and unjust tax
extorted by master upon. the necessi-
ties of the slave:
SOCIALISM is defined by Webster as
follows: "a better and more just system
of government" A better definition is
this: Socialism is the science of Justice
applied TO social conditions of mankind,
its fundamental principle being that the
right to labor and receive she full value
of that labor must be secured to every
individual.
| (NoTE: 1t is to be regretted that the
words Communism and Socialism by
general custom have become almost
synonymous. In point of fact though
generally so used, they are not syno-
nyms. -
CoMMUNIsM is that scheme of social
regeneration which urges the establish
ment OF system which, based upon the
family, will require from its members
only what they are able to produce and
will return to them whatever they wish
to consume.
INDIv1DuALIsM (thst commonly known
as the Manchester" SCHOOL, is that pc
culiar and anarchical or want of method
of social association which now prevails
Its only rule is to let he who has the
power, take, and he retain, who can
INDIVIDUAL SOVEREIGNTY based upon
Socialism is an entirely different affair
and must not be confused with it.
In deciding to which of these three
schools one should belong, we should
ask only Under which school can Jus.
tlce be secured to all" t...-- a.
The Social, the Sexual and the Relig
ious questions are entirely different ones
and should not be confused with each
T other. We are interested with the first
and only deal with the second and espe-
cially the third when they place them
selves in antagonssm to our course upor
the first. We maintain that socia
, reform once accomplished all others vii
, easily and naturally follow. .-]..
A Godfrey Club. .E