The Labor enquirer., 1884-10-25


,ORADO. SATQRDAY {
long will wage workAr and slave b
Iequivaient tsrms
Nov, bsar in mind that maehiner,.
aids the tf9ductiye forces Of mankint
to such an extent thst under the presen
system thousands Of men are every
whore and in syss5 ccupation unabl'
to obtain work. TT men, facing star
walton, rather tbsz die of hunger vii
work for the merest pittance Do no
blame them; you would do the same
Do not curse them nor revile them q
sscabs; ]" they are the effect of the in
famous system. Abolish them by de
stroying the system. Inthe competition
lof workingmen with each other fol
work, he who will work for the least
and live the cheapest, gets the job. Thil
state of facts is summarized BY political
economists under general law. called
the sIronLaw of Wages
In plain English, this is it:
What you viii receive as wages for
your work does not depend upon your
fidelity, your capacity alone, butts fixed
by the least sum which anyone else Of
similar requirements can live upon. II
anyother man in this world exists out OF
work, able to do your labor, and willing
to work for crust of bread per day,
then his competition. ultimately reduces
your wages to his standard-a crust OF
bread"
So iflin future anyone tells you that
electing Billy Sharper. or Jack Fleecem,
or Jimmy Loafer to office will better
your condition as worker, tell him he
lies, because Science proves that your
wages depend not ON politics, but upon a
law of political economy, and that not
altered legislation, but changed eondi-
tons are necessary to destroy the opera
ton Of this rule of SOCIAL relations. i
But to go to the extreme point of the
argument. Let US say that all the work
ers of the land in every occupation are
employed; let US say that no man'is out
of work that every worker receives the
average wage of $3460S per annum (as
per United States census of 1880; that
every man agrees to combine and the
united force ask an increase to S. per
day2 1t is granted. What is the effect?
The employer adds the extra wage into
the price of the product and forces the
consumer to pay it. Who is the con-
sumer? You, Thus you pay your own
advance out of your own pocket and
are not whit tho better of. What does
it matter to you whether you receive 81
per day or SIS per day, if In the first case
it costs. 81 to live, and in the second
place SIS to live2 Is your condition a
bit improved? Certainly nst, ..-..-a-,
Brothers, as long as class of people
exist (such as bankers, brokers, lawyers,
land-renters, politicians, gin-sellers, cap
itaIists, employers. specuIators, stock
joboers, etc.l who do not produce for
themselves and who have to consume,
they self-evidently eat what you pro-
duce. You must devise some plan to
make them produce for themselves, and
leave you free to yourself to consume
what you produce, The census says,
and truly, that out of every 800 worth
of value you produce you get in the
form of wages only 80 per cent. That is
that for every dollar you receive, your
employer pockets two, which are yours
because produced by you. That is, that
of the three blows of your hammer, only
one is for YOURSELF while two are for
him. That is, if you work ten hours
day, three and one-third only are for
yourself, while six and two-thirds are
for him. But is this all :? No! When
you take your paltry third home, other
of the robber classes gather like vultures
around it. From one-half to two-thlrds
of your income goes for rent to some
rascal who has seized upon the land
(the gift of Nature to all alike) and who
is protected by "law" (made by his
tools) in its possession. He did not pro-
duce this land. How then can he justly
Gown" it2 He will not or cannot use,
cultivate or occupy it; he has simply
grabbed it because he knew you needed
it and would nay him for its use. But
yet this is not ALL You take the small
remnant of your wages to buy food and
clothes, you take your wages as pE
ducer, or rather what is left of them,
and 60 into the market to buy fback
your product. Let US see your position.
You are stove molder and havf made
at the factory during the week Eay ten
stoves. For this you received IL wages
$1S. The material in these stoves
amounts to, say $6. Your employer sells
the stoves to wholesale firm pr $50, OF
Sc apiece. This $50 is compose as fol-
lows. Price of material, Sc, yotr wages.
slS, his profit" on your work ( is theft
from you), S36. The wholesaler dds on
25 per cent as his profit, $40, and be re-
taller 25 per cent as his, $40 more. Eour
ten stoves are thus offered to youN for
sale at $40 each You want to buy ohs
You received SIS; $6 of it has gone for
the weeks rent. II you can live on 81