The Labor enquirer., 1884-05-31
The Socialist Catechism.
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".
What constitutes the chief difference
between capitalism and slave-owning?
The fact that the capitalist goes through
the form of bargaining with the laborer
as to the amount of the portion of his
produce that shall be returned to him.
What is this farce called?
Freedom of contract.
In what sense is it free?
In this sense-that the laborer is free
to take that or nothing.
Has he nothing to fall back upon?
He has absolutely nothing in countries
where the tyranny of capitalism is un-
tempered by any form of Socialism.
What is the case in England?
Humanity has reyolted against the
reign of the capitalist, and provided the
workhouse as a last resource for the
laborer, taxing the capitalist for its sup
port.
How has the capitalist turned this
piece of Socialism to his own ends?
By rendering the workhouse so un
pleasant to the poor that starvation is
often thought preferable, and by insisting
that no useful work done in the work
house shall be brought iuto his market,
where its presence would disturb his
calculations, and impair his profits,
Why does he allow it to exist at all?
Because he can then pose as philan-
thropist rather than a hard economist,
and because he knows that its existence
may stave off for time the Revolution
which he breads.
What do you mean by the Revolution?
The complete change in the condi-
tions of society which will abolish all
distinctions of class, or difference
between wage-payers and wage-earners,
and will render the workers their own
employers.
What other method of appropriating
surplus-value has prevailed besides those
Of slavery and capitalism
In purely agricultural countries, as for
instance in Ireland and South Eastern
Europe, different types of landlordism
have been quite as etectual.
Does landlordism represent the
forcible or the fraudulent method?
Force is its chief element, since it
labels the surplus-value "rents," and
uses all the resources of civilization in
the shape Of police and soldiery to en-
force their payment by the people, but
the element of fraud is present, since
the laborer Is told that he is free to give
! up his holding if he does not wish to
pay rent.
What is the Boyart type of landlord
| ism?
The system called corvee.
How does this work?
The laborer'is allowed to work on his
own land for certain number of days,
and to keep for himself all the produce
of his toll for that time, on the condi-
ton that he spends all his remaining
time upon land which belongs to the
landlord, who appropriates Its fruits.
How does this differ from the capital
list method of appropriation ?
Chiefly in the fact that the laborer
knows exactly when he is working for
his own benefit, and when for that of
the landlord while under the capitalist
system there is no line of distinction,
and neither he nor anyone else can tell
precisely the exact lenght of time during
which he gives away his labor gratis,
although his first two or three hours are
for himself, and the remaining seven or
eight for some one else.
Can you show this to be the case?
AS the producers only get from one
fourth to one-third of the total produce
obviously the remainder of their worth
goes to benefit the non-producers.-
London Justice.