The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-06-17

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owners, was legitimate capital. Then q
corporation was formed and the mime was
divided up into shares OF stock Now,
every dollar Of value that represented ore
was legitimate capital in the sense in which l
use the term; but everydollar that was paper
stock was capital created by statute law.
Thus the distinction that wish to draw be-
tween these kinds OF capital. Now, to prove
my proposition that capitals not, and D
is, the creator of values, l ask you what
this is. You say this is a silver dollar:
Well, all right. 1t is a dollar. A piece OF
silver with the stamp of the Government
upon it. But it is a piece of silver. Where
did it comefrom? Out of a minei in Colorado
| or Montana or somewhere in this Western
Eldorado. Well, then, this came from a
mine originally? Yes. Then somebody's
labor brought it forth. That piece Of silver
in my hands represents labor. In substance
it represents something that I havedone to
get possession of it, if l came by it honestly.
It represents labor lone by you, perhaps.
Some one here may nave gotten the indi-
vidual piece of silver in that dollar. Thus
all money, being capital, represents labor
done by somebody. We have under the
present system, society expressed in two
divisions, capital and labor. That don't
should be understood. We have the vast
army of men who labor. This we term labor.
We have, as l ave stated two kinds of
capital. 1t is better to make a division,
because division naturally should be made.
| We have that capital invested in business
which gives employment to labor; the more
proper word for it is enterprise. Then We
have the kind OF capital which is in the
hands of a very small portion OF the people
but a very powerful portion.
INTEREST OR UsuRY?
That which is loaned out atinterest. This
l term usury. Now, again l say enterprise
represents the employing portion of the
people; labor, those who toll, and the inter
| ests of enterprise and labor are reciprocal,
one helping the one and the other helping
the one; and usury. the leech of the body
polite, sucking the life blood out OF both
capital and labor. Now, we lave in all the
various marts of trade combinations by
capital, and whether intended or not they
trample on the rights of others and some
times attempt to level poor humanity in
the dust. This, we claim, is wrong. Against
the power which money undoubtedly gives
to the few, what are o going to place,
you who toll? You agree with me that
money is power. How are you going to
! gain for yourselves the power that money
; gives to the few? Only by a strong combi-
nation through organization. That and
that alone. Applause. Well, then, if
we agree that it could be by organization,
necessarily we wan a correct kind OF or
ganization and not daily and spend our
time on an organization that will come up
like a mushroom and as soon wither and
decay. We want no mushroom; We want
the strong and mighty oak, it's roots rum
ming deep in the ground, it's branches reach
ing towards the sky, under which the
Knights OF Labor for all coming time can
find shelter and protection. Applause.
Now, come back just a nut Three
things we must have-something to eat, to
wear, and shelter from the elements. Ii
you give a man as the result OF his toll only
jast enough to buy these three things,
it necessarily follows, as labor forms the
great creating and consuming clements, and
as production and consumption are the
chief clements OF our prosperity, it follows
that can consume only the neces-
saries if paid just barely enough to obtain
them. Lift the wages a little beyond the
necessaries and you give the laborer a
chance to enjoy the comforts. Go a little
higher than this and you bring him at
least within telescope distance OF
THE LUxURIEs OF LIFE.
This to me is the solution of the so-called
labor problem, usually called the problem
of capital and labor.
Labor must nave three things and you
cannot reduce the wages OF the ADORE be-
low the point that will buy these three things.
If you do you make him a pauper or q
thief, and weighing well my words,,I desire
to say, in my Judgment, when the American
~workingman is reduced to a choice between
the two alternatives OF being a pauper or a
thief, l honor him for being a thief. ZAP
plause.
/ had rather be a thief than a pauper any
time, but we do not want the American
w~orkingman to be a pauper; wedon't want
! him to be a thief, and he will not be either
if he receives al honest days pay for his
honest days toll. (Applause.]
I know that we are told by our great and
| good friend down in the East, where l came
from and near where my home is, or he is
said to lave told us, that man could live,
love and be happy on bread and water
three times a day! [Laughter.] Bread
and water for breakfast, water and bread
for dinner and good bread and good water
for supper. laughter. Well, now. when
that time comes we shall all be in the con-
dition that the fellow is said to have been
just after the doctrine wa enunciated. He
removed all objections to his marriage by
saying to his best girl: SAL, we can get
married now, and live, love and be happy
on bread and water three times a day, and
l think l could get the water if you will
rustic the bread [Laughter.]
ONLY ACTUAL NECEssARIEs.
But now, let us see. Let us apply the test
of my logic to my proposition. Ii you are
to be paid for your labor, only enough to
give you bread and water three times a day
If this is to be considered a enumeration
for honest toil-and if l am right in my
logic, then we need to produce only what
we consume. Then certainly there will be
no demand and no consumption beyond
what we lave power to buy. Ii you can
consume only bread and water there will
be no need to produce beyond what will be
consumed and what woul be the use of pro-
ducing anything in the lam but flour mills
and pumps? [Laughter.] This is a mild
way Of putting it, but it expresses! lust what
[ mean. l believe we have a right to de-
mand more than that, and l wish to say
if there is any one here tonight who EN-
ploys labor-if there is a merchant hereI
want to force that point home us strongly
as | can on his mind. I take up your daily
paper and 1 find in thirty or forty lines a
description OF your iourishing city. l find
that they pay out to the laborers OF the
vicinity very nearly half a million OF dollars
for wages. I went into one OF the principal
stores on your main street, and l was sur
prised to find the quality of goods there
displayed. l said to the gentleman who so
kindly and courteously showed me through:
"Can you. find a market here for goods
of this quality" and he replied:
Eyes, the miners will lave nothing but the
best" [Applause.] Now, let me say to
tina man, suppose the rate OF wages should
be reduced SO cents per day, that would be
one-seventh OF
THE HIGHEST WAGES PAID
here, for the man who works underground.
That would be fourteen per cent. OF half a
million dollars. Fourteen per cent. OF hall
a million dollars is on~e-seventh OF that
amount, making seventy odd thousand dol
lars-one-seventh OF the whole business
lone in this place. Our friend in the dry
goods store would be compelled to sell a
little lower quality of goods, not because
you wouldn't want the best, but because
you couldn't buy the best. Now, suppose
we carry the theory a little further kown,
and bring wages down to $3.50 per day.
You nave knocked off another seventy
thousand dollars OF the power OF consum-
ing, and instead of buying a good quality
of delaines, serges and finer quality ofgoods,
you wovld lave to come down to a calico
dress for the girl, Laughter and maybe
the girl would have to patch the old calico,
and instead of getting a new overcoat this