The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-19
WHO ARE THE CAPITALISTS

WHO ARE THE CAPlTALlSTSY
Edward Atkinson, the statistician, makes
the following estimate Of the amount that is
paid to labor out of the gross production Of
the country. According to the last national
census the total value of the increase of wealth
in this country is ten thousand millions of
dollars ($1O ,OOO, oO0.) Of this vast sum
he estimates that one thousand millions are
consumed where produced, and without going
into the markets of the country. Of the re-
naming SO, 600, OOO 900 he allows $3.50, 900, 900
as profit Of capital and like sum ($450, 000,-
00O) for the savings of capitalists and other
classes. The gross amount Of taxes he places
at $500, 100000 The remainder of the vast
aggregate ($7, 400, 600, 000) he says is paid to
labor Of course, these figures are largely
speculative, but they are arrived at from the
best obtainable data, and are certainly very
near the truth. The most cursory considera-
ton of them will show that the great bulk of
the worlds riches annually passes through the
hands of the workingmen Of the world. Sew
enty-four dollars in every hundred goes to la
Dor. They are in truth the capitalists Of the
world During ever year sum equal to five
times the national debt is paid for labor in
this country. The profits of capital is less
than ne.sixteenth of this, Nor must the
mistake be made that the sum allowed as
profit on capital goes to few men or corpora
tons. It is divided among the tens and hun.
dreds of thousands of men and companies that
have occasion to employ labor. Every shop,
factory, mill, store, railway, ferry, transporta-
ton company of every description, and every
man or company Of men that employ other
men to work for them are represented in this
aggregate. Out Of the grand army of work
ingmen, to whom is paid the great bulk of the
resources of the world come from time to
time the capitalists of the commercial world.
The men who work and the men who save
are the men who in the end join the smaller
body of men known as capitalists. They have
changed their condition relative to others
about them, but they are in nowise different
as citizens In this fact is the incentive to
lay by something for the future, and to at
tempt to accumulate something for those that
may be dependent upon one. It must be adj
mitted that there is fine opportunity for the
masses to "get on" in the world, and 1t will
not do to indiscriminately condemn Capital"
for the bulk Of capital is really held by men
who work and men who have accumulated it
by work. 1t is not saying that every man
necessity of working, but it demonstrates
that the way is open to men in all grades of
life. OF course there are many things that
may, and many that do, interfere with the ad-
vancement Of certain individuals These in
references with the individual cannot, how
ever, be held against the fact that men equal
ly endowed with abilities and health, and pos
sessed Of other natural environments, have an
equal chance in the race for comparative indie
pendence. Having acquired somewhat of
this worlds goods, in legitimate and honor
able manner, they must not be Disseminated
against by men who have been less provident
or less fortunate. There is broad difference
between the accommodations of a monopoly and
the wealth of an individual or corporation en-
gagged in honest work, in an open field, free
for all to enter on equal terms