Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-11-14

l'ut the labor is the peculiar expression
Of the energy Of the laborer's life. And
thi, energy he sells to another party, in
living. For him. therefore, his energy
is nothing but a means Of eusurmg his
own existence. lie works to live. He
does not count the work itself rs a part
of his life, rather Is it Il sacrifice of his
life. II is commodity which he ha,
made over to another party. Neither is
its product the aim OF his activity.
What he produces for himself is not the
silk he weaves, nor the palace that he
builds. nor the gold that he digs from out
the mine. What he produces for him
self is his wage; and silk, gold, and pal
ace are transformed for hmintO certain
quantity of means Of existence a cotton
shirt, some copper coins, and a lodging
in a cellar. And what Of the mhorcr
who for twelve hours Wcayrs, spins.
borcS. turns. builds. shovcl,, breaks
stones, carries loads. and 50 on; Does
his twelve hours weaving, spinning, Dor
ing, turning, building, shovrIliug, and
stone breaking represent the active rN-
prr~oiuns Of his life: On the contrary.
| tr hcgins for him exactly where this
activity of his ceases at his meals, ON
the puhIic-huuSe bench. in his bed. His
twelve hours work has no meaning for
him as weaving, spinning, boring, etc.,
Int only as earnings whereby he may
obtain his meals, his seat in III" public
house. his bed. If the silEWurmS object
in spinning were to proloug its existence
as caterpillar, it would he II perfect en-
ample of a Wagc~Wurkcr,
Labor WAS not always commodity.
Labor was not always wagc-work, that
is, a marketable commodity, The slave
not sell his labor to tine slave owner.
The slave along with his labor is sold
once for all to his owner. He is COM
modify which can pass from the hand Of
one owner to that of another He HIM
self is Il commodity, but his labor is not
! his commodity. The ocrf sells only a
portion ot his labor. He ducauot receive
| his wages from the owner Of the soil;
| rather the owner of the soil receives a
| tribute. The serG belongs to til" soil, ANA
| to the lord of the soil he brings its fruits.
! the free Iaborer, on the other hand. sells
| himself, and that by fractions. From
way w va II - 'l'' Nl'Il 'IElll, lt'll'
| twelve, fifteen hours of his life to the
| highest bidder to the oWnpr OF the raw
| material, the Instruments Of work, and
| the meanspf life; that is to the employer.
| Tia" !aborer himself belongs neither to an
owner nor to the soil: but eight, ten.
| twelve, fifteen hours of his daily life be-
| long to the man who buys them, The
laborer leaves the employer to whom he
| has hired himself whenever he plcascs;
and the employer discharges him when
! ever he thinks fit; either as soon rs he
ceases to make Il profit out Of him, on
fails to get 50 high IA profit as he requires.
| But the laborer, whose only source OF
| earning is the sale of his labor. cannot
leave the whole class of its purchasers,
that is, the capitalist class, without re-
nounClng his own existence. He does
not belong to thi, or that particular en-.
| ployer, but he does belong to the cmJioV
! ing cj,t%&; and more than that it is his
business TO find an employer; that is,
among this employing class it is his bust
ness to discover his own particular pur-
| chaser.