The examiner., 1886-08-14

ist. true to himself, has solved the problem
in his own way and in his own interest
His solution is this: ''The fair wages Of
labor is the smallest share of the product o1
labor upon which the laborer can subsist,
and in advance to the laborer he is contin
uously and intelligently working in line
favorable to his solution. Largely owning
the public press he is using it as vehicle
to disseminate his theories and enchance
his private interests How many of yor
have not seen and read in the public prints
in the last few years article after article or
the subject "How to live cheap" Why
these gentlemen have been at infinite pains
to develope number of distinguished doc
tors of labors stomach, notably among
whom is one Henry Atkinson of Boston
who have thoroughly investigated this mat
ter, who are perfectly conversant with al
the wants and needs of the laborer, who
knows just what kind and quantity of food
he can best assimilate, and is best adapted
for him, and who explains just how the
laborer can live like lord on seven cents
day, or forty nine cents week. Let 1t
tbecome an established fact that the laborer
can live on forth-nine cents a week, and
the result will be that you will Immediately
put in the capitalists pocket the difference
| between forty-nine cents per week and
what it now costs per week for each one OF
| MS employees 10 i've, 1OF buc cAuPIoyCs
wages will be reduced in just that amount.
The capitalist well understands the fact
that the newspapers do much toward
forming public sentiment, and therefore
uses it for the purpose of forming public
sentiment in such way as to enchance his
own interests; and therefore it is that we
find the great volume of the public press OF
to-day so busy ringing the changes on the
| just claims of capital and so silent concern
ing the Just claims of labor. The news
paper is indeed the poor mans library,
| but as that is almost exclusively ewned by
the capitalist the information the poor man
| is supplied with is of character that only
enlightens him on one side of the question.
In this way the lamentable ignorance OF
the great mass of wage workers concerning
their own interests may be accounted for.
| When the worlds workers shall determine
| to use the means they now use in supporting
capitalistic press towards maintaining
and supporting press that will advocate
their own claims and interests, you will
see such an awakening of the toiing masses
as will cause fear and CONSERVATION to
enter the ranks of their enemies; and in
order to save what they have, learn them
to deal Justly in the future with their en-
ployes.
But was speaking of the wages prob
lem the different solutions, and the differ
ent remedies recommended by labor re-
formers as being sufficient to remove the
difficulties by which we are surrounded.
Among these / may mention weekly pay
ments, destruction of national banks, gov
ernment control of the means of transpor-
tation, issue of money direct to the people,
cooperation or profit sharing, cutting down
of interest, postal savings banks and aboli-
ton of private property in land. Each and
all of these methods possess more or less of
merit; each and all may alleYiate o. - 75ahehI
7aEileil5 ~ 81 aiscSye, "a easspeirianenf
relief can be secured. Without this our
efforts will be as fruitless as battle of
wind mills, with nothing but contusions
and defeats as the result. Under existing
circumstances accumulated capital by own
ing the machinery of the world controls
products, markets and prices, reaps the
reward due to labor, makes plenty or
scarcity, can overstock or understood the
market at pleasure, entail suffering ON the
masses at will, set speculation rampant or
reap harvest of business failures, escape
taxation, heap the burden of supporting
the government on the shoulders OF the
poor, purchase and control legislation, de-
clare the wages of labor, drive the laborer
to the verge of starvation, create for them
selves lordly estates, make themselves the
arbiters of the nations fate, and all because
they hold the money, control the means of
transportation, and own those tireless iron
arms that invention has made to take the
place of the arms of flesh and blood.
But the question now arises: How can
this order of things be changed My an
swer is: by inventing and enforcing thor
oughly practical system of wages. My
solution of the wage problem is this:
Labor is entitled to receive in wages all the
value that labor gives to every product.
But says some one: ''That will not leave a
very wide margin for the capitalist, and
what will become of him." No, it wont,
| but then what would become of the Road
agents of the West if we should stop run
ming stage and express coaches there
But how this solution of the wage
problem, THAT labor is entitled to receive
in wages all the value that labor gives to
every product" be made practical. To me
the answer seems easy. Kindly give me
your attention while make my answer
''In a government of the people, by the
people, and for the people," did it never
occur to you as somewhat singular that the
value of only two articles or products of
| labor should be fixed by that government
Ito witt gold and silver. The government
steps in and radically declares that 25 $40
grains of gold go fine shall constitute one
dollar. and that 412 1-2 grains of silver of
| and they claim to measure the value of
these articles by the labor necessary in
| their production. That is, so to say, the
average time required of man in mining
and producing 25 $40 grains of gold, or
412 1-2 grains of silver has an imaginary
value, which we call one dollar, and that
these two articles or scarcest metals shall
be the standard of exchange, and that the
value of all other products shall be meas
ured by these. Now do not understand me
as taking issue with the government when
it places fixed value on gold and silver,
| for I believe that to be the exercise of a
just and proper right or power. But while
I believe this / believe it to be the right
and absolute duty of the government to fix
the value of all other products in the same
way and by the same rule, to wit, by the
labor necessary to produce them. This is
an emitome of my explanation of the labor
problem, which legitimately worked out,
will give to labor all the value that labor
gives to every product, and make the tire
| less arms of iron and steel assist in filing
the mechanics purse. The first result that
would follow the adoption of this plan
would be to give all products a fixed value
in exchange and therefore instantly stop
speculation.
| To illustrate. Let it be required to fix
the value of wheat, corn rye, oats, cotton,
or any agricultural product. Let the gov