The Labor enquirer., 1888-05-05
Quotations from the kiginr
ator Of the Famous
Phrase.
DEATH BY SLOYSTARYAfTQu
Mr.. Cohen Asks Mr.. Millett Ssns
Questions On an interest
Ing Point.
For the ENQUIRER.

TOT Gu0 EuuUIIoIs "A 4fsf
Max Nordau in his "Conven-
tional Lies" has said that the iron
law of wages was "a Jesuitical
play upon words intended to quiet
the uneasy conscience of the rich."
That this statement of Nordau is
false l will try to prove by quoting
what Prof. Ely says on the subject.
This is the way Lasalle expressed
it to the laborers of Frankfort in
an eloquent speech which has not
yet ceased to be power in Ger
many:
What is the consequence Of
that law, (the iron law of wages
which as have proved to you is
accepted by all political econo-
mists2 What is the consequence
of the same2 / ask. You believe,
perhaps, laborers and fellow-citi-
zens, that you are human beings
that you are men. Speaking from
the standpoint of political econo-
my, you are nothing but COM
modify, high price fol. which in
creases your numbers, just as a
high price for stockings increases &
the number of stockings, if there
are not enough of them; and you I
are swept away, your number is
diminished by small wages-by
what Nautilus calls the preventive
and positive check to population.
Your number is diminished, just
as if You were vermin agsirst Il
which ssc.ety wages war.
--SIasaae theuz4 tllsn NJ -
much shorter the ef$fe Of
is among the laboring cia E
than among the wealthy. =
demonstrates to them that poes /,
and insufficient food means star
vation.
There are, gentlemen" says he,
two ways of lying of starvation.
1t, indeed, happens seldom that a
man falls down dead ina moment
from hunger; but when a man is
subjected to greater expenditure
of power than he is able to replace
on account of poor food Or a mis-
cradle mode of life-whenZhe
gives out more physical energy
than he takes in-then, | say, he
dies of slow starvation"
Rehearse this in thousand diff
ferent ways and with all the re-
sources of oratorical art, to labor
ers really ill-fed, ill-housed, and
ill-clothed, and you shall indeed
find yourself soon standing upon
a volcano, whose forces are no
longer latent and slumbering.
French and German Socialism.
/ want to ask Mr.. Millett, who
defends Nordau's statement, if
such speeches as the abovetendto
quiet the uneasy conscience of
the richa" The second question !
would like to ask is: How is it
that capitalistic economists, when
they attack socialism, try to dis
prove the "iron law1"
Here are two associated press
dispatches which explain them
selves: u
berlin, August 28, ISS7.-The
police authorities have forbidden
all persons to commemorate the
anniversary of the death of Ferdi-
nand Lasalle, on pain of imprison-
ment for two years."
berlin, August 80, 1887 The
police order forbidding socialists
to commemorate the anniversary J
of the death of Lassalle
did. not have the desired
effect. Thirty thousand, fol-
lowers of the greats socialist
made pilgrimages to his tomb at
Granau yesterday"
Does Mr.. Millett think that the
German authorities would have
forbiddenwhatt they did, if Lasalle
was the friend of the rich7 and
would the workmen turn out 3o.-
900 strong under penalty Of two
years imprisonment if he had been
their enemy1 Respectfully,
HENRY COHEN.