Workmen's advocate., 1890-05-31
EPISTLE III.

EPISTLE H.
 And now, my brothen and sisters, cOncerniDg humor. The man who has a keen perception of he conpuous, 11lust also have as keen per ception of the con gruOus; and say that no man is fit to act as a judge, or tea cher, who cannot, in due season, enjoy humor-of right kind The faculties of accurate judge ment, and of appreci ating humor, are inSeparable
 But enough of this. If you don't like my writings you can turn totheadvert ise- ments, in which due sclemnity is in variably maintained. l write as the spirit moves me.
 Two paragraphs of preface, written whilst l was considering what to wite about! Well-rve decided to give you a little more of my political economy. Stars, please
 The only equitable measure of Price is Cost-labor cost. The price of any thing should be the ac tual average cost of producing or man ufacturing it. and of conveying it to the place where it is exchanged-for money or goods Any price above or below this implies in justice tothe producer, L he manufacturer,
 
 There can be no equ itable charge for equi table charge for any of the "ra --- materiah" of the heav ems above, O.. une earth beneath us.
 If the flaw of dem and and supply" were not mterfered wit h by ymonopolists, it would operate--as all naturaI laws do to the general ad V antage, But as Ca certainly as the law of gravitation acts disastrousy in some eases Gs, for in stan ce, when rock falls and kills good man), just as certainly would the "Iaw W of demand and supply For illustration, take some shipwrecked mariners. They are dying of thirst, an d, although they have ten thousand dol lars with them, they cannot buy mo uthful of water. They are overhauled by ship on which is an abundance of wate r, andthe perish ing men call for 't WatT! Water WATER!" !" Here is an urgent demand, indeed What shall be t he price? 'A7ay thinS !-EueWhing ace haue!-0nW giUe US aCdter" No! The price must not always be regulated by the urgency of the ''demlnd" and the power tosupply- or to withhold supply.
 Political economy should recognize equi ty and humanity. Until it does so, twill continue to be non sclence-waste- full and mschievOus nonsense Before we '@Duy in the cheapest and sell in the deare-t market" we sho uld try to know that those We buy from have not robbed the producers, and that those we sell to will not make evil use of our goods. of we have matches for sale, we must not sell them to a man who will burn our good neighbor's house down if he gets them though he would give ten times the usual price.)
 The actual producers aIwayssell at the lowest wholesale pricrs, and buy at the highest retail prices; and this they will continue to do until they exchange with each other-for equlvaiee nts'
 Goethe says,-"My work is that of an aggregation of beings, taken from the whole of nature; it bears the name of Goethe"
 And l, Jack Armstrong, speak with many voices because 1 am the mouth- piece of multitude of m en and women of all nations some of W hom have never before had spokesman to utter their thoughts, whilst others h ave had spoke5- men " ho have misrepre scented and be- trayed them.
 Ispeak for many silen philosophers. poets, artists, lovers, and martyrs; for tramps, prisoners, and public women; for la II ghing school girls and school boys. and for neglected, destitute, and abused children.
 Through me the lonely and friendless shall speak, and all oppTessed persons. lam but medium throu gh whom come the sayings of all sorts of persOns;-some of them cheerful, and some of them weary of living; some poetical, and some statistica some in the workshops, factories and stores of crowded cities, and some on the broad plains, the noun ntains, and on the high seas.
 Through me all the old rormers speak, and the revolutioI1ists of to day and of the future. Through me shall speak the gray haired grandmOther, the ever busy mother;swee:heartsa and romp- ing lads and lasses.
 speak for you. ThrOugh gh me speak "all sorts and conditions of men"-ex- cept hypocrites and "diviI1es.
 Here's the printers voice: Cant you manage with fewer stars, or do you mean