The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-01-15

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ing consented to pose Tor the situations
of the novel, the results being repro-
duced in photogravure.
WHAT ARE THE REAL GRIEVANCES
OF LABOR?
Last week l defined wealth as being Il
product OF human labor. Fearing s,.me
may get confused by using the terms
''wealth" asd ''value'' as one and the
same thing, l desire to call attention to
the wide distinction between them.
Value Is placed on many things that
only represent wealth or the power OF
appropriating it. There is much more
"value" in the world than wealth"
Some OF the most valuable things today
are mere methods OF appropriating OF
getting wealth. Land is not wealth (al-
though we treat it as such) although it
has great value. 1t is the source from
which all wealth comes, labor gets raw
material from it to produce wealth,
The ownership OF land gives to it's pos.
SCISSOR the power to take part OF the
produce OF labor, which gives it its
| value.
Land, labor and capital are the three
factors or elements OF production. The
definition OF land has been given. 1t is
here used to mean all natural elements,
everything but man himself. BY labor
we mean any human exertion, either men,
tai or physical, that produces some,
thing. AS here used it has a much
broader meaning than is generally given
it. The other factor is capital. and here
let me insist on the reader getting a
clear understanding Of what capital Is
as it is generally misunderstood. We
read in every paper something about
the fight between capital and labor or
the oppression OF capital. So common
is this that many have come to looi;
upon it as an evil thing and the common
enemy Of labor. All this is very CHROME
Gus when properly understood. Re
member this dehnition-"Capital is that
portion OF wealth used in the production
OF more wealth." Keep clearly fixed in
your mind that all wealth is notcapital,
only that portion used in the produc-
ton OF more wealth, such as the tools,
machinery and stock OF the farmer; the
building, machinery and raw material OF
the factoryman; and the building, fix
lures and stock OF the merchant. Many
things are styled capital and treated as
such that should not be, for instance,
land. 1t is not product OF humanlabor,
IN fact man is a product OF land. 1t is
the store-house Of ray materials
to which labor goes to produce wealth,
the provision OF nature or God for the
support OF man, and therefor cannot be
capital. So say that tits erroneous to
look upon true capital as an enemy to
labor; in IL free and open field they are
friends, II helps the other. The fight
is not between capital and labor, but
between monopoly and labor and my
! desire is to bring out in these article
the real fountain head OF all this trouble
pointing out the one great monopoly
the one that makes all Others possible
produced by these three clements o
factors, land, labor and capital. Labo
acts upon land and produces wealth,
portion OF this wealth is used to MAX
mans labor more eiiective-this is car
ltal.
All wealth is divided between tire
parties us it is created and given to tn
laborer in wages, the capitalist in ren
and the land owner in rent. None vii
deny the right OF labor to have whatsC
ever it creates, this is the most sacret
right, it is deeper than human laws AM
rests upon Il fundamental law Of natur
self preservation. II l gather som
wild fruit, catch some fish OF build m
Il house these are mine as against al
Others. This part that goes to the la
borer is called wages, no matter whethc
he works for himself or others, the re
turn for his work is called wages ant
will always be referred to in this way, a
it is much easier to designate whatlaGo
gets by a single term.
That portion that goes to capital j
called interest, no matter whether tii
be the return for money loaned or til
profits on a business OF manufacturing
Interest as used in this inquiry will DIES
lgnate the pay or return for the use O
capital. What right has capital to .asl
a part OF the produce OF labor, and is
just? Let us see. You have capital,
have none. l can produce bnt littl
wealth with my bare hands. To illus
trate: / am tilling a piece OF land witt
a stick or maybe q spade, OF course m,
crop is small. l borrow your capital
which is a team and pillow, by the means
OF which l raise many foldmoreproduce
that is l have produced a great dea
more wealth. Is there anything un
just in your asking me not only to re
turn the team and pillow in as goot
shape as when l got it, but also a por
tian OF the increased prodntt? l tllinl
not. You have helped ME by lendln,
your team and pillow (capital) and
have helped you. The function Of CAPT
tai is to aid labor in producing wealth
and can never Cypress where there is {
free and open field.
That portion which goes to the lant
holder is called rent and will be fully eX
planned next week. Thus far the readel
will not be able to understand what
am getting at, but next week I hope tx
make it d little clearer. That is, I vii
will attempt to show where industry
and labor is unjustly robbed OF it's pro
duct.
Continued next week.)
LEVI MCGEE.