The midland journal., 1892-07-22
Friday. July %, 1892.
Scarcity VS.. Plenty.


theory, which is the theory on which the
monopoly, the corporation, the trust and
class government system is founded. AS far
as Mr.. Purnell pursuos the subject he pre-
sents the case very plainly, showing the
hard lines this false economic theory must
unavoidably lead large part of the human
race to, which in the end ifsteadily pursued
sufficient length of time must involve the
whole. In fact it is the canker worm thai
devoured every dead nation in history,
though it may be obscured by surface con-
dtions that lead the cursory observer, and
careless student astray. This system, prop
erly named, is the policy Of greed. 1t il
the .egerdemain by which the wealth pro-
duced by the hand of industry is transferred
to the hand OF the non-producer. 1t is
process by which part of necessary Sub
stance for the industrious is extracted and
tion by the idle does not keep pace with the
industrial class TO create, in order 10 preyent
stagnation among the labor class it becomes
necessary to destroy or waste portion Of
the overproduction that prices may be main
tanned so as 10 prevent siagnation, total col
lapse and revolution-an effort to better
desperate and unbearable condition by
violence.
There never was too much food and cloth
ing in the world (overproduction) while
large portion of the people who are able to
work 60 hungry and ragged. If the per-
sons who produce more of the things than
they can use could sell the surplus at liv
ing price they conld accumulate storage of
property, that is they would lay by some
thing for rainy day and become capital
lists to limited extent, and many of them
would extend their business and give
labor more employment. 1fthose who are
ragged, or too scantily clothed and hungry
-insuficiently fed-had the means they
would freely purchase all of the surplus
that civilized society has ever produced or
could produce.
If these two arms of industry which make
up the great bulk Of society, the "over"
producers, and the under supplied, could be
brought in harmony with each other the
greater part of the misery and want, the
great unrest now afflictng society would
disappear. This law of compensation which
applies 10 every part of creation not dis
turbed by man would apply with infinite
wisdom TO human society also if it were not
interfered with But if this industrial
creative host of the human family enjoyed
all of what it produced, the special, legal
lied, privileged, millionaire class would
almost be crowded out of the human hiye
That class, however, has planned, and put
their plans in operation by system of class
laws which enables them to force an "over-
production" and an under consumption"
and by producing a condition which makes
it impossible for the hungry to reach the
surplus food and the naked to secure the
surplus clothing, they are enabled to absorb
the greater part of this fictitious surplus.
Mr.. Purnell sees these things and points
them ont as far as he pursues the theme
very plainly, but he is mistaken in the
remedy he prescribes; which is free ex-
change of products with all the world. This
would not change any of those conditions
which we haye referred to, but merely in
terrupt them for short time, possibly, on
present lines. They would soon adjust
themselves and 60 on probably with more
force than ever.
The internal trade of every country is
virtually free, but none of these good re-
suits predicted exist. By merely throw
ing down government lines that separate
nations in the matter of trade would not
change class conditions. They would be
upset for while. The worlds prices Of
products and of labor would soon be brought
to common level. Ours would probably
be pushed down little and the poorer and
more densely populated countries would be
brought up notch possibly. This condi-
tion is inevitable any how, and we are stead
lily nearing it. We cannot patch up our
social system which involves our whole
business machinery, by either free trade
plasters or tariff lamentations. "The stars
in their courses fought againsts Sisera,"
even SO they fight against every make-shift
method of man.
Usury is the bane of the world, end if it
was abolished there would be but slim
chance 10 monopolize business or the oppor.
tunilies. Money is the tool of civilization
by which all work is accomplished. With
that tool placed in the hands OF class of
the population, who have been given COM
piete control of it, they can produce any
condition of society they choose. If they
make it scarce they deprive labor and
trade of the tools necessary TO enable them
TO moye forward. They reduce the value
of property-wealth that has been pro-
duced-preyent the necessary interchange
for its consumption and use. They then
gather in as much of this wealth as the
ftvored class can manage, and the surplus
is called an over production. BY stinting
the amount OF money to supply idle labor,
oyerproduction is readily secued. This
result is not reached in a direct way, but by
the leaning of the money this favored class
controls. Every manufacturer in the coun-
try is obliged to borrow from the money
Joonars in order IN defray his running ex-