The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-05-11
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
SOME SPECULATIVE PHILOSOPHY BY
KNIT,


ecrations, labor troubles and short prof
its in business circles, it beho0ves men
to post themselves on the why's d the
wheref0res.
Anybody can see the necessity of
shortening the hours of LABOR, when
there isn't employment enough to go
around; but people seem to be slow TO
understand when labor Is necessary
factor in the production of wealth, and
so many men live without doing any
productive labor) why those who are
willing to work, can not find steady
employment, or why so many business
men go to the wall.
One man will raise tie cry: there Is
not capital enough to sustain business
and to employ surplus labor, and a
whole community will start pell nell
to raise capital, when the trouble is too
much capital already.
Capital destroys the germ that pro-
duces the demand for labor and busi-
ness. Such relief is but temporary. 1t
is like taking the fatal bowl to drown
sorrow. Wealth is the natural employ
or of both business and labor, while
capital changes wealth from its natural
function.
Wealth will buy what is wanted. This
creates demand for business and
labor. Capital will buy nothing unless
there Is supposed to be money in IL.
While all capital is wealth, wealth only
becomes capital when iJ Is used to
gather more wealth. Then it seeks EN-.
ployment and loses its natural function
as an employer.
Social economy teaches us, that in the
production of wealth there are three
factors: Land, labor and capital, 10y
land is meant the material taken from
land) and that consequently each of
these three factors are entitled to a
share of the products.
Now, If 1t can be clearly shown that
either one of these three factors takes,
with the aid of some outside power,
enough of that wealth to absorb the
whole product, then the other two fac
tors clearly have q just right to COM
plain, aud to change that result, with
the aid of any power that can be
brought to bear.
Now, IL can be clearly shown that
every State in this Union, collects at
least six per cent interest for capital,
by the power of law, and compounds it
at that. While statistics show that
three per cent. is all that can be made
by the joint effort of land, labor and
capital.
Now what effect must this neces-
sarily have on business and labor, and
the morals of society.
1t is said that the ground on which
Brooklyn, N. Y, now stands was once
bought from the Dutch for S25. Sup
pose the Dutch had agreed TO wait 500
years for that $25; and the state of n.
Y. had agreed to pay ir at that time,
with six per cent interest compounded,
what would be the results. 1t would
take all the land and all the wealth in
New Y ork state to pay it If you don't
believe it, figure it up. Compound in
teTest at six per cent. doubles every
sixteen years. Suppose that when Co
lumbug discovered America, Spain had
agreed to take 5000 to compromise
her for the expense, and wait six hun
Gred years, and Uncle Sam had agreed
to pay that sum with six per cent.
interest compounded at the end of six
hundred years. Now if governments
have right to collect interest for cap
ital at all, Spain would have a right
to demand and to collect if she could,
that amount at the end of that time,
and this would take all of our land at
its present value, and all the wealth of
every kind, and leave our people naked
paupers and slaves to Spain.
This is the natural result of capital
ism, and its effects on labor and busi-
ness is clear. Fowler said 65 years ago,
that six per cent. interest on capital
must necessarily empoverish the people,
and as poverty and misery increases by
the domestic fireside, crime and immo-
raiity would increase in the land.
BY referring to the census bureau at
Washington it will be found that we had
in 1860 $4,000, 100000 worth of wealth
in this country; and that 432 per cent
of that wealth, then belonged to the
farmers and workers of the country
while 564 per cent belonged to capital
or to the parasite classes that gather
wealth by capital.
In 1870 we had s3OOOOOOO,OOO worth
of wealth and 3219 per cent belonged to
the workers, ana 671s per cent to the
parasites.
In 1880 he had $4S,OOOOOO while
"a per cent belonged to the workers
and 70 per cent to the parasites.
Iu 1890 we had $Sl, l,0O0,000,000 worth
II per cent belonging TO the laborers
and 83 per cent to the parasites.
Now IL the laborerS' share of the
wealth produced has been reduced from
| 434 per cent to II per cent in the last
30 years, what will it be 30 years hence
Most people depend on some political
party to right things, while political
parties never rise above the average
voter in intelligence and morality, and
when they get power generally fall be-
| low it.
Capital has got the start in politics
and now owns the legislative and ju.
dietary, Dob Ingersoll says so, and he
knows), while to foot the bills be ongl
to labor and business.
Now the power of governments il
based on superstition, more than OF
an intelligent sense of justice and right
and long before the masses can be in.
duced to see things as they are, through
heir superstitions, few of the heavi,
est capitalists or corporations will owl
all the land, and about all the wealth
there Is, and the masses will then hav,
to depend on their earnings, or steal
ings.
Then, unless history fools us, Their
will be blood on deck.
Organized labor now Is kind o
peace Offering, and If that peace offer
ing fails to satisfy justice, (Which i
more than probable,L then look out TO
| a hlnndv auarifina auoh 40 thu xuorI,