The advocate., 1894-03-21


can t they exchange directly with each
other, then, instead of exchanging for
money first and letting the money class
tell them both ways? This is why: The
farmer OGCRS what he raises, and can
do with it what he wills; but the coal
miner does not own the coal he gets
out, nor the factory hand the shoes or
the cloth he makes; the railroad crews
do not control the railroads they Oper-
ate-no WOrkingman or woman owns
a particle of the product of his or her
labor. They cannot even produce at
all without the consent of the small
class of men that owns all creation. Be-
fore the farmers can prosper, they have
got to make all other working people
the owners of their own products so
they can exchange with the farmers
without the aid Of money men to take
toll both ways. Now, suppose this
farmers trust l spoke of should own
all the mines, quarries, railroads, fac
tories, foundrieS, mills, and so on; then
it could set all the idle labor in the
state to work, could furnish homes on
the trust lands, and could provide
everything for labOTers to eat or to
wear; the laborers could be given
wages the same as the farmers them
selves and a share of the profits, and
there would be equality, and plenty,
and happiness for all. Can this plan
be carried out? Easily, if the people
were wise enough to simply wish to
carry it out. How?
"Instead of a farmers trust like |
have spoken of, do this: Let the state
become the owner of all the mines,
railroads, forests, mills, and so on; then
let the different kinds of useful labor
be organized into cooperative associa-
tiOnS-an agricultural association, a
coal miners association, building
trades association, a horticultural assO-
citation, and so on through the whole
range Of useful occupations, including
doctors, teachers and printers; let each
association choose its member Of fed
Grafton council to look after all indus
trial affairs, collect statistics, arbitrate
disputes, and manage everything in the
way of honest work, leaving religion,
morals, education, amusements, and
everything in the way of labor and ex-
changes absolutely free of all control;
let each association have power to in
stantly recall it's delegate whenever his
conduct is unsatisfactory, and you have
this scheme in complete operation by
machinery so simple a child could un
derStand it, and the people so free that
even an anarchist could not object. All
this machinery is ready right now for
use. The Federation of Labor and the
Farmers Alliance have only to unite
through a general council chosen by
both bodies, and every branch of use
full labor will be federated, the teach
ers' associations and the medical assO-
Citations already exist and could join
the federation without delay. The
famers already have the farms and the
live stock, and they need only become
cooperative through the Alliance they
need not give up their lands in anyway
whatever. What is needed then? Why,
mine owners, railroad owners, mill own
ers, and so on, are unwilling to CO.
operate; they are unwilling to work,
but wish to live off the unpaid labor of
other people and will not come into a
scheme to make everybody happy by
setting everybody to work at some
thing useful. Here is where legislation
is needed. We must take these ma
terials and means of production from
the idle parasites of society and make
them the property of the whole people
as God meant 'em to be. That will be
done; it will be done by the farmers and
working people uniting to do it, and
heaven has raised up the Peoples party
as the instrument they are to use in
doing it. This would be socialism and
1 don't believe there are farmers
enough to be worth counting who would
not be in favor Of it if it was explained
to them"