The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1895-12-17

robs labor of its money reward
it stands, too, over consumption,
and by increasing the cost OF
living, lessons the value of lab.
or's earnings in procuring sub
sistence. Thus, and by this
means it amasses its fortunes,
while labor, with all its grind, is
a beggar in the marts of life.
The millionaire does not create,
but appropriates his millions of
wealth. 1t is, indeed, utterly
impossible that any mans servi-
ces to society, except he be a
genius of the rarest order, should
procure him million dollars in
a lifetime; much less, then,
should the service of those whose
sole object is private gain, en-
title them to their hundreds of
millions. But when these priv
ileges mean to society the ruin of
industry and business, the loss
of farms and homes under mort.
gage, and the pauperism of labor
surely the struggling and de-
spoiled masses may be excused
for inquiring whether these con-
ditions be necessary and just.
"These conditions constitute
the tyranny of capital, so much
complained of, and before which
labor stands shivering and sui
len, in dread and in revolt. Priv
ilege is the creator of capital; it
takes the wealth of the world
from the body of society where
it properly belongs, and concen-
trates this wealth in the hands
of the few, depriving labor of its
use, thus setting capital and lab
or in opposing camps, at war
with each other-at war in a con-
test necessarily, inevitably un-
equal. Capital owns the world,
it's machinery, and it's material;
labor, too, it owns, for it owns
the means of labor and of life.
And the cry of labor everywhere
is that this mastery is too abso-
lutte, too oppressive, in that it is
a power over life and death, deal
ing death more and more, as
capital, selfish and secure, has
found a new and more profitable
servant in machinery, and can
therefore dispense, with the COM
modify, labor, now everywhere
tramping and begging for char
ity, for life"
Our author next considers 1.-THE
Plea of Privilege" This chap
ter challenges the attention of
all thoughtful people who set
truth and justice above prejudice.
1t very effectively destroys the
cardhouse of apologists for plut-
ocracy, and will probably call
down upon the author a torrent
of violent invectives and insult
ing epithets, as this method is
usually employed by the sophists
of capitalism when the fallacy of
their more or less ingenious the
cries is mercilessly exposed.
Equally important is the schol-
arly chapter on 1.-THE Law of
Freedom" in which Mr.. Call
proves the inconsistency of our
social theories is mercilessly ex-
posed.
Indeed we are absolutely with
out any consistent political doc
trines. Theory is opposed to
practice, and theory to theory.
Confusion and antagonism exist
upon every political question
SO much so, that it is no exag-
geration to say that politics as
well as society is in o profound
ly anarchical condition,
The chapters dealing with the
Signs of the Times" 1.-THE
Struggle for Existence" 1.-The
Fruits of Privilege" 1.-The Plea
of Privilege, "'and 1.-The Law of
Freedom" from the groundwork
of this work, after which the
author devotes a chapter to a
calm. clear. and able discussion