The herald., 1896-04-15
That Labor Exchange Idea

of the labor exchange idea last Sunday )
readers of The Herald We're treated to
dissertation on the subject by Sister Mary
e. Bensen. With a courage that was ad-
mirable she valiantly came to the rescue
of Brother w. c. b, Randolph.
] rejoice to know that the coming woman
is getting here. with pith and prudence as
serting her individuality. and by the YER
satility of her genius she will forgive her
way to the front through the much misun-
derstood competitive system. despite the
numerous obstacles the great American
hog MAN-opoly may strew in her path
But to the question at issue. From some
caustic or socialistic reason she stumbled
at the threshold. She says. II feel like
stepping in and filing up the vacuum be
tween James Sempe and w. c. b. RAN
dolph in their argument on the labor eX-
change" I really wish she had gratified
her feelings to some discernihle = extent
a vacuum, but alas ] was doomed to dis
appointment. Instead of stepping in be-
tween she stepped around behind the labor
exchange idea. and profusely and con-
fusedly attempted to prop the delusive
theory. Her diction of competition and
tions as to suggest serious abnormal CON
dition of the thinking faculties. and to
create such demand for that article that
is said to cover a multitude of sins. that
there is imminent peril of the labor eX
change advocates requiring the applica-
ton of the entire supply. The full artil-
array against the competitive system; with
strange prodigality of use of ammunition
she attacked the flank of the enemy, and
as might be expected from novice in these
Free competition. the enemy she irlag-
ined she was bombarding had not yet hove
but the wrong flank she attacked.
in sight. AS a volunteer i'm the war for
social freedom she is better adapted for a
nurse in the hospital rather than a warrior
in the field. The whole tenor of her argu-
ment proves she is overfiowing with ben
evidence and kindness, that her heart is
many times larger than her head. and
faults would lean to virtues side" But
in discussing questions of political econ
ony she is more imaginative than reason
able more credulous than suspicious and
permitting her heart to overthrow the
wiser councils of her head. In speaking Of
to me it looks as if the one was the legiti-
mate outgrowth of the other: that one
could not exist without the other: one an
eXcrescence that has grown upon the trunk
so large that to sever it from the main body
would be death to the entire structure"
Such statements, are, more bewildering
than convincing. the absurdity of such II
delineation of lineage merits genealog-
ical black eye. 7 submit it would be just as
reasonable to say that darkness is the
legitimate outgrowth of light as to saw
that monopoly is the legitimate outgrowth
of competition. or to say that light could
not exist without darkness. as to say that
competition could not exist without monop-
oily. Such a method of reasoning would
proclaim that the north pole was frigid
excrescence on the equator. that the moon
was fossilized spark from the Nebula of
the North star, or any other absurdity the
ebu1litions of diseased Uranium might
emit. Again, Monopoly thrives because
competition. the mother of evil. receives
back into her system the new blood of her
offspring This is a severe draft even on
9 fertile imagination and is something in
the nature Of news to all competitors When
was 1t ever known for monopoly to give
back to its victims what it pilfered from
them. History is silent on the subject and
tC csnf co tn cavtf 4l.s.
never known or heard of. Competition
is not the mother of monopoly; sheis not
seven its grandmother. Transpose the sem
tence and, say that monopoly is the stem
mother of competition: then you would
be making some reasonable approach to-
wards facts. Socialists. labor exchange
theorists and similar organizations We
hemently decry the principle of free COM
petition without ever having witnessed the
phe.n,omen@n; M They never saw free com
petition between the victims of monopoly
and that competition. the phenomena of
which we are al so painfully familiar
change advocates and charity organiza-
tions desire to perpetuate it. and do what
little charity can DO to assuage it's evil ef-
iuuity that the unselfish intelligence of the
country have united in a crusade. bearing
a,oft ;l,o the banner OF freedom called the sin :
freedom of speech, freedom of press and
freedom of trade. The first the vox populi
laws as will burst asunder the trusts and
combines of monopoly: the second power
full lever of justice when resting on the
fulcrum of truth TO raise to their founda-
tionS every institution demanded by aver
ice, constructed by error and maintained
by fraud. The third a metaphorical John
the Baptist crying out in the wilderness OF
American stupidity, prepare We the way of
the Lord, make his path straight for he
hold the Christ of Freedom is coming the
latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy
to unloosen. and that Christ of Freedom
is the single tax. The Christ of our social
deiverance from the bondage of monopo-
istic oppression caused by corrupt spec.
ial legislation comforting privileges on the
few and committing frauds upon the many.
The Christ of our fiscal redemption from
the bondage of bond holders. land holders
and office holders. the latter not knowing
how to raise sufficient revenue to liuuidate
governmental expenses the former know
ing how to increase governmental expen-
upon the people. The Christ of our deliv-
erance from industrial slavery that will
open up all natural opportunities to labor.
that whosoever will may have an abund-
ance of the bread that perisheth and un-
der whose benign regime those who are too
lazy to work will find it mighty inconven- l.
lent to beg. for their involuntary poverty
will be abolished. and those who voluntar-
ilv desire to remain Door by catering to
vicious appetites shall have the finger of
public scorn pointed at them and they
shall hear voices and see visions that will
persuade them to depart from the error
of their ways. JAMES SEMPLE.
Pasadena.