The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-09-29
WHAT IS GAINED
When Men Slave For Their
Children in This World
AND LEAVE AN OCTOPUS
That VIII Surely Destroy All Their Earn
ings In the Course of Time?-A. j.
Kintz, student of: Economics,
Writes TO the News-Democrat

Kintz, a student Of Economics,
Writes to the News-Democrat.
Editor News s-Democrat:-In older
times, when might undertook to lord 1t
over right, it took its good olaymore Ia
hand and went forth In search OF ad
venture; 1t slew its weaker adversary
and appropriated to itself It's land land
cattle and kline, came home In triumph,
bearing loads Of spoils, accompanied by
knights In armor and slaves in chains.
This idea Of the right of might was
the rule Of the world in primitive ages,
and, in spite Of christianity and civiliza.
tion, is the rule of the world today, with
perhaps this modification: If 1t flatters
my interest 1t is right; ifjadverse to my
interests 1t is wrong.
The whole system Of. capitalization IL
based on that idea. Labor organizations
have been fighting capital for the last
fifty years, not only in this country but
In nearly every civilized nation in the
world. SO far their operations have been
directed against oapi6al instead Of cap.
italism, by way of strikes and boycotts.
This while it'bas been no benet1t-to labor
has increased the vigilance Bnd the power
of capitalism. Capital, as we are eduo7-
ted to understand capital, is a market BILE
commodity, and as such is benefit to
society and to labor, and right here is
where people are fooled. Capitalism is a
system entrenched 10 the forts of govern.
ments ana derives.its strength from the
power of governments which enables men
that have capital TO rob society and labor,
and as such is cure to humanity. II
robs society by taking from soci ty what
society creates or produces, namely the
unearned incre n eut On land, which so.
ciety needs to defray the expenses of so.
clety. 1t has robbed labor of every
natural advantage and reduced the
average wages Of labor what it costs the
state to keep It's paupers and criminals
and has given us four million tramps; II
has made slaves Of our wives and chill.
dren and Is now gathering the wealth
that weaker capitalists may yet have
and is forcing their children and theii
oh ildren's children into the ranks oi
pauper labor.
Men are anxious to save something for
their children after they are gone, but
when they die and leave them q system
that is bound to rob them, what have
they gainedp The burdens that cap
italism imposes on humanity increases
just as wealth increases, by the law Of
interest, In geometrical progression.
One dollar put on interest at the com,
mencement Of this government at six
percent, II paid at the end of fifty or o
hundred years, woald hardly be felt by
the people of this country, but If left tc
run two thousand years would bankrupt
the world and simply could not be paid
at all. Men of means are constantly
being crowded to the wall, while thelI
wealth finds its way into the big we'll
just as water finds its level. To illus
trate, Sam Jones as q rich man, owned
good farm, blocks in town and had
everything necessary to make a man
CO mfortable and happy, but he fooled II
away, and as result of his folly, some
we're made richer and others were made
poorer, Now Sam Jones was not Q
drinking man or a profligate of any kind,
but he was educated to do things as Other
people did, and he simply fooled it away
because he didn't know any better.
Now Sam Jones was not the only mar
In this country that did the same thing
and among that number was Uncle
Sam. Uncle Sam once owned nearly al
the land in this country, but he fooled II
away, and as result of his folly, some
became immensely rich while million,
were made paupers. Now Uncle San
was not drinking man nor a profiigate
Of any sort, but he too was educated tC
do things as other nations and peoples
did, and he fooled 1t away because he
didn't know any better. Had Uncle
Sam kept the public domain and leased
or rented 1t for Just what the people
o ould afford to pay for the use of It, hi
might be rioh man today and have
plenty OF revenue for all public expenses
without taxing either labor or capital O,
burdening unborn generations with in
terests on bond.
Necessity will compel the people Of
this country in the near future to choos,
between one of two systems, as there ar
but two systems proposed that we know
of to curb the power of capitalism
namely, socialism and single tax. So
cialism, If we understand it, proposes !,
destroy capitalism, and with it in
dividualism, and this would deprive 80
ciety of any beoeat that might be derived
from the use Of capital. Single tax doei
not propose to destroy either capital Oh
capitalism, but to put brake, as Il
were, on the power of capitalism By
shortening its opportunities ant
siren sthening the power of labor by In
creasing its opportunities, thus saving
individualism.s I am not now defending
either system, but certainly something
must be done to curb the ravages o
capital, or 1t will absorb everything tha
humanity wants and needs.
| A l. KINTZ