Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-10-15

oldll anu III ltStll Trivial thing.
Taken separately they are as moth
ing, but under cooperation they all
nut work miracles. Who knows the
exact amount and value of the part
each plays in making a watch and
what is the just pay of each? The
law of altruism, which simply means
the right relation to others, abso-
lutely demands that justice be done
to each or some will Immediately suf-
fer and the whole will finally disin-
tegrate.
Now the altruistic principle is not
going to intrude itself into any So
ciety: it can only be there by the con-
sCious thought and intelligent desire
on the part of the members of society
that the social system shall be so con-
structed. We will never stumble onto
altruism.
A critical analysis of the social sys-
tenn of today reveals an utter absence
of any conscious effort on the part of
society to order its industry with a
view of dispensing justice. Each
man starts out with the avowed pur-
pose offs 'oing the best he can for him
self. to rs duty to his fellowmen may
perl- Fbe considered on Sunday or
wher'tQ attends religious meeting
during the week, but it is foreign to
his bus fess. He completes with his
brother merchant across the street.
Each is trying to support himself by
securing the same market: this
makes an antagonism from which all
brotherly feeling must recoil; in
theory they are brothers; in actual
practice they are enemies.
An immensely astonishing fact is
that between competitors in business
ii is not necessarily the mean and
cheating things a competitor does
that give him an advantage over his
rival, although that does unquestion-
ably help most of those financially
who do so.
But my aim is to show that the sys-
TEN of individualism under hich we
live will work to the destruction of
society even if it were entirely unaf-
fected bv any immortality, as such.
Suppose under the individual svs-
TEN dozen competing merchants in
the same territory engaged in the
same business: in the very nature of
things they cannot be of equal abili-
ty, capital, experience, etc. The
shire widest one will see Il point to be
gained for himself that had escaped
the scrutiny of the others: he plays
the card and wins new customers for
himself who had formerly traded with
one of his competitors. This fun Their
weakens the weaker of his Competi-
tors and he finally fails. Then again
one of the strongest invents Il new
and successful method of advertising
and secures an unequal portion of
the trade. This ruins the remaining
weaker competitor.
Two of the merchants unite into
one large store. This gives them a
larger capital and enables them to
buy in larger quantities and sell
cheaper and still make profit. This
puts all the single competitors ON
losing ground, and unless some of
them combine to fight the large store
they are doomed. Some do not and
fail: others do and a more powerful
war is nov waged between the com
bines than existed between the dozen
small stores.
Only the ordinary business methods
need be employed; and still the very
nature of competition is such that ii
operates to eliminate the competi-
tors. Those department stores in
the great cities are but the gradual
outgrowth of the smaller store. Their
methods are in no single particular
less moral than those of the small
stores.
Large capital and experience is a
condition of success, and a little sue
cess over a rival enables a big store
to swallow a little one and that means
more power yet. and the big ones
grow bigger and the little ones disap-
pear. Power once obtained eXerts.
as though it were living thing. an
influence for more power: and more
and more continually.
Aside, then. from the actual use of
immoral practices in this competitive
system, ii is economically weak; that
is to say, it is a failure as a method
of employing the whole people in sue
cessful business. Its failure is in pro-
portion to the extent to which com
petition is carried on. Its general
effect Is to lessen the number of sue.
cessful competitors and this bv cor
tinuous process. This leads it to 4
eliminating point.
(ro le Co-ti-GeGl