The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-08-31
BY EDWARD BELLAMY


Ing naught wherewith to buy. And
when the capitalists saw that they had
no more profit because no man bought
water Of them, they were troubled.
And they sent forth men in the high
ways, the byways and the hedges, cry
ing, If any thirst let him come to
the tank and buy water of US, for it
doth overflow" For they said among
themselves, Behold, the times are dull;
we must advertiser
But the people answered, saying:
"How can we buy unless We hire US.
for how else shall we have wherewithai
to buy? Hire We us, therefore, as be-
fore, and we will gladly buy water,
for we thirst, and We will have no need
to advertise" But the capitalists said
to the people,: "Shall we hire you to
bring water when the tank, which is
the Market, doth already overflow
Buy We. therefore. first water. and
when the tank is empty, through your
buying, we will hire you again." And
so it was because the capitalist hired
them no more to bring water that the
people could not buy the water they
had bought already, the capitalists no
more hired them to bring water. And
the saying went abroad, 1T is a crisis"
And the thirst Of the people was
great, for it was not now as it had
been in the days Of their fathers, when
the land was open before them, for ev-
cry one to seek water for himself, see
| ing that the capitalists had taken all
the springs and the wells, and the wat
er wheels, and the vessels and the
buckets, so that no man might come
by water save from the tank, which
was the market. And the people MUIR
! INJURED against the capitalists and said {:
Behold. the tank runneth over. and
we die of thirst. Give us, therefore, Of
the water that we perish not
But the capitalists answered: mot
so. The water is ours. Ye shall not
drink thereof unless We buy 1t of us
with pennies" And they confirmed
1t with an oath, saying, after their
manner, Business is business"
But the capitalists were disquieted
! that the people brought no more water,
whereby they had no more any profits,
and they spake one to another, saying:
1T seemeth that our profits have
stopped our profits, and by reason of
the profits we have made, we can make
no more profits. How is that our pro-
fits are become Improbable to us,
and our gains do make us poor? Let
us, therefore, send for the soothsayers.
that they may interpret this thing unto
u.s." and they sent for them.
Now, the soothsayers were men
learned in dark sayings, who joined
themselves to the capitalists by reason
Of the water Of the capitalists, that
they might have thereof and live, they
and their children And they spake for
the capitalists unto the people, and did
their embassies f6r them, seeing that
the capitalists We're not a folk quick
Of understanding neither ready OF
speech.
And the capitalists demanded Of the
soothsayers that they should interpret
this thing unto them, wherefore it was
that the people bought no more water
Of them, although the tank was full.
And certain Of the soothsavers an
swered and said, 1T is by reason Of
over production" and some one said,
1T Is glut"; but the Specification of
the two words is the same. And others
said, NAY, but this thing is by reason
Of the spots Of the sum-" And yet 9TH
ers answered. saying. 1T is neither by
reason Of glut, nor yet Of spots on the
sun that this evil hath come to pass,
but because of lack of confidence"
among themselves, according to their
manner, the men Of profit did slumber
and sleep, and when they awoke they
said to the soothsayers: 1T is enough.
Ye have spoken comfortably unto us;
now go We forth and speak comfortably
likewise unto this people, so that they
be at rest and leave us also in peace"
But the soothsayers, even the men Of
the dismal science-for SO they were
to the people lest they should be stoned
for the people loved them not. And
they said to the capitalists:
Masters, it is a mystery of our craft
that If men be full and thirst not but
be at rest, then shall they find comfort
in our speech even as We. Yet If they
thirst and be empty, find they no COM
fort therein, but rather mock us, for it
seemeth that unless a. man be full our
wisdom appeareth unto him but empti-
ness" But the capitalists said: "Go
We forth. Are We not our men to do
our embassies?"
And the soothsayers went forth, to
the people and expounded to them the
mystery of overproduction, and how it
was that they must needs perish of
thirst because there was overmuch
water, and how there could not be
enough because there was too much.
And likewise spoke they unto the peo-
pie concerning the sun spots, and also
wherefore it was that these things
had come upon them by reason Of lack
Of confidence. And it was even as the
soothsayers had said. for to the people
their wisdom seemed emptiness. And
the people reviled them, saying: go
up, We bald heads. Will We mock us?
Doth plenty breed famine? Doth moth
ing come out of much?" And they
took up stones to stone them. &c.,.
And when the capitalists saw that the
people still murmured and would not