The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-10-18
DEFENDS
JOHN
ROBERTSON
And DenOunceS the Capitals
tic Glass.
Some Statements That Are
Their Own Most COnClu-
SiYe RefltatiOn.


Following is about one. fourth OF the
matter sent in by an alleged Socialist
that will be printed in THE DAILY JoUN-
NAL in install lmeute, as fast as space can
be found l-ED. j.
EDITOR JouRNAb:--I have read your
drastic criticism Of Mr.. Robertson, and
your glaring misrepresentation ol said
article impells me TO accept your invita-
ton to Socialists TO use the columes Of
THR JOURNAL for the presentation Of ar
guments. assure you that | appreci.
ate your generosity and manifest fair
ness in giving this broadcast invitation.
Now, Mr.. Editor, in charging you with
Misrepresentation do not wieh you to
understand that l believe or wish to i'm
ply that you are Intentionally guilty, but
rather that you have written hurriedly
and without due consideration Of the
statements you were making. hope, in
what shall have to say, to chow you
that you have gone widely astray in
your reading and application of Mr..
RS. article. You quote from him as
follows:" THE CAPIrALGSTIC CLASS
is A PARASITIC CLASS, A BLOOD
SUCKING INCUBUS ON SOCIETY
AND MUST NOT OWN THE MEANS
BY WHICH HONEST MEN MAKE
THEIR LIVING" You are pleased to
call this statement dangerous in1am-
matory and incendiary' Now | wish
TO say that 1 endorse every word Of
the above statement, as quoted by you,
notwithstanding your scathing denunci-
alton of 1t, and shall undertake to prove
that it has no element of danger, that it
is not innammatory, only in behalf OF
truth and righteousness, and is in no
sense incendiary. To the contrary, |
will show that the said statement is the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
[ don It consider Mr. r, "a careless, in
discriminating denuncator. Of all CAPT
tai" Right here, Mr.. Editor, is where
you fall down.
Mr.. r. says nothing about capital in the
extract quoted. How can you be so
superficial as to not see this2 Not q
word about capital, aud here you are
putting words into his mouth making
him say things which he did not think
Of saying, and, venture would not say
under any circumstances. hope that
you did not Intentionally misrepreseut
Mr.. r., for would much rather think
that you were mistaken than to think
that you were dishonest. II you will
read Mr.. RS words as they are, and as
he intended they should be read, you
will see that hespeaks OF CAPITALISTS
and NOT of CAPITAL.
/ understand that a parasite 's any
sort Of life that lives 10y absorbing from
some other plant or animal it's susie
nance, and not returning anything as an
equivalent for the same. Now, Mr..
Editor, fully agree with Mr.. r. in
bringing this charge against the capt.
alistic class. The capitalist, through
system which permits him to use his
capital as a highwayman docs his club,
and "holds up" aud robs the working
producer OF the products Of his labor.
But you exclaim, should not capitalists
be permitted to exact and take portion
of the producers products for the use OF
his capital And | answer, no! Labor
should own the means Of production and
not bea bond slave to the tools which he
uses. lie should be entirely independ'
ent OF the capitalist (not capital.) Who
produced the capital which the capitalist
owns2 Was it not the worker? How
did the capitalist get bis capital2 Did
he produce it, or earn il? No! He ex'
plotted it from labor by means OF
the capitalistic club, the private
ownership of capital. Did JohnD. Rocke
feler produce the mil illions oicapital which
he holds? Or does he earn the so or 60
millions of dollars which he takes from
labor by the way of profits each year?
A man to earn one million dollars at ten
dollars per day would have 10 work more
than 25O years. John ID, gets more in
the way OF profits in one wear than H.
600 men could earn at ten dollars per day |
in the same time. Is he not parasite, |
and a very vigorous one at that2 see
nothing in the words OF Mr. r, to pre-
duce anarchists, but do see in the pres
ent unjust conditions cause for much
righteous discoHtent. Why should the
producer receive only 10 TO 25 per cent.
OF the products of his toll a. his share
when he produces il all? Why should |
the capitalist by means OF the ownership /,
Of the means by which labor produces
its living be allowed 10 take 80 per cent.
OF his products?
Mr.. r. is eminently correct when he
says that the capitalist must not own
the mean5 by which laboring men pro |
duce their living, and see no threats in
those woodworking about Tesorting to
force. 1t lie very plain that Mr.. r. says
that the capitalist must not own the !
tools Of production. Why? Because the
man aho owns the tools and the man
Who uses them, and through the capital
islic ownership Of the tools OF produc-
tion and distribution, the working man
is the slave OF the capitalist. Mr.. X.
says nothing sbout striking down
or applying the torch. All
the incendiary aud dangerous
infiammatory vo.d ds aIe tie w"rds Il
4