The independent., 1903-12-03
The FaIIacy Of Socialism

is alone the exploiter of the prOduc-
er, then the only solution of the social
question is a collective ownership and
collective operation of machinery. A
second question tnen arises, Shall the
ownership of. machinery be achieved
by voluntary cooperative association
or by legislative action? II the form
er, then all energies should be central
ized to organize and equip voluntary
cooperative associations. II the lat
ter, then every enOrt should be made
to increase the power of a political
Eparty pledged to public ownership Of
the machinery OF the country.
The land question is now lost when
we admit that machinery is the sole
exploiter of the producer. AS the
machine now looms like a leviathan
III our imagination, let us inquire il
either the land or the machine is a
direct and sole exploiter. The ques-
lion is easily answered, Yankee-lihe,
Dy asking another:
What would be the social effect if
every dollar were cancelled as soon
as it had effected an equivalent ex-
changer
There are but three possible replies
20 this question::
/. That it would have no effect
whatever. That reply is wide Of the
mark; il | sell 20 bushels OF corn for
910 and buy a coat with the $40 and
then sell 20 bushels OF wheat for that
v1O and if that $40 is then cancelled,
then there has been made some Kind
OF a social change either good or bad.
2. 1t would help the capitalist clas s
TO have every dollar cancelled as soon
as it had effected equivalent exchange.
If that be true, then why has not Shy
lock, long ago, secured the cancella-
tion of the dollar when it had effected
equivalent exchange? No more need
be said in reply thereto.
3. 1t would benefit the producing
classes were the dollar cancelled when
it had effected equivalent exchange
because cancellation would eliminate
unearned increment, rent, interest,
profit Or surplus value. There is no
escape from this conclusion. 1t is a
matter Of irresistible and remorseless
logic. If cancellation of the dollar
would benefit Shylockism, then Shy
lock would have every dollar can
celled. If the farmer. sells 20 bushels
of corn for SO and buys coat with
the $40 and then sells 20 bushels of
wheat for $40 and then cancels the
dollar, he has been transacting busi-
ness in the field OF free exchange and
he has been exchanging goods on
system of improved barter. Ii the
railroad companies invest $40 in labor
and then receive $40 for passenger
ticket and then cancel the $40, then
rent, interest. profit or surplus value
have been eliminated. Cost and price
are one and cost is the limit of price.
If the steel trust invests $40 in labor
aud sells so many pounds of metal
and cancels the $40 received, then the
steel trust ceases its existence as a
trust. II is of no exploitive value to
the owners because the power To ox-
Phe trust being of no exploitive value.
its plant and machinery will be aban-
doned as rancher abandons a home
stead. Anyone may take abandoned
The steel trust workmen
would assume control and operate the
trust as voluntary cooperative as
sociation. The machine has lost It's
terror. The machine Is not the cx-
ploiter; II Is merely the agency for ex-
ploitatlon. And SO we see the falIacy
of socialism. The non-cancellative me-
dium of exchange Is alone the exploit
er. Abolish the money system, es-
'ahlish self-cancollatlye system Of |
exchange and exploitation ceases.
This may be done either by legislation
lr By voluntary association
VI. ]. WInEi.
Riverside. Cal.
trhe Independent oonfesass Il can
7ot follow Mr.. Wibel clearly. II Mr..
vibel sells 30 bushels of corn. recelv-
ne In exchange gold eagle upon
Witch Ia stamped Ten Dollars" and
hen exchanges that gold earle for
oat-~the result Is the same as though
'e had snapped twenty bushels of
orn for coat. hut II he now eclls
mother 20 bushels for the same. or
mother. gold eagle aud cancels or de-.
troya lt--wcll. the net result of both