The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-06-20
LABOR PROBLEM Can b
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The Solution Of Our Problem Must take
- Place Upon Economic Ground. ).
1t Can Not be Justified Within the Po-
Iiticaf Arena-Martha Moore Avery.
| To put it squarely, sis this problem
within the scope of the labor movement,
or is it problem for. the working class
party to solver"
| Or still closer to the issue, ''do the
| Socialist parties assume the task OF
rendering economic justice?"
TO the last question one must ans
Wer Eyes" Their postu1ates, are at least
emphasized in opposition to an adjust
| ment upon industrial ground.
| The world over, Socialist polemics
presuppose that the political power once
| gained may discharge the task of equit-
| ably regulating values for exchange.
| Hence the contemplated introduction of
| labor checks and the dismissal of the
| leading function of money; namely, that
| of measure of value.
All! but you say that the economic
question of to-day become the political
question sof tomorrow. This is but a.
muddying Of the troubled waters, for
the economic questions pre- Sc of yes
terday, of to-day and Of tomorrow are
for all time economic questions.
! The superstructure of civil society
rests upon it's economic functions. To
be sure political power does not take up
! phases OF Industrial questions into the
world of intellectual judgments for the
purpose of equitable adjustments, that
| the protection of human life and the Sc
| curity of prosperity rights-the indus
| trial life Of the nation-may be pro-
excessively perfected.
| Indeed, it is this nation which Gre
| ates the sphere Of political economy.
| T may, perhaps, make this plain in this
| way:
! The right-hand power of civilization
| is economic, while the left-hand power
of civilization is political. The right
hand leads, it builds while the left hand
assists; it supports. The point is that
in the nature Of the case the left hand
can not usurp the place of the right.
| Nor can the right hand remain idle
without dissolution, a disruption of
the human mechanism, the state.
Now that the lines are somewhat
! drawn between the economic and politi-
cal power as related to the keystone
! of the social production of necessities
| for exchange, we may again ask, is
there a rational method Of progressive
ly freeing the wage-earners from their
| 3a{9i fn r,1n
sire to put stress upon the word wage
earners. For the wage Garner of all
private servants; honored secretaries
| or kitchen cooks; of all such persons
as render social services in the employ
of private corporations; of all such per-
sons as perform civil functions, of
| whatsoever kind is based upon the same
tWo-fold principle Of skill and time
which determines the exchange value
of the commodity labor power when
consumed in, the direct production of
the strict necessities of life-for exam
pie food, clothing and housing.
And what is much more to the point,
I the standards fora justing the wages
| of services Of high or low quality are
set up from the prices paid for those
| labor-powers consumed in the pro-
| duction of staple commodities. Con-
sequently these classes of public and
| private servant may come to possess
| ion OF the full value of their services
when the wealthmakers do, and not
before.
| I have not a utopia to propose, how
ever useful it might be in stimulating
men to recognition of the great truth
hot h.
| of persons-that men may when they
Will institute regime Of human bro
| therhood-for well know the fact that
the quality Of religion alone lays the
base for the just and merciful treat
| ment of man by man.
And, too, I believe it is not so much
| the stimulus of utopian scheme that
| is needed as it is that those who are
| seeking to perform deeds of valor
| should become aware that the oppor-
| tunity lies at their very door.
| The trade unions are now making the
transition from our present condition
| to one wherein the men who do the
| work OF the world will enter into the
fuller benefits of advancing civilization.
To a regime wherein potential labor
! --N~ w
control the price of corn, cotton, horses
in short, the prices Of whatsoever
merchandise is found within the market
place. To time when his pust claim
to the new values which his work has
created will be freely conceded.
| If this be so, then is the trade union
training it's strong right arm to WELD
the might Excalibur in a winning bat
tie for the race-whiIe it's left hand now
holds the glorous Pridwin and thus pro-
tects the progress of the nation against
the dread despoilers, disorder and pow
erty.
Certainly! yes,,:it is a slow process.
But it keeps pace With~our political pro-
gress. OF course, wage-earners only
control the prices within the tlabor
market in proportion as they are Or
ganized.S Even So, their power is high
enough to hold the standard of living.
above the full pressure of the non-or-
ganized workmen, to say nothing of the
| hnSfilo