The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-09-05
Is Society Controlled by q Class?

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loves the country in which he was
born and raised He will never
cease to praise the qualities that
his particular country enjoys, and
he hates to acknowledge those de
fects that are to be found in every
nation of the earth. II VT ask an
Americal if s'class rules exists
in Europe he will be sure to ali
swer-Yes. but it takes a vast am
cunt Of argument to make him adj
nit that we have it in America
tits not because he wishes to be
stubborn, but every true American
loves his country and we all know
that Glove is blind. The ayera ge
American will say that this nation
is a democracy, being governed by
the people through their represen-
tativcs; that every citizen has a
voice in its management; and that
it is free country" and contains
no classes. It is true that the
people govern in this country, but
only on election day, and the ba-
lance of the time, the representa-
tiyes whom they elect, save them
the trouble and do all the labOreTs
work themselves 1t is true that II
is free country provided we do
nothing contrary to the wishes OF
those who control our representa-.
tive, and, to acknowledge the ca
lstence of classes, will never
cause us to love our country less,
knowing-as We must dO-that the
sooner we (as people, take tie
control Of the government away
from a class and bring it withlu
the control Of the people the more
patriotic will the people become.
What is it that makes classes? l.
1t not divisions of the people in
such way that some Of them have
privileges and opportunities thai
the others do not have? Now will
any one deny, that in America, the
child that was born in the slumS
of New York or Chicago or San
Francisco, or of any great City, Is
born with very much different OPP
portunities from one who is born
on Fifth Avenue or the Lake Shore
Drive or Mob Hill. More than
that, we have seen, that the class
of owners are able to make all OF
her people work and support them
in idleness. Some one may object
to this, and say that the capitalist
class do a great deal of work: but
has it not already been shown in
these columns that the capitalists
have ceased even to superintend
the industries, and left them en-
tirely in the hands of the employ
erss Others will point to the fact
hat labOrers some time become
capitalists and vice versa. But this
proves nothing. If it could be
shown quite frequently soldiers in
opposing armies, deserted to their
respective enemies camps, that
would not lessen the fact of theeX-
istence of two different armies.
Besides it is getting more and
more difficulty each day for the la
borers to leave their class. With
the great capital necessary to do
business among the trust of today
it is as impossible for the laborers
to become capitalists as it is for
Ethiopian to change their skin,
SO the next thing will be the ques-
ton as to whether one of these
classes is ruling, and the other
is subject to the one ruling
Let us examine some Of the facts
and see the things that are being
done around us and then we will be
able to see if they are III the inter.
est OF the capitalist class or the
labOrers class If we find that
they are in the interest of the cap
italists class, then we shall be Just
flied in claiming that that class is
ruling. First about the govern,
aent. The one thing which all the
governments of to day insists upon
is the right of private property
1t is to secure this right to men
to own the things, which other
men must use, that our laws are
enacted; courts and jails establish.
ed; our police and army maintained
and the whole machinery of COVER