The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-05-02
LABOR COLUMN.
Devoted to the Interests of the Laborer
H. {. BRAGG Editor.
H. {. BRAGG, Editor.

tnlS capital, can IOTGe inc ldool
to give up to them. the greater
part of the wealth which he ere.
ates. In order. then, that this
class can obtain the pay for the
capital they possess, they employ
the laborer to use their capital
and return to them. in the form
of wages, portion of the wealth
that the workman has produced
1t is therefore plain to be seen
that the "aim' of the capitalist i.
to separate the laborer from the
capital that he requires to assist
him in his work, and although
much is heard about how "Labol
and capital should work IN har.
mony," it can never do so, as long
as Capital is owned by one class
of society, and the labor is per
formed by another class; who are
dependent on the owners of this
capital for the privilege OF elm
ployment.
Although the capitalists had
gained much power at the close of
the war, yet their strength was
not much feared by the masses of
the people, because there were so
many opportunities-in this new
country-to obtain wealth from a
Natural source; and if the laborer
did not like the conditions that the
offered him, he was at
to homestead the land and
live the independent life of a
tIller of the soil.
Every system of society IS con
troled by the laws of evolution.
The ultimate aim of the human
race, is true civilization; and we
pass through one economic system
after another in our endeavor to
reach that state. Each system is
better than the one which proceed
ed it; and although these wrong
systems are the cause Of much
pain and suffering, they must be
until, by the slow pro
cess of evolution, they develop
their errors, and then they pass
away and are forgotten aud new
and better system ARISES in theil
stead.
The competitive system-like
feudalism-is a form Of society in
which agreed" is developed il
human nature. In the feudal sys
TEN, it was the greed for the &C
quirement of land; and in the com
petitive system, we now witness
the greed for money; for with
money all wealth can be purchased
i be it the land, which produces
the raw materials, or be it ma
chinery which helps to produce
these raw materials, and also the
finished products. This greed is
the cause Of the rapid reciprocal
change Of the system; it makes
men tramp down their fellow
creatures, that they may climb
above them and as the wealth in
cleases in the hands of the few
human lives must be sacri ficeo'
business men must be ruined; and
labOrers must be reduced to slaves
in order to satisfy the selfish
natures, that are the offspring of
competition.
In the infancy of the competi.
tive system; the laborer and the
owned their own tools.
Gradually these tools became
machines, that could produce
many times the former amount of
products. At first these ma
chimes were owned by each indi.
vidual who required them, Tut
when they became so enormous
and expensive, that a single Ia
borer was no longer able 70 pur-
chase them; they passed into tn.
hands of another class, and were
used to the detriment of the work.
er instead of his advantage.
From this time on; the owners OF
his capital, having every advan.
age over those who used it; h pit on
mere asing Their wealth, by apyro.
,riatlng TO themselves the surplus
1alues. which ls the difference be.
,wecn the actual cost of product,
md the amount paid to labor for
u production.
The price of any article :. nov