The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-05-02
The Evolution Of the Competitive
System.

uoL III dHN IhO SoNIA ''"A SOA
fully established, the work Of re
construction was commenced
The south bad lost, you might say
almost everything in the shape OF
property, only the bare land re
naming by which man, by the
application Of labor could again
BRING forth wealth. The north
had also suffered by the war; the
many men which were needed in
the northern army, had been taken
away from the farms and other
industries, thus reducing the am.
cunt of products that were re.
auired to furnish the nation with
supplies.
The returning soldier must find
means of livelihood; some went
back to the farms; some entered
the business world. and entered
into competition with each other;
but the great majority joined that
army of laborers, who are always
dependent on others for the priv
ilege Of working.
Immediately after the war, the
laborer, the farmer, and the me-
chanic, and, in fact, every one
else, had no complaint to make at
the condition of the times; every
thing-as they say in the vest
was booming, and period OF
great prosperity prevailed
throughout the land.
Every factory and every manu-
featuring business was run at its
utmost capacity; the building
trades were over-run with work
and the demand for laborers and
mechanics far exceeded the sup.
ply, consequently the price that
was paid in wages was greatly
enhanced.
The Capitalists who had greatly
increased their wealth, during
the war, now proceeded to de
velop the country, using the la
boring man to produce the wealth,
and create more capital by which
the owner Of that capital could
further enlarge his profits.
Before proceeding any further,
it would be we'll to define what is
then meant by Capital"
CAPITAL rs THAT WEALTH
WHICH is USED TO ASSIST
LABOR IN THE PRODUCTION
OF MORE WEALTH.
For example:-if an individual
should own a horse and use it
NEARLY for his own pleasure, it
would only be "wealth;" but
should the horse be used foI the
purpose of helping this individu-
al i'll producing more wealth, the
horse would be termed "capital."
Therefore all beasts of burden and
all kinds Of tools and machines
are ''capital' when used by the
laborer, farmer, or mechanic to
increase their powers of produc.
ton.
AT first, the tools, or nipple.
ments by which man did the work
of the world, were exceedingly
simple; they could be had at a
very little cost, so every working
man was able to own his tools,
which were his capital, and when
his work was completed. he had
in bis possession, the full result of
both his labor and his capital.
Now, if he had been able to re
tain this wealth, poverty would
have been unknown, but the diff.
ferent systems Of society through
which the world has passed have
always contained some way in
which the laborer could be de.
prived Of his possessions.
When he was a slave, his mas
ter owned all that he produced.
When he was a serf. he was
compelled to give to the ow.ler of
the land, all but sufficient to sup
por. himself; and now that he is
a free laborer, another method is
used by which an idle class can
live by the sweat Of the one who
works. This could only be &C.
complished by the separation of
Labor and Capital; for as long as
The laborer retained possession of
he capital he used--all must
work in order to live; tor without