The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-09-08
THE open SHOP"

evidence that he also fails to fully
understand the Colorado situation But
let that pass, for want to make re-
mark or two in addition to what the
editor said in answer to Mr.. S., for
think that neither Of you went to the
heart of the question.
Mr. s. says: Capital and labor
should go arm in ARM
That is true and they would do so,
except for the fact that under existing
taxation systems capital has the power
to obtain monopolies which give the
holders the power to shut out laborers
from opportunities where they could
employ themselves and be their own
masters. For instance, man has be-
come the possessor of some wealth.
He may have been a laborer or wage
Garner himself and saved all he could
of his earnings until he has accumu-
lated, say $4,000. He forms a COM
pany OF fifteen or twenty other men
who have saved their earnings and
they buy. a coal mine, and not only
the mine but also all the land which
is supposed to contain coal within fif-
teen or twenty miles or more. They
employ men and dig coal from only
two or three spots in all these lands.
I The men who have not saved any mon
ey and are not yet capitalists and who
propose to get their living by digging
coal come to these mines for work.
They are compelled in these times to
accept the wages which the mine own
ers choose to give and that is very
often only what will only furnish them
a mean living.
This demand for work enables the
employers to cut down wages, II it is
possible to do so, while still leaving
the Workmen enough to buy food to
keep them strong enough to work. The
miners would leave. their employers
and work for themselves by associat-
ing together and borrowing capital or
getting some others to 'grub-stake'
them until they could get out coal to
sell, but they are prevented from doing
this by the fact that all the coal lands
are monopolized. They proceed to form
trade-uniOn and conclude to strike
and try to force the payment of bet
/. ter wages that way If non-uniOn men
can be found to take the places OF the
. strikers, the, strike will be in vain,
and 1t is little wonder that violence
ensues between the strikers and those
who take their places.
This is an instance where the CAPT
talists are possessed of a monopoly
which enables them as monopolists to
make hard bargains with the laborers
in the matter Of wages. But it is some
times the case that the capitalists who
have built the machinery and bought
the engine and other apparatus used
in mining coal, do not own the mines
and the adjoining collaborating lands.
These are owned by other parties who
live in New York. London or Paris,
who do nothing but "own" the mines
and lands and allow the capitalists to
furnish all the machinery necessary to
dig the coal ON condition that the cap
italists will pay them SO much per ton
for it..
In such cases as this the capitalists
are sometimes in condition which
might be called s'between the devil and
the deep sea-" On one side stand the
owners demanding the full royalty"
or possibly an increase, and on the
other side the miners demanding more
wages In such instances as this the
capitalists are not monOpolists at all
and sometimes are unable to pay high
er wages without actual loss to them
silves, which results, as the records
show, in the bankruptcy of 95 per
cent Of the men who put their capital
into business enterprises. In cases
like this the miners and capitalists
should be farm in arm fighting the
system that Is squeezing them BOTH
namely, land monopoly.
Let MS try to define monopoly.
think 1t may be said to be the posses
sion of the exclusive right to use some
thing which all Others have an equal
natural right to use Or IL may be the
exclusive right to use something in a
certain way for instance. to use the
streets of city by laying iron rails
and hauling passengers In cars on
them while all other people are pre-
vented from doing this.
II buy piece OF land | am given
thu right to use II to the exclusion OF
NIL others. II IL IN located where 1t Is
In demand for use by others there will
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