The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1906-01-25
Letters From The People
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1ney usually work or nSnt against or compete
with those things that are in their way or that
hinder them from accomplishing their object
They will change or destroy all opposition as long
as they able.
There are two kinds of cooperation. Through
one kind few direct the labor Of many and
the many do the fighting the work and the
few directors, captains or generals get all the
honor and profit Our trusts are Of this kind.
Through the other kind those who do the work
get the honor and profit, according to the amount
of useful work done and the amount of money in
vested | believe this is the sort they have in
Great Britain. Brother Kennedy on the outside
and in the way and with many others had to get
in, get away or perish. He left and now calls
a good thing bad names simply because he was
the wrong side of it, Brother Kennedy says
private trading with it's healthy competition is
threatened with extinction One cooperative
store has been known to close dozen flourish
ing retail stores which were run on reasonable
profits. Stores are run for the convenience of
their customers or patrons. The customers pay
all bills including rent, interest profit or graft,
wages for the hired help and for the proprietor,
too. i think the customers of those dozen stores
acted wisely in concluding to support only
place, rent only one building instead of one dozen,
pay only one set of hands, be the proprietors
themselves, and the profit or graft All
profit is graft something for nothing). | wonder
if Brother Kennedy would hire twelve if
he only had work for one.
Competition was promoted when the coopera-
tive store started. The dozen stores had to fight
each other and the cooperative store, too. They
had hot fight to the finish. They all enjoy
competition till they meet more than a match;
then they squeal. The cooperative stores
tainly were not so bad as to destroy damage
property. They merely quit paying rent on build
ings they did not need. Any of those dozen
stores would have done for the other eleven what
the cooperative store did for all of them. 1t only
made them take the dose they were trying to
give to their neighbor. That certainly was just
and fair
am really glad the co-operators have their
own factories, especially to prepare their
food products. | rather expect they make pure
food for their wives and babies to use. Almost
all the food here is poisoned to make profit
Often the manufacturers get a little too much
in and some mans child is poisoned to death to
make dollars for some other man.
Brother Kennedy, you certainly are not very
progressive. To progress old things must pass
and give way to new and improved things. Those
old shoe factories were no exception to the rule.
| suppose the co-operators kept the best running
and also made good shoes for themselves and
plenty of them, too. Did the co-operators com
pei those shoe factories to shut down? | guess
they could have kept on if they had had the dol
lars. AS to the cruelty of this cooperation it
cannot be as bad as competition. All progress
hurts some parties, but the worst system brings
the greatest good to the greatest number. Many
shoe shops, wagon shops and almost all other
kinds of shops have been shut down in this
country by cruel competition.
There is another brand of cooperation
Brother Kennedy that | did not think of when
commenced to write It's motto is, From each
according to his ability. to each according to his
needs" That is kind of family cooperation
and believe 1t is the best of all. Consider this
nation as family, well regulated No one should
be forced to be idle who wants to work No one
should be denied work and allowed to live in
want. Each day idled away is loss TO the
family to the nation. Think for minute
how much this nation has lost by enforced idle
caused by pOmuetitiOu Men willing In
duce what they need, but not allowed to because
the other fellow owned the land and machine
and had all he needed or could sell
The fact Is. believe In cooperation where
no one Is left out. Where all have an equal op
portunty, where we would make food 10 eat aud
not for profit whore everything would be made
for use, whore men would quit trying To kin each
other financially. according 10 laws OF their own
making. where all children would have as good
care taken Of them ms good horse master would
MIN nL hI. rnlL. The aLutn ahna,lL !.