The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-01-10
What IL Coop. rRtiom7 What eau II
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Co-operation is one of The most es-
sential forms of demonstrating the ad-
vancement and degree Of civilization
that any community any city, state
or nation has attained.
Cooperation has not always bene-
fitted those who have co.operated to-
gether, because of their lack OF know
ledge of the importance Of cooperative
principles of cooperation have been
misapplied. The cunning and selfish
have utilized the principle for selfish
ends and used it az q means of exploit.
ling the co-operators and g~arnerlng to
themselves y goodly portion of the
wealth resulting from the labor OF
those who cooperate; in fact they ex.
plot and absorb all the increased earn.
lings produced by cooperative effort.
It is claimed that civilized ME and
women are the only animals or beings
that are able to l. crease their individ-
ual product by cooperating or work
ing Jointly together. The joint pro-
ducL of animals does not exceed the
proportioual sum that u animal
lcould produce working separately;
that the only exception 10 this rule IL
lcivilized human beings. 1t has been
demonstrated for ages that two or more
persons working together co-opera'
lively can produce more than the same
number could produce working in.
dividually and separately:
That two or more men by cooper
alive effort can produce what one per-
son working alone could not produce
at all. In order to exploit and take
from the laborer and producer a por'
ton OF his earnings, the cunningly
selfish Individual Of individuals has
ever Used some method, some, means
TO garner themselves the increased
portion of earnings produced by CO.
Operative effort. For instance, if A
and B could each produce 81 worth OF
wealth per day working separately,
their combined earnings would be 81
per day. Then let them cooperate
land combine their effort in AL intelii.
gent manner and they produce, say So
per day; just double their earnings
while working separately. They find
their work Is easier and they do MOI
have to work any more hours. The
selfish commercial exploiter here
comes in and touches" both of the
men for the amount Of the increase,
lclaiming it as his share as employer,
The teaching of capitalism or spoliation
ia 30 general and common that wealth
producers have generously submitted
10 the terms Of the selfish exp!oiters
for years and years. True cooper
alton abhorbs any system that permits
any individuals to take from the pro
Queer any portion of his product with
out first rendering him its equivalent
Society ia divided into two classes un'
der our commercial system:
The laboring and producing class
who produce all wealth aud own but
little of 1t.
The exploiting class who produce
nothing but have succeeded III rob-
bling the producing class Of q portion
of their earnings and now this small
Der cent of gratlers and buccaneers OWL
nearly all the wealth that has been
produced by honest toll.
Intelligent cooperation has broad
significance. If generally applied In
all business affairs in this nation ii
would result in equitable dealings IL
all commercial transactions. 1t 10 the
principle upon which q square deal is
founded and put intb practice. 1t II
q correct economic principle which
embcbies true religion and mar
monizes with the Golden Rule.
Capital utilities a portion of the CO.
operative principle and takes that por:
ton which cooperative economic ell
fort produces. They exploit this In
crement produced by cooperative FL
fort and pie it up by the millions
True cooperation will give 10 the pro
ducers the full benefit Of their produc
tion which includes the incremen
produced by united effort.
Cooperation is progressive and every
advancement made by commercia
capitalism would be increased unde'
commercial cooperation and an equi
table system Ofexohange. Under cap
italistic commercialism millions o
dollars have been accumulated In the
hands of men who did not earn II
Under cooperative commerce thes'
millions would 60 to the men Wh'
produced them. Under the capitals
tic system a few men got what the
many produce. Under the cc-opera
ton each man gets the full benefit O.
all he produces. Farmers Advocate.