The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-03-02

vests in the individual, who appropriates
the profit. The tools that are social in
character, and are socially used, must
be socially owned. There is no, other
solution of the problem. A man must
work for seventy three years at $3.50
a day in order to get what Rockefeller
gets in a single hour. If you don't
change the system, he won't. You can
change it if you will. Until you do,
you are paying the penalty. If you are
intelligent enough to use the machinery
you are intelligent enough to use it
not to make multi millionaires, but
wealth for yourselves. You are not in
telligent in some ways. You produce all
the wealth, but you have little to show
for it. The wealthy class always con-
tinues to keep you divided on other
questions. If you were to earn $40 a
day, the trust magnate could still make
it cost you $ll day to stay on earth.
The capitalist uses his brain; you neg
lect yours. He advertises for hands; he
does not want heads; he wants to be
the head. You must learn to think.
You must learn to depend upon your
selves Cultivate self-reliance and you
viii soon find a way to economic
emancipation.
The laws are always enacted and in
terpreted in the interest of the ruling
class. Every judge was corporation
attorney or he would never have found
his way to that tribunal. The Rookie
fellers have dollars; you have votes. The
Rockefellers know how to use the dol
lars; you do not know how to use the
votes. The working class is not re-
spected because it has not learned to re-
spect itself. The middle class is in
process of distinction. Competition may
be the life of trade, but it is the death
of traders, and these have been driv-
en- to combine, and the trusts have nat
urally come into existence. The trusts
will own the earth and hold the great
mass of people in poverty and subject
ton. There is not capitalist who fav-
ors competition. Capitalization makes
the cheapest form of production.
Socialism is the new emancipation, the
modern political crusade. The larger the
mill, and the department store, and the
factory district, the larger the red light
district is, for the latter is the natural
result of the former. We are not op.
posing capitalists, but a system that has
outlived its time. A quarter of cen
tury from now there will be no capital
lists, nor any use for them. The capt.
talist is not free, nor will the car be
free until his people are. You cannot
enslave your fellow man without put
ting letters upon yourself. Child labor
is steadily increasing, which should
bring the crimson to the sheeks of all.
Unless the people are to be abject
slaves, socialism is to come. 1t is sure
to come. Our productive system is
bound to lead to over production, and
recurring panics. The country can go
along all right without capitalists. We
will appropriate what Rockefeller has
taken from. the people when the social
democracy comes, and consecrate it to
the use of. our fellow man. Work will
then be joy as aelevating as it is now
degrading. i The badge of useful service
will be the only badge of distinction. All
will do useful work, for the uplifting
of mankind. Onward is the motto of
the socialists,