East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-11-19


Are worst Sufferers.
Ii is n mystery to most business men
how business can be turned topsy
turvy within a few weeks time. as II
was last year, but to the careful stu
dent of economics 1t is not hard to
see that all panics are the result OF
the present system of production and
distribution. 1t is as natural for them
to happen as for the sun to have an
eclipse or socialist to talk socialism.
Our present system of production
ard distribution is based upon the
wageearner on one hand and the pri-
vate ownership of the means of life
by the few, on the other. The wage
worker, or the farmer, for that mat
ter before they can obtain their food
clothing or other necessary things of
life must first find some one who will
employ them or purchase their pro.
duct Mind you. in every case the
buyer demands a PROFIT. He win
employ no one nor will he handle the
product of the farm unless there Is n
profit in it. If there is no profit In
employing men to dig coal or make
shoes the employer closes the mine or
the factory, denying the wageworker
the right to dig coal or make shoes
even though their families are with
out fire and without shoes in the dead
OF winter.
Caught Going and Coming.
If the captains of industry desire
little more profits or n larger dlvi-
dend the staple products decline in
the hands OF the producer. without
corresponding decline to the consum-
er. If Rockefeller endows college.
al the same time advances the price OF
coal oil, who are the real benefactors?
The farmer like the wageworker Is
caught coming and going. The trusts
dictate the price they will pay for cat
tie, hogs, wheat and corn and the
price you shall pay for beef. pork.
flour and clothing. Let any merchant
In the city Of Pendleton set the price
on all YOU buy and all you sell and
sec who gets rich first. Talk about
dividing up, Most OF the farmers and
an of the wageearners have been di-
viding up and dividing down until
they have little left to divide. Statis-
tics compiled by Carol d. Wright.
commissioner of labor and commerce.
under President Roosevelt, show that
the average yearly product Of the
wageworker is S2450, while the aver
age yearly wage is s432.31. If a wage
worker Is restricted in his consuming
powers to less than one-fifth OF what
no produces. by reason Of his wages.
he necessarily must create an enor-
nous surplus which is left in the
hands Of the employing class This
surplus must be sold in order to keep
the wheels of industry running.
Labors Earns and Receives Not.
Multiply the S0000.000 wageearn-
ers by the $4,000 he produces and does
not get. and its enormity can hardly
be conceived.
Allowing that half of this great SUI.
plus is used and wasted by the nom
producers and idlers. we would still
have an enormous amount of goods
that must seek a market in foreign
countries. These markets become
overstocked and can not take our SUR
} plus. Then the elevators and ware
houses become overloaded and Indus
try must cease because it Is carried
on for profit and no sales. no profit,
no profit no industry, The working
man In all the great industrial cen,
ters Is layed off and as a scant living
has been the measure of his wages he
finds himself at once plunged into a
desperate period of suffering and
starvation Not that he has been
lazy and shlftless. but because he has
! produced too much.
| \ Pitiablc Condition.
Isn't 1t a pitiable condition when
those who produce all have nothing:
while those who produce nothing have
all? When these great captains Of in
! drstry have sold, wasted and destroy
cd the surplus then will the wheels
of industry begin to move. bringing
Us back to a period of so-called pros
perty. The poor, haf-starved. free
born citizen of America crawling on
his belly returns to the factory or
sweat shop like a covering black. |
slave volunteering his services four
long weary days to the private owner |
Of the machine for the privilege OF |
using said machine one day for him |
self, again creating another surplus |
that must be disposed Of even though |
war must be kicked up to do so.
with circle of panic and prosperity
to be repeated every 10 or 8 years.
Conditions are not spontaneous. there
can be no manifestation Of what ever
the nature, without a cause.
In order to cure an i'll whether they
be human or Industrial, we must first
remove the cause. As / have shown
the cause of panic Is that four-flfths
OF the product of labor is retained by
the employing class which must be
disposed of in order for him to clean
up profit and carry on the business.
How to Prevent Panics.
Therefore, to prevent panics our
great statesmen or we nave any now
days. must find some means by which
the real worker can purchase back
his products and prevent any undo {
accumulation Of surplus.
have the greatest respect for any
man or set Of men who by energy
and good judgment has accumulated '
a fortune. ! would rebel with my life
II necessary against any measure that I
was intended to deny him OF It's full
Puf what do ohfaot fo 4