The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-04-25

So Says the Western Clarion and
Defends It's Position by Fol-
lowing Argument. -:

In spite Of the efforts to gloss over
the facts it is an open secret that
never was such a large percentage
of the people of the western continent
starvation as at present. Never was
there a greater percentage of workers
unemployed than now and never were
prospects more dark and hopeless for
the great mass than at the present
moment. The entire capitalist She
bang is In state of semi callopse
that becomes more acute each day and
seriously threatens complete bankrupt
cy Of this most glorious but evil
smelling civilization. =
While want and misery prevail to
an alarming extent and walls Of dis
tress are heard upon every hand, let
no one be led away bu the delusion
that anyone is feeling the pinch Of
poverty" for it can be easily proven
that the contrary is the case Fac
tories and workshops: are idle and
workmen unemployed because their
power to produce wealth is too great.
These factories and workmen can be
utilized but a portion of the time, be-
cause Of this enormous productive
power If constantly used the product
could not be disposed Of for the sea-
son that the bulk of consumption is
measured by the wages of the work.
ers and there is wide margin be-
tween wages and the value Of the
commodities produced by the work.
men.
AS soon as the market is fully sup
piled, or to any extent overstocked
with goods, production must be cur
tailed if the capitalists are to avoid
being plunged into speedy ruin. Pro-
duction a is curtailed by discharging
workmen or putting them upon part
time. Out Of employment the cannot
purchase. If on part time they can
purchase but sparingly. They suffer
the pangs of hunger. Their wives and
little ones suffer--even to the extent
Of actual starvation. There is no re-
lief until the factories and workshops
can again start up at full tilt, and
this depends upon a condition where
In goods are again scarse in the mar
ket. Could such a. condition be sud-
denly brought about every factory and
workshop in the land today that is
idle Or running on short time would
be speeded up to the limit inside If
a week.
The workers then do not find them
selves In distress for food, clothes,
etc., because there is not enough of
these things in existence, but because
there Is too much Of them. They are,
therefore, not pincAed by poverty, but
by plenty. They do not suffer be-
cause Of too little wealth, but because
Of too much Of it,. Because. they can
produce too much they are periodical.
ly condemned to- suffer for the want
of even the bare necessaries of life.
Yea, verify; the human animal is a
wise guy. Being a reasoning animal
and not merely guided by. instinct as
are the lower e. kind, he is a great
success, especially increatfng amusing
situations. 1t requires a superior grade
Of intelligence to concoct an arrange
ment whereby what is commonly
termed the pinch Of poverty" can only
be experienced in the presence of
abundant wealth.. The greater the
production. Of wealth the greater the
misery from hunger and privation. It
Is thus the human animal experiences
the pinch Of plenty while fancying 1t
to be the "pincha Of POVERTY"