West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-07-01
JUST COMMON SENSE
Comparative Relations OF Capital and
Labor.
aOKOPOLIzE MEANS OF PRODUCTION
Methods Employed by Trusts TO Sc
cure Lions Share-What So
cialism Would Do.
Written for The Argus.

II is an old adage that imam shall eat
bread by the sweat OF his brow" There
is reason. You have always realized
that somebody haG to work I'm order that
bread might he provided; that nothing
but productive labor produces bread.
This is another way for saying that pro-
ductive labor produces all bread. All
other necessities are produced i'm like
manner. Labor produces all wealth. II
there was no such thing as productive la
Dor to function tomorrow there would inn
inediately ensue IA period OF great hunger
and suffering. Did you ever stop and
think what would happen TO society il all
productive laborers should quit work?
Ii is both an ancient and modern say
ing that the rich grow richer and the
poor grow poorer" Did you ever wonder
whyr The poor are productive laborers.
The productive laborers are the poor. The
capitalists, it is said, have gone "money
mad" But there is method i'm their mad
ness. The capitalist invests his money
very carefully; and his method reveals
his motive. Why does the capitalist in
business always invest his money in a
public utility? Why does he not invest
all of his money in luxuries which he him
self uses? 1t is self-evident that the dis
position of the capitalists is 10 have a
great store Of wealth. 1t is also self-eyi-
dent that they want somebody else TO pro-
duce that wealth. And it il self-evident
that the capitalists know how TO go about
IT. "A man who owns his home will not
pay rent 10 another for that home. A
man who owns and uses his own means
OF production will not as Il rule divide his
product with the fellow who does not
produce. The capitalists understanding
this as they do set about to monopolize
the peoples means of production, which
is the only way they can force labor to
| divide. The capitalists seek out the things
upon which humanity is dependent, and
1t is these things they at once monopolize.
Labor owning none of the means of pro-
duction, must work for those who do
own the means OF production or starve.
The capitalists name the terms at which
labor must work or starve. The terms
are always such as to leave the capitalists
owning the lions share.
The history of modern industrialism
shows that the company froze out the in.
dividual dealer and producer; the cor.
poration froze out the company. The
trnsts made the company and corpora.
tons combine their interests i'm order tc
enjoy the protection afforded by the trusts.
Thus the trusts, in the business world
become the survival OF the fittest." This
lett the masses at the mercy of the trusts,
Tor the trusts were benefit only to those
who award them. The trusts DESTROYED
competition. 1t made it impossible fol
the individual TO own and operate the
means reproduction by which he lived.
Today sit is just as easy for all men tc
be capitalists as it would be for all Catho.
Lies to be popes." The individuals op.
portunity has been usurped. Why is il
80? If you have at home child of aver.
age intelligence explain to it this situation
and see il it cannot by childish reason
answer this question for you. 1t requires
only childish common sense to tell the
reason why.
ASK the common sense workingman why
he hires ont 10 the capitalist lie will
tell you it is because the capitalist owns
the means of production. Ask the com.
mon sense workingman why capitalist
may close down the factories and turn
the workingman ont TO starye. He will
tell you it is because the capitalists own
the factories. Ask the common sense work.
ingman why he produces 81, 500 worth OF
wealth each year and gets but S437. He
viii tell you it is because the capitalists
own the means of production. Ask the
honest capitalist Ofyou can find one )why
he wants to own the means of production.
lie will tell you that the only way he can
persuade the working class to divide with
him is to own the workers means of pro.
duction. The capitalist will tell you that
it feels mighty good 10 own the trust.
In this the socialists are willing 10 take
him at his word. The socialists want the
people 10 own the trusts and all public
utilities, so that all the people may feel
good. II is case Of ownership. The
issue IS. Who shall own the earth. CAPT
talism or the people2 Socialism is the
complete collective ownership, manage
ment, and control Of the public utilities
publicly used in order that the producer
may privately own his product privately
| produced. LIE w
Tunnelton, w. Va.