The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-04-27
What Wage Slave Has
CONTINUED from last week

tIOnIlnueu from ldSL week.
What compromising feature is
there about a system of industry
that holds so much o: uncertainty
and unhappiness for the wage-slave.
Why the possibility that the wage
slave. Why become captain OF
industry. a millionaire and live in
luxury from the labor of others. AS
others are now living in luxury
from his labor. This brilliant fansIe
s always dangled before the eyes of
labor by the capitalist class. Where
ever capitalist feel called upon to
defend the system Of industry un-
der which they have prospered SO
greatly they seldom fail to mention
the glorious possibilities that are
held out to the humblest laborer.
Unquestionable every wage slave has
ittei right tor'bhcomes a millionaire.
BtIt this right like some other rights
of the wage slave is of value only
to the extent that he can find OPP
Dortunity to exercise it and fortu-
nately the exact value of this right
when there is so little opportunity to
exercise 1T is suSceptiable of
mathematical demonstrations
There are in the United States
approximately eighteen million adult
male persons, ~ this Number approx.
mately seven thousand are millionar-
les or multi-millionaries Which
makes it quite plain that the aver
age wage-slave has about one chance
in two thousand. three hundred to
become niillionaircs.
Even in cities where gambling
houses are permitted to run wide
open on the ground floor. The po-
lot, H.
game so ran. that player only
stands one chance in twenty three
hundred to win and they pull it on
the grounds that it is no longer
gambling joint, but = robbers
roost. This Louisiana lottery SO used
to offer greater prizes III propr-
ton to the investment than capital
ism holds out to the wage-slave But
the government long ago denied it
the use of the mails and chased it
out of the country.
socialism takes the grounds that
capitalism is as disreputable in prn-
clpal and NOR, Disastrous in prac-
tee than any lottery company that
ever existed and in proof of its as
sertion it points to the ninety billion
OF wealth that labor has produced in
this country and the 60 per cent of
those who have produced it who do
not even own the shacks they call
nome. Socialism would destroy this
system of industry as Utterly as the
United States government DESTROYED
the Louisiana lottery company and
give those who are now wage slaves
Inc right to labor to sustain life
wlthout asking any man or men for
that privilege. The right to use the
a mr. - i.
wealth cannot be produced. With
out paying any part of our product
for the privilege of using either.
The right to live without fear of
periodical, industrial depressions
Since pa.,ics. so-called are caused by
under consumption instead of over
production. The right to exchange
the product Of any given number of
hours of labor for the product of
any body else for the same time
These are some Of the things that
those WHO are now waee-slavcs would
be permitted to do under Socialism.
10 select any unused land as the
sites of their homes and to use such
site for a lifetime if desired with
out the payment of Il dollar to any
body as purchase price. To obtain
the materials with which a house
might be built by giving the pro-
ducts of as many hours of their own
labor as there were hours of labor