The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-23

stock" and used by the idle rich-a
branch of the capitalistic class-for
Inquiries and social follies, such as
monkey dinners "dog suppers" and
horse teas"
He declared that for this the labor
ing class every day in the year was
indirectly taxed, millions per day. but
that it was done without giving an
itemized statement showing for what
the tax money was spent. According
to the lecturer. if the laborer would
get the full SO in his pockets and
was required to pay out the So for
taxes with an itemizcd statement
showing for what he was taxed, the
capitalistic system would be over
thrown and Socialism would be estab-
lished. He repeatedly stated that If
thirty days, the facts in the division of
the So would be laid bare as result
of the inquiry into the reason for this
division, but under the present sys-
tenn the 1aborer never receives the So
into his pockets and was willing that
it should go to the capitalist through
indirect taxation because he was asleep
to the method of its being taken away
from him.
Mr.. Richardson asserted that CAPT.
talism was destroying homes at a rate
never dreamed of because it did not
guarantee laborers a job, and that
every man who did not marry prevent
ed one woman from marrying and es-
tablishing a home. He exclaimed: I'm
the face of these facts, how can any
one have the effrontery to proclaim
that Socialism destroys the home
Why, ne IS advocating system which
is destroying homes at rate never
dreamed Of"
His address, in part, follows:
1.-The most important of these prob
lens may be enumerated as follows:
eel. The concentration of the owner
ship Of wealth.
"2. Corruption in all walks of life
official and non-official.
SO. The unemployed masses of labor
"a Intermittent periods Of business
depression known as panics
SIS. The practical enslavement OF
women and children in our Industries.
! Sc. Degeneracy among all classes
from the palace to the slum.
az. Strikes, Iockouts, boycots-war
between employers and employed.
IS. International wars
SO. The liquor traffic
Let US assume that the retail price
of what is produced by an average
days labor in the industries of the
nation is $40.
those who labor in the industries
only those who do really needful
labor.
I'm the industrial system that now
|
that is known as the capitalist system,
that $40 worth of produce is divided
into two parts. These parts have but
one characteristic in common-they
each originate in productive labor
The $40 worth of goods is solely the
result of productive activity; the pro-
duce is the embodiment of all useful,
socially necessary labor. Otherwise
these parts have nothing in common.
again let US assume that the part
that goes to the laborer Gas his wage)
is 50 worth. Then IS worth goes else
where.
the labor of the bread winner or
bread vim ers'. of his family, to pro-
vide food, clothing and shelter for a
man and a woman and to enable them
to rear to manhood and womanhood
at least two children; and, of course,
more than two, if there is to be an
increase in population. A bachelor
or a childless home, therefore, repre-
sents a deficit Somebody must make
up the deficiency, for certain it is this
average must be maintained. Rear
ing to manhood and womanhood i'm
plies all expenses incident to training
for life whether that training be
moral, mental or physical; and it must
be such training as is, on the average,
required to meet the conditions i'm
posed at the time and in the country
where the children are reared. These
constitute the minimum average re-
pense they impose is the minimum
average wage of the worker.
1.-The rest of his days product, the
surplus part that we represent by the
So worth, has a very different work to
perform.
@Out of this IS worth, then, has been
builded the railways, business blocks,
factories, highways and mansions of
the nation. Out of it is paid all divi-
dends, interest. profit and rent. 1t
supports tens of thousands Of whole
sale and retail establishment that an
| economical organization Of business
and industry would render useless. 1t
sustains every wealthy idler in luxury
and pays the princely salary of many
useless functionary.
Let US return to the consideration
of our Hypothetical plan of paying the
productive laborers the full SO and
then assessing them directly for just
what they now pay through indirect
methods.
mot a very exalted fight if imagi-
nation is required to picture labor's
CONSERVATION at the first presentation
of the itemized levy-lists. There would
certainly be scene that would fill
the stage of our nation such as man