The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-06-15
An Appeal
to Reason
by Gordon c. Nye.
by Gordon c. Sye.
New York Call.)

overworked wive goOd-by and walk
or ride (if you can afford the neces-
sary car fare) to your work.
AT $50 You arrive AT the shop.
crawl into your overalls and are
ready the moment the whistle blows
to start to work
There YOU stay and toll and mol
through the long hot day, ten or
twelve hours. Whenever you pass
n window yon look up into the blue
sky and great desire tugs ut Your
heart. Perhaps you mutter n cuss
word as you walk away and realize
that the longing to be out in the
sunshine and air cannot be graft
fed.
To be free just for one day. To
take your wife and the kiddies ont
into the woods and green fields to
enjoy the peace and rest that Mother
Nature offers the weary. That is
your wish. But under the present
system even that simple desire is
denied you.
Then you begin 70 question your
self. You wonder why You can't be
free to enjoy all the things you see
around you, which are made for the
happiness of mankind and to satisfy
human wants.
fon say to yourself: Here 7
work week after week. year after
year. am sober and steady and
never miss day. l am now 40 years
OF age. married. and have three
children. After all these years
nave no more than when Mary and
l married twenty years ago.
The only amusement the kids
can ever have is a moving picture
in
wife Is the woman of all work She
is the cook. the nurse. the laundress
the maid. working from early sun
rise until late into the night. never
Knowing what rest rs She has work.
Cd harder than I have to make ends
meet. yet for some reason we are
never able to get ahead.
My $3.50 day buys but the
bare necessities. and as for luxuries.
we have none. Whenever one of
the children is taken sick we get
into debt, and ii so hard to get
ahead when YOU once owe money.
Il don't understand 1t. don't
understand
Brother We Socialists understand
You and your troubles, and we are
going 70 explain to You why you are
d Hl'E'' chilned 10 an eVer-turning,
grinding, industrial wheel
You are working in as1ool mill. \
shoe factory. or perhaps a coal mine.
You know there 500 other boys
working with you. nnd all in the
same fix on are in. You are all at
work creating something that is Of
valne TO the community.
Us it not n fact that after these
men make 100 tons of steel worth
$4,000 they hand over to the mas
ter. or the owner of the mill2 He
paws them for their labor about ono
fifth of that amount. or $500, which
he calls WAGES.
He keeps s2.SnO. which after al
lowing for the cost OF raw material
and depreciation of machinery. is
PROFIT.
Tou 500 fellows. who made the
product. have 800 divided among
you. while the owner, WHO DID
NO WORK. but OWNS THE MA
CH1NERY used in making the pro-
duct. enjoys s2.SOO.
NOW. THE IDEA HAS NEVER
OCCURRED TO YOU THAT THE
MEN WHO CREATE EHE Steel,
SHOULD KEEP IT. AND Enjoy
THE s3.5oO. OR THE FULL VAL
tE OF THE PROFIT OF THE PRO
DUCT. LESS THE COST OF OPER-
ALTON.
And 1t is only fair that they should
do this. Five hundred men created
the steel. They sweated and burn
ed 70 produce it. why should thev
not enjoy the value thereof. The
owner of the mill did not turn
hand TO help the men Yet he takes
the lions share
The time has passed when the
capitalist class can defend this pol
icy of robbery by claiming that they
furnish the directing ability
When we create articles for use.
instead of profit. We will be able to
get along without this directing gen.
ius. which they now so highly val
ne.
This Landed directing ability is
ONLY THE CUNNING USED TO
SKIN THE LABOR EMPLOYED IN
CREATING THE ARTICLE. thus
leSSening the cost of production.
which enables one capitalist TO un-
dersell his competitors. We do not
need these human wolves any longer.
and they will ere long Join Colonel
Crazy Horse" and King Manuel in
the Down and Out Club
Under the system of Socialism
whereby the people would own the
machinery of production collectively
and would share the product. there
would be enough for all Where.
ok