The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-08-03
In The Bourbon South

work men such hours and pay them
such wages as the mal i'll the fierce
competition for jobs and bread may
be compelled to accept. 1t means that
the mill owners may pay their slaves
six bits "a day" 15 celts) for eleven
hours labor, as they now do in the
Louisiana lumber camps.
1t is freedom" to compel all hands
to buy their necessities at the COM
pany's comInissary, where they are
charged twice the value of the article.
Frequently the few supplies bought
amount TO more than the slave earns
SO he is always in debt to the ON
pany- This makes it impossible for
the worker TO quit his employment.
IT he does the company-owned judge
is ever ready to Jail him for the adj
vanced credit.
1t is freedom" to MAIN, to break
legs, to tear out arms, to murder with
dangerous and unprotected machinery
without the ompany assuming any
liability for industrial accidents.
"Individual Freedom of Contract"
under moder conditions is a myth,
kept alive by hired economists and
courts b~efuddled with ancient prece-
dents and technicaltues. But the mill
owners find it a profitable myth-a
dividend paying doctrine, and its pro-
fits are paid in the coinage of blood
and tears. ~ 81
THROUGHOUT THE NATION THE
RANKS OF LABOR AXE REPEAT
Eddy SHATTERED BY TIE. l. \.
GUN OF "INDlVIDCAl.' FREE
DOM OF CONTRACT", MOUNTED
ON THE RAMPARTS OF THE
COURTS WITH A CORPORATION
JUDGE AS THE GUNNER.
What worries Mr.. Kirby is that the
union is "a Socialistic Organization
composed largely of foreign born citi-
Zens and whose teachings reject the
Constitution of his republic and deny
any citizens the right to own property.
Or course, when all else fails-the
Constitution. When labor revolts-
the Constitution. When babies cry
the Constitution. The infallible, uni
versal remedy, warranted good for
all threats against labor exploiting
capitalists and their system.
Hell rings with laughter at such
maneuvers. WHAT RIGHT HAS MIR.
klBBY TO PRIVATELY OWN PUB
Lie PROPERTY, AND TO HOLD IT
1 Wv y ISCI1 L AND lDlNl-
DEM PAYING PURPOSES? WHAT
RIGHT HAS HE TO FENCE OFF
THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF LAND
WHICH HE CANNOT USE AND
WHICH OTHERS WOULD USE IF
THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY?
LAND AND TIMBER PUT HERE BY
THE CREATOR, nor, FOR MIR KIR-
BfS SPECIAL BENEFIT, BUT FOR
ALL MEN. WHAT RIGHT HAS MIR.
KIRBY TO ROB LABOR OF FOT:R-
FlFTHS OF ALL IT CREATES? Will
he oblige us by answering these CUES
tons?
IF hi Constitution protects him in
this robbery. then it's time to change
the Constitution. Or if we can't
change the Constitution, the next best
thing is to abolish it with revolution.
Kirby is a leather lunged upholder
OF property. He walls, THE Socialist
don't respect property" Let us see if
the sawmill owners are respecters of
labor's property. WHEN EVER THEY
SHUT DOWN \ MILL AND THROW
MEN OUT OF EMPLOYMENT THEY
CONFISCATE LABOR'S PROPERTY.
LABOR HAS NOTHING TO SELL
OR TO EARN FOR IT A LIVING
EXCEPT IT'S LABOR POWER.
l. L 10 Nlftb1 AlIBl L IA
RILY SHUTS DOWN HIS MILL AND
TAKES AWAY FROM LABOR IT'S
JOB AND ITS EIr HE CONFIS-
GATES LABOR'S PROPERTY. The
tragedy of it all is that labor has no
court where an injunction may be is
sued to prevent Kirby from shutting
down his mill.
But the courts are always ready to
defend kirby's property. The courts
have declared that the right of prop
erty does not rest upon the dictates
OF natural justice" Therefore prop
erty is sacred. 1t is not concerned
with human rights. The lives OF men
cannot weigh against it.
for that reason all effort to mitigate
industrial tyranny, to prevent the
tollcr from being manned and slaugh-
tered. to lessen the greed and cruelty
OF exploitation, must fail. Property
must be free to absnrD the blood of
labor. to steal the fruit; of labor. to
thrive on the defenceicsSncss of labor.
Scientific Socialists know that the
misery, suffering. injustice and intol-
cradle working conditions have in
themselves a dollar value to the mill
owners. and that dollar value is great
er than life value. So the fundamen-
tai principle involved in the capitalist
system is the right of the capitalist
IN fN In o,.,, r-l