The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-04-13

ffheYe. all wanting the same job Who
do You suppose will get it2 Why, The
man that bids the lowest, OF course
! II you propose to do the work for one
dollar and fifty cents per day, and
some foreign laboring man says he
win do it for one dollar and twenty
five cents. he gels The job lepe11, time.
| OF course you are an American ci.i-
zen. and your vote is valuable to
certain class, hut when IL comes to
employing labor, it is then a question
of cold dollars and cents. with the
man that owns the machine. and he
prefers a ..dago" for the simple rea-
son that he will work cheaper than
you do. Your Americanism is all
right when the Plutes want your
vote, but it don't count, when the
lAlmighty Dollar, is the Issue While
\ You are required TO pay tax ca your
self and every dollars worth OF
property you possess. the "dago" who
got your job will not even pay a po.l
itax. Now II you think that ! am ~
ing to you. JUST step over TO the
county clerks Office and examine the
record and you will see that the vast
| ma Ority of those turned delinquent
for poll-taxes are foreigners. Can't
| you see. Tom, that there Is something
lserionslv wrong some where? When
an hc0est man investigates and finds
| that there is something wrong. then
he is not satisfied. until he has found
q way to make IL rightfor all honest
| men want 10 be right Themselves. and
have every thing else right. When.
| YOU start out to make an Intelligent
| investigation. r,lbiased by party pref
udices or selfish motives, you soon
n fsysn I.,F 81 oil II,
wrongs We suffer is the system %;
| lalcs IN rLich lcc are gorerned. A
chain can be- no stronger than its
weakest link. stream no purer than
its fountain head" If we know that
the SYSTEM is wrong, and respcLsi-
BILE for all our ills, then it is only
common sense on our part TO change
the system. You must Tememltr,
Tom. that under the present system.
| the population of the United States
has resolved itself into two classes,
| THE VERY RICH and THE VERY
POOR. You can't blame a man for
voting for measure that will bene
fit himself. and the CLASS to which
| he belongs. Then if you want to know
how to vote, Sust ask YOURSELF: To.
which class do belong? If you be-
| long to the rcrY rich class. then vote
| to let the system remain as it is, for
it will be. 10 your interest to do so.
| But If You belong to the rcrv poor
| class, THEN VOTE TO CHANGE
THE SYSTEM. for it will be your
| interest to do so.
We believe that if it was right to
| abolish negro slavery in the South. it
| is also right to abolish wage slavery
in both North and South. and we
IN In lay If,1i cI,i RI,
present system and placing in its
stead system that will make it inn
possible for one class to exploit an
other class.
| well, Ike, | don't see any chance
to throw you down on what you have
just said, but as | am out tor infor-
| nation, and as there is several things
that ] dent understand. you will
| nave to explain some other things
| Tor instance: If | am not mistaken
you Socialists claim that the Govern
ment. or in other words. the People.
should own all public utilities. rail-
| roads. telesraphs. telephones etc.
and all land. Now wouldn't that do
away with Individual ownership en-
tirely, and throw the ownership of
all property in the hands of all the
people, collectively, so that I counld
| nave no ute to my home, that wOnld
secure it to me. individually, in case
some other fellow came along, and
laid claim to il? And what would
| hinder You from claiming my horse
anu buggy on ihe ground of c0lIectirc
OwnershiD?"
| Your questions are perfectly IA
tional, Tom and such questions are
sure to be asked by any che who is
sincerely seeking information. Col
lective ownership of all property,
means all property that is needed for
all the peoples use No one man
needs n Post office. for his individual
use. but all the people do need a
post office for their collective use. We
now nave good many things known
as public utilities The railroads.
ltelog.aDhs. telephones. etc, come uu.
der that head, because they are used
by the public. or the people gencr-
ALLY While those things are very
necessary to the development of a
country and 10 the happiness and
prosperity of the people. and while
the people generally use them. yet
they are owned and operated for
profit by private corporations and
are public in name only That is
where our kick comes in We want
the whole people to own. and operate
; them for their collective use. and not
: for private profit. If YOU want :,