The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-02-23
N. A. Richardson Lectured
at Y. NJ. G. A.---an Able
Address

Socialist lectures being given at the
Y. NJ. C. A, they are missing rare
opportunity On February 10th, n. A
Richardson, the author OF many books ON
Socialism, a lecturer of national fame,
delivered the second lecture in the series,
Comrade Richardson was at one time in
his life principal of high school, and
evidently knowledge gained in teaching
has not left him. So plain did he make
his subject, that, to quote one enthusiasts
tic Comradc, "even a wooden headed man
could understand
Comrade Richardson's subject was
"The Basis of our Industrial PrbicIns."
If line so feet long, said the speaker,
were to represent the length of mans
existence on earth, and the line was to
be divided into three sections, called
Savagcry, Barbarism, and Civilization,
the first section would take up thirty
feet, the second nineteen, and the third
Civilization, would be allotted just one
foot, which would represent five thou
sand years. This is based on the idea
of historians that civilization begins
when man has learned to use the alpha,
bet. Future historians will say that
civilization begins when men have estab-
lishcd justice among themselves.
In the days of savagery, meTi hunted
and fishcd for living. The captives in
war We're killed, and sometimes roasted
and eaten. Fishing and hunting were
agreeable occupations, and no one
thought of employing a substitute. But
man progressed in knowledge, he dis
covered another means of livelihood, that
of tilling the soil. TilIing the SOIL then
now, was far from agreeable occu
patton, and man then began to seek some
way to avoid disagrccablc work, and at
the same time derive the benefits from it.
Actuatcd by this desire, the strongest
seized the land, and compelled the weak
er ones, and the slaves they had captured
in war, to till tine land for them. Right
then it was discovered that killing and
eating captivcs was wrong. was horrid
crime. a man was worth more alive
and producing from the soil than he was
as meat.
But as time went on, economic condi
tions continued to change, and slavery
grew to be no longer profitable. Then
another discovery was madc-slavcry
was wrong In place of slavery, there
was established the fcudal system, under
which the slave was nominally free, but
compelled to work for his master, either
it,t In, Oh
Then came another change, passed by
the invention of the machine. With the
invention of the machine, it was no
longer profitable to keep scrfs. At once
it was discovered that keeping scrfs was
wrong, and they were released, and told
to 90 to work in the factories. When
child labor becomes Improbable, the
manufacturer will no doubt discover that
it is wrong
These three systems. the slave system
the fcudal system. and the wage system
We're all established to further mans
selfish desire to escape from toll. and to
receive more than his just share of the
products of the earth.
1t was early discovered that if the
slave system was to continue, enough of
his product must be returned to the slave
t" enable him to live. to mate, and tc
bring to maturity at least two children
That was absolutely ncccs -ary. 1t was
all that wds mcccSSdry and consequently,
it was all that he received.
Our present wage system is but little
different from the slave or fcudal sys-
tens of the past. True. the wage work
cr has more liberty of a certain kind
he can r" and come he plcascs. he is
at liberty to change masters, but with
out some masters consent he cannot
produce his living. for the master owns
the machine and the raw materials and
without access to these he has no way of
producing.
The product of the wage worker does
not belong to an individual it belongs
to a class-the owning class. the manu-
facturers. wholesalers. etc. But it never
belongs to the worker himself. lie hands
all of his product to the master. and the
master hands him back just enough tc
enable him to maintain himself to
marry. and to rear two children to take
their places in the ranks of the wage
slaves. But now it appears that the