Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-10-15
PEOPLES PULPIT

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ~s~e'sa'>~'.~.''~'>''
Editor Courier:
Mr.. Shaw Of Hayesville declares
that he fails to understand how y can
at the same time condemn the govern
ment and still want to give 1t greater
powers. Now, do not condemn the
government as such. but merely snow
its present weakness and tnefficiency.
and criticise only for the purpose OF
showing where it is In need OF i'm
proyement. In common with all
socialists. while DESTROYS OF extending
the scope of government to the own
ership and operation OF the means OF
production and distribution, ! want
the powers Of government OFFICIALS
even including our Immaculate Judges.
to be subservient at all times 10 the
will of the majority OF the people
through the free operation OF the IN
itiative, referendum and recall. Our
platform demands not only conceive
ownership, but democratic (no refer
ence to the political party OF that
name, but the dictionary meaning OF
the word) control OF the means OF pro-
duction and distribution. We realize
that the political machinery must be
readjusted before industrial demo-
cracy can be success.
I repeat that census bulletin NO. 1bO
shows that the worker produces an
average Of $2,471 90 and receives only
an average wage Of $437.00.
Mr.. Shaw claims that 80 per cent
of the difference represents the cost
or raw materials, but the cost OF raw
materials represents only labor ana
profits. Those who labor at produc-
ing the raw material receive only
about one-fifth of the value OF their
product. the same as other workers. II
you eliminate all the profit, the labor
cost Of raw material represents part
Of the work of production, Even as 1t
is, the cost of raw materials (includ-
ing labor and profit does not amount
to more than 20 per cent, and IN many
cases less than 10 per cent, OF the cost
|of production.
The steel trust digs the ore out Of
it's mines, carries It on it's own rail.
roads and steamers, smelts 1t in It's
own blast furnaces, rolls 1t in its own
mills, and II It is converted into wire.
nails, etc, it is done in another trust
factory, so that the cost Of raw ma
terials In this case does not repre-
sent anything but the wages OF labor.
Raising wages in one industry, or
all Industries, will not benefit the
workers, as long az production re-
mains in private hands, for when
wages are raised, prices are raised, 80
that the capitalist gets as much. or
more, profit than before. 1t 10 this
profit that causes our social unrest.
The price of an article represents
wages and profit, and the workers
want a larger share for wages, while
the capitalist wants larger share for
profit. The result Is continual strife,
breaking out at some points. being
subdued at others, while at other
points a sort Of truce exists.
If you mean, as you say, that when
you stated the socialists would des-
troy wealth, you merely meant they
would not produce any more than they
needed, must confess myself unable
to disprove such argument. II they
would not provide for the future mere
ly because they had enough In the
present, fan to see that this would
be great disaster, as, having free
access to the means Of production and
distribution, they could at any time
produce all they needed.
Answering your question regarding
meat prices: The meat markets in the
country towns can buy their meat
cheaper from the packers than from
the farmers, because the packers can
kill and dress 1t cheaper by operating
on large scale and practising econ
omy in the disposal Of offal ETC., But in
the large cities, where they do not
have to meet any competition from
the farmer, there is different story
to tell. do not know whether you
have read anything of the meat
strikes" and riots in some of our large
cities, but there is good reason for
these.
I will still maintain that every man
who has nothing to sell but the work
of his hands or brain, must comply
with the terms of the capitalists, II
he wants to live. These terms are:
IF you produce SO much, will give
you q fraction Of It's value in wages"
Carnegie, Rockefeller and Hill may
have had failures and discourage
ments, and it wasn't until they began
to get the profits off other mems
labor that they became successful bu
conditions were vastly different then
from what they are now. The free
land which once furnished safety
valve for a glutted labor market has
all been taken up, and the pioneer con-
ditions which brought wealth to these
men have also disappeared. No man
can start in the oil, steel or railroad
business today without an enormous
capital. Over 80 per cent Of the fail
ures recorded by our mercantile
agencies are of concerns whose capita