The Irish standard., 1912-11-02

ing Tor wages or salaries. IhlS would
make more than six billion or one
half more than the amount of money
in the United States, and nearly as
much as the total banking capital of
the national banks of the country. This
period of forty years covers very
largely the development of the great
/ fortunes, large corporations and COM
binations of capital and great enter
prises. This does not give the ap-
pearance of the capitalists robbing
the rest of the people; but it does
prove that the people are really capt.
talists and are getting in the aggre-
gate, many times more of accumulated
wealth and of the annual production
than the large corpor ations and ag-
gregations of capital that are charged
with absorbing ninety-f1ve per cent Of
the annual productions, and the same
proportion of nearly all of the accum-
ulated or existing wealth. The agen-
| cies that have accomplished this are
have prevailed in any past age or ma
ton. How has this been accom-
plished? To what extent do they de-
pend upon the industrial combinations
and the characters and abilities of
the men who are responsible for
their management and control?
That the present system of organ
! lied capital and management is spe-
officially the leading cause, and an in
dispensible one, is evident from the
greater success in the production and
! distribution of wealth.
The evident intention is to convey
to the public the belief that modern
industrial methods must be radically
revised or destroyed, and as part of
the necessary program, that it's advo-
Gates must be placed in power as the
means of accomplishing this most
radical purpose.
The real principles that urderlie and
the final outcome of the creation and
distribution of wealth under individ-
ualism and modern capitalism and
corporation methods, are entirely mis-
construed and misunderstood. Not
only is the distribution misrepresented
and misconstrued, but the fact of the
final actual and real ownership, or at
least complete control, use and ad-
vantages of nearly the whole product
of wealth produced is neither under
stood nor recognized.
The annual wealth produced is
practically all distributed each year
amongst the people, with but little
more going for use and consumption
by capital or the weather. class from
the accumulation, profits, dividends or
income, but is to the extent of the
accumulated capital used in the de-
velopment and up-building of rail-
roads, industries, buildings, public
utilities, banks, commercial houses
and other means of production or
distribution of wealth that is pract-
ically all in use by the public, for the
public, where the working man and
common citizen has SO far as the
greater part of the profits going to
capital, has the use of it to the ex-
tent of all excepting the smaller frac-
t1onal part consumed or appropriated
to the personal use of the capitalist,
who is accused of robbing the people
of nearly all the wealth produced
II Accumulated capital is more use
full, advantageous and profitable to
the public under the general control
of private ownership than it would
i be if transferred to the public. And
In such case the public would get less
advantage, use and benefit than now
comes from its control by the indi-
vidual owner, who is working for the
public for his board and clothes. And
the captains of industry would be
credited with the valuable services
that are performed by them, if the
whole facts of the case were not so
obscured and misinterpreted by in
terested personal interests.
\ If the Socialistic program of public
ownership was carried into effect,
what would be the inevitable out
come? If all the means Of production
and distribution were taken through
confiscation whereby all capital and
wealth were by decree transferred to
public ownership or the control Of I'M
scrupulous factions that would thus
destroy the mechanism f production
and the rights of property, what pos
sible advantage to the public could
come from it? This cannot be done
without paralyzing all industries,
trade, commerce and transportation.
It will not only paralyze, it will pract-
ically destroy the means of subsist-
II onco IF tho noonla