East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-01-24

Therefore It is evident
that Mr.. Morgan acquired this $S,-
49S,150 per day from either rent, in
terest, or profit on his capital invest
ed. Inasmuch as Mr.. Morgan cannot !
leave these incomes idle, he must In
turn invest them in new fields of spe- |
culation, that he may derive more in |
come from his investments. Then 1t |
must be plain to us that through the |
process of rent, interest and profit
these incomes demand increase upon
themselves. Such is the nature of
capital, This being the case, it Is ne
cessary that this increase be extracted
from some source, namely, "the pro-
Iducer," And who are the producers
of wealth. The laborers. And how
much do they on an average get FOR
what they produce? Merely Is per
cent. And what does capital get? 81
per cent. And what does capital pro-
duce? Nothing. This then is what
causes the class struggle from which
results the social evils of today. Since
! it is the nature of capital to demand
increase upon itself, it is necessary
that this gap between 50 per cent for
capital and is per cent for labor be-
come farther apart; that the capitalist
become richer and the laborer poorer
Thoughtful men of all shades of
fundamental faith have agreed that
these existing conditions cannot be al
lowed to remain unchanged. Even Mr..
Geo. F. Baker chairman of the First
National bank of New York, in testi-
flying before the money investigation
committee, admitted that this vast
Iamount of wealth concentrated into
the hands of a few men would be
dangerous thing if allowed to continue
lin this manner, and stated that it had
gone about far enough.
Do not misunderstood me in speak
ling of the individual capitalist as be-
ing responsible for these existing con-
ditions, for he is merely a product OF
lour present system which we are
taught to uphold and respect; and
since we are taught to uphold it, why
ldenounce these men who are its most
perfect and ideal exponents Similar
observations apply to all other like
malefactors. None of them have de-
waited from the principles approved
by the system. and II we were to put
in Jail all the men that under the
present system have broken the laws
we would depopulate some of oul
most admired regions.
The power now being on the sid,
of the central interests, who use it il
controlling the markets and the prices
: OF the necessities of life, and he
r cause of the fact that the poor mus
have these necessities to live, possess
ing nothing but labor power, they ar,
forced to compete with one another IL
: the labor market, hence low wages.
d. With the situation confronting u
5 that there are no new great fortune
, being formed today, the condition il
which a poor boy could start will
nothing and become a millionaire hav
vanished and will not return unje
e Jour present regime. Therefore tn
, young man of today though he b
filled with ambition, honesty and so
briefly, with nothing but his labor t
sell, faces the condition of being n
more than a wage Garner, and thougl
hold but few opportunities for tn
poor boy under this system / can Sc
in the future a new era approachin
whereby men shall be free.
History shows us that the govern
ments of the past upon becoming de
structive to the welfare of the peopl
q were overthrown by the oppressed
and new laws instituted for their pro
lection.
The declaration of independence de
,clares THAT whenever any form o
] government becomes destructive O
these ends, it is the right of the peo
pile to alter or to abolish 1t, and t
institute a new government laying 1t
foundation on such principles and or
ganiZing its powers in such form a
to them shall seem most likely to re
spect their safety and happiness"
Here then is the one great oppor
| tunity for the poor boy of today; t
| combat this system of greed for in n
other way can we progress. 1t Is hi
opportunity to become awakened t
the situation this country of his
facing; to see the facts, and then pen
letrate those facts with truth. He ha
, for his weapons, liberty of conscience
e freedom of the press and speech, an
e best of all the ballot box.
h If our public officials are of tn
= central interests they will represen
[ those interests. If they are for tru
= democracy. they will represent tn
people Therefore it is the opportun
= ity for the poor today to put into OF
C flee representatives of his class VIII
;. will stay with him and not stand wit
= one foot in Wall street and the othe
= in democracy, for truth does nc
stand that way.
We must revolutionize society an
I strive toward the cooperative com
/ monwealth our inevitable goal, and t
: do this we should have ideas from tn
b; minds of many men and accept onl
n those ideas that flow along with cvo
D lluticn and turn down those that .r
a IT, swim against the current
e To my mind the greatest obstacl
= that confronts us Is surplus value i
= the form of rent, interest and profit
0 1t is the cause of strife among mer
e of wars to open markets, the wastin
e lof human life. Although these thing
to some people may seem essentia
V as man becomes enlighted, he wi
= demand that things be made for us