The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-02-06
Live Questions in Seattle
Sagebrush Philosophy
By Edwin J. Brown, ID. ID. -,
5f5 FIRST Ave-. Union Blk.


Mr. Bouiilon contends that IL IL
better for mankind that a oommun-
lily be composed Of many diversified
interests than IL would be of fewer
groups for reasons which are APP
plicable 10 the owner. employer and
the working classes alike"
Let us analyze this paragraph and
see what the diversified interests OF
our community are. IL is admitted
by Mr. Bouillon that there are three,
namely. owners. employers and
workers. OF course. a person might
be both an employer and owner. but
in modern Industry. person can
hardly be owner and worker. or en-
ploycr and worker. This leaves
practically two classes I'm society. as
the employing class is but a division
or appendage OF the owning class
In reality we have the class that
buys labor power and the class that
sells labor power. So instead of Mr..
Bouilion having many diversified In
terests composing the community we
have really but two. But. you ask.
how about the small business MANI
answer he is but a human sieve.
through which the rent. interest and
profit are drawn in the dividing up
process by the owning class OF that
surplus value produced by the work
ing class.
Surplus value Is that portion Of
labor's product over and above what
labor receives as wages Here is a
phenomenon which Mr.. Boulllon and
many before him overlook or refuse
to recognize. Modern industry Is de-
pendent upon the Institution of ex-
ploitation OF human labor power
wage slavery and II no per-
son was compelled TO sell his labor
power for wages there could not
be a capitalist owner (exploiterl.
This is the basis OF tho class strug-
gle and the fundamental cause of
all wars. because when this surplus
value is exploited from labor we
capitalist owners are at each others
throats for possession of It. first.
within our nation, and then against
and at war with any other nation
that interferes or refuses us
market for this surplus. We work
and sweat our children and women
wage workers TO get this surplus.
and then we use our boys and men
in an army TO kin and be killed in
order to get a market to rid our
selves of this surplus. Mr.. Bouillon
tells us that this system lis better
for mankind" ! suggest that those
who think IL is better do the fight
ing and send their children to the
sweat shop. Mr. Bouillon.
II is TO the exploiters' interests
TO get all they can as surplus. IL
Is TO the workers interests to get
all they can In wages. and their in
terests are anything but mutual
Wages, as rule. are regulated by
the cost of living and forced to this
level by the unemployed workers
competing for the sale of their labor
power
The price Ccost) OF living is regu-
lated by the capitalist owners sbii-
ity TO control the product of labor.
Thus the average farmer gets ~
cents per bushel for his wheat. but
the owner OF the wheat now puts
the price TO s1.s6 per bushel.
THE JITNEY BUS.
Can YOU see any mutual interest
between the street car company and
the jitney bus?
Can you distinguish any mutual
interest between the patrons OF rail-
roads and the owners OF those roads7
The very life OF Seattle's street car
company is threatened by the jitney
bus, and what would the street car
not do to save itself? Its efforts
are already known and felt. but The
iitnoy bus has come to stay.
REGULATION. OPPRESSION. SUP
PRESTON.
took jitney and ordered the
driver TO let me out at Second ave-
nue. and Union street. and when he
stopped an officer told him to re
port at headquarters" There was
no one ancAu OF or hcnlnu mis- Aif.
travel was not impedcd or obstruct-
ed and no offense was committed
Suppose the street car had stopped
for me. would that have been an
offeeseg Well. hardly The free use
OF the public highway should not be
denied any person. The only limita-
ton to the use is that | must not
obstruct the use OF others. and to
Cypress and suppress private enter
prise is vicious and can only be In
tended TO aid one class of owners
and suppress their competitors. What
offense is possible simply because an
auto bus stops on any street at any
time for the convenience of its pas
senger, Il no one else is interfered
with? This Is simply vicious legis-
lation. or Il is ignorant oppression.
stopping vehicle in a crowded
street VIXEN and whore travel and
traffic would hc ohstrueted would
be nuisance, hut TO prevent a We
hicle from stopping TO discharge a
passenger when no one is disturbed
thereby is petty ahsurdity reflect
ed from small minds, or II Is the
process OF destructive influence
working Though the city's legisla-
tors TO harass and Cypress citizens
and private enterprise.
EDWIN j. BROWN.