The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1922-03-24
CLASS
CONSCIOUSNESS
LabOr's NOn-P artisan Cam.
paign

1t is consistent, opportune and time
ly, also it proves, once again, that
real reforms of permanent benefit are
fought, and suffered for, by the under
strata of society, never by the upper
crust. Any reforms advocated by the
exclusive, abusive, abor-despising
class, very much resembles the weak
effect pinch of sugar has on
barrel of acetic acid That class ex-
presses horror at the term Glasses
in America" They express horror
when it is desired to reach the ear
of labor.
On other occasions his ear is reach
ed with clubs, blackjacks, bayonets,
injunctions and dinner pals filled with
wind and scenery. And other ease
loving class expedients. 1t is also
considered good form, plus class in
stinct good judgment, to soft pedal
the startling tonal effects thus pro-
duced on our old wheezy social organ
by starting night classes for the
teaching of 100 per cent American
ism. Mentioning about clubs, black
jacks, etc, as part of the ingredients
of the 100 per cent Americanism,
however, will be cause for dismissal.
The prerogative of the usurping
class is-all logic belongs to it. Any
other aguments consist of sophistry.
Among the skim milk arguments
constantly put before the real people,
are the necessity of poverty as a
moral agent 1t being necessary for
man or woman to experience those
horrors, to finally come out of that
melting pot in the form and char
acter of pure steel, as it were. The
more intense the blast the more en-
during the steel, figuratively speak
/ ing. But it is a noteworthy fact that
the sponsors of that process-inferno
have nifty liz melting pot of their
own for their children.
Their infusion of good qualities is
not of the combination of the north
pole-hades, hunger, unemployment
etc No, it is of gentle texture, more
like the process of making doughnuts
or ladyfingers Costly jewelry, art
music, education, beautiful clothing
congenial environment-but marring
the whole by an added instilling of a
class conscious aloofness This is not
a prejudiced thrust at real thrift and
industry and consequent achievement
but a thrust at artificial control of the
vital necessities of humanity, and the
sophistry of claiming that labor is
a nonenity compared with capital.
Labor produced things to eat anc
wear long before capitalism was usec
as a system The sophistry of capi.
tails position lies in the fact that
money invested in constantly usec
commodity reproduees itself over anC
over again, growing greater anc
greater with each reinvestment
While labor, the fundamental factor
of industry. gets paid a definite
amount as a wage. 1t is necessary fol
the wage worker to spend it immedi
ately for the momentarily necessities
Of life, and its function as capita
stops right there and is gone forever
A great professor of economics
writing articles on democracy, sounC
and unsound, tells US that capital j!
the most democratic arrangement ever
conceived by man. That anybod!
with 81 dollars can buy one share o.
Pennsylvania Railroad Co. stock, o.
as many as you choose. But he failed
to get down to brass tacks on wha
keeps the everyday man from getting
the necessary 81 dollars. And espe
cially since we have the utopia o.
prohibition. 1t may be better for la
Dor to go into politics indirectly, in
stead of directly, as politics is quite
quagmire for the most scrupulou!
people But go in somehow is th'
need of the hour, and clean up OF
some bent-tailed political jackals.
Yours respectfully,
PORT IMFPJCK