The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-03-23
NEWSPAPERS OPINION
THERE ARE ONLY TWO

| There are not dozen different economic sys-
| terms. There are only two And the ultimate
choice which human society makes IS limited to
these two.
The one is based upon AGREEMENT and the
other upon AUTHORITY.
At once it is to be detected, therefore, that pr-
vate capitalism can survive IN America II IL
squares itself with the cooperative basis upon
When it fails to operate on that principle there
is but one other economic system to which to Fly,
and that is that of government CONFUSION.
| There may be all manner of variations of eco
nomic systems.
| The professors may so advise and the BRAIN
trust council in Washington may concoct theoreti-
cally many other PHILOSOPHERS, but when they are
stripped of their verbiage and pumage, the choice
to be made still lies between only two-that OF
private contract and that of public coercion.
Both these systems propose, and are designed,
to operate for single given end-namely. to exc
cute the job
theory of capitalism a free society collaborates
to that end-to get certain thing done, to manu-
facture certain product, to sell given article:
Under this s''stem, employer bargains with
an employe to assist him in that enterprise and
offers the latter a reward for agreeing to help
81 per day or $1,000 per month"; according as the
services of the employee may be regarded as worth
to the employer.
IN some cases, one has the mind one has the mus
Gle In all cases. they partners in this conJont
capitalistic enterprise of doing this given thing
whatever it may be they are personally interested
in.
Under this private-contract arrangement Ameri-
can business and industry have thrived Capital
has multiplied itself; labor benefited itself IN pro-
portion as it has exhibited talent or ability to CO.
operate with capital. The more 1t helped 10 40
the more done for It..
Bv means of this principle, America has Wrough5
for its people diffused wealth, the ike OF WHICH
is enjoyed in no other country.
e l,y,Nrr Of O
proportions which remain the despair OF other ma
tionalities The possession of common convenlenceS
and the equipment for happy social and proht9DIe
economic life among the masses has oeen Wiueiy
scattered. "
But if America, or any other country which
adopts the same economic system, wishes to throw
it away because, forsooth, 1T seems TO nave Dlo"h
up there is only one other which they can accept
Government becomes the captalistic employer
with the same end in view that prevailed before,
namely that of getting given thing done, Ger.
tain article manufactured, a specific amount OF
goods sold and distributed, but the process there
after changes.
The government COMMANDS the workers 10
work and if they fail, they are punished-punlshed
not only by being dismissed from the job IN when
they were engaged. but punished by being pitched
That's the Boshevistic idea of an economic
theory by whatever other name it may momen-
tarily be named.
AS between the two there is but one intelligent
choice to make-thats the choice OF IhaC PllsaII
capitalism which allows, in the first place the rght
to every man to bargain for the sale of his serV-
ices and then guarantees to him reward for the
use of such services. ,,
Under the other theory it is OBEDIENCE or a
FIRING SQUAD.
No bargain no compromise excuse, no recon
ciation-the worker is commanded and if he fails
or refuses. it's the end of him, both occupationay
and personally.
The contract-knd, the cooperative kind the
american kind against which just now there IS
unite bit of believing, can be prostituted and
outraged. Perhaps it has been, Undoubtedly, 1t
has been but its misuse does not argue that 1t IS
miS-anthropic.
If America is wise. 1t VIII strive us uCnoSC ~
keen inyiolate its old economic system of contract
and cooperation rather than that of authority and
coercion and commanding, repair it, to be sure,
but keep it at all hazards rather than even tend
toward the other rule of the brutality OF govern
mental might-Charlotte Observer