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►and the old text are sadly changed, ail over our public channels of opinion. How can we account for this fact?We call special attention to the following :“We became a nation of believers in the possibility of universal capitalism. No one seemed to entertain fora moment the thought: who i9 to furnish half-paid labor, if all are to be capitalists? Whence, if all want to he robbers under the cHscruise of law.are the robbed to come? If thereare no wages-slaves, how is any more profit possible? And even the nearly four years of commercial crisis all over the civilized world have not yet, to any great extent, uprooted that capitalist superstition that everybody may, through diligence and economy, become an independent, well-to-do person, an appropriator of the partly-paid labor-fruit of others. Our press,our pulpits, our popular orators are so utterly ignorant of real politicaleconomy, that, whenever an Astor, Stewart. Vanderbilt or Stevens dies,they preach the gospel that everyyoung man may, by following their shining example, become a millionaire. This superstition dies hard, and this reason alone sufficiently accounts for the slow progress of our new ^eientith and nractical efforts atorganizing a labor party on just principles.”This superstition “dies hard” because it is not a mere “capitalist superstition.” It has been as powerfulamong the masses, among the laborers, as with any other class. It iaself-evident folly, but it is cherishedby nine men out of ten. We haveseen its counterpart, in the generallysuperstitious.[From the Emancipator. ]CAN’T EAT YOUR CAKE ANDHAVE IT, TOO.”Railroad Earnings.—The gross earnings of thirty-four railroads for the first quarter of the present year have been made public. The increase that was looked for is not shown. Thetotal, this year, is #30,102,580, against #30,580, 4901ast—a falling-off of #478,869, or a littleover one-fifth of one per cent. Only thirteen roads out of the thirtv-four show an increase. The largest increase is shown by the Union Pacific—#408,500. It should be remembered that the strictest eoonomy is being practiced on every hand, and that the figures of net earnings will not show any small reductions. The year has been hard on the railroads. The seasons have been inclement, and business is more backward than usual. But, taking into account all the outward circumstaaoes, it yet remain true t at the revival of buainess is notplainly shown by the gross earnings railroad statistics thus far gathered—EiRailroads are no exception to the rule. They must become victims of the system the same as all the balanceof society. Capital is absorbing wealth at the rate of five-sixths of all that labor creates. As a consequence, when the laborer comes to buy back the equivalent of his productions, he can not do it by five to one. This must produce what the business w rld calls over-production. The manufacturing interests must graduate production to consumption; hence, more persons must stop work; this again involves more idle persons, and so on. Merchants, selling less, ship less; decline in shipments brings a further reduction; for rail-wages must under the present regime come down, and thus aid in the decrease of their own business. From the day Grant “treed” Lee at Appo-matox to the present time every kind of commercial transactions have been declining. It has been very Tutile in men of sense to say times must improve. Wait for the new crop; wait for spring; wait for summer, fall and winter; it wilJ do you no good; this June will be worse than last June was; there is no future for the business of this country any more. Open your eyes and look out. Even the war tn Europe, Asia and Africa will be a mere trifle in producing bettertimes.
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Minneapolis Free Flag
Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Thu, Jun 21, 1877
Page 3
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USA 04 Apr 2022
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