THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE. 189 



bushels of all kinds of grain, which sold for $1,284,000,000; 

 while in 1887, twenty years subsequently, 141,821,000 acres 

 produced 2,660,457,000 bushels, which sold for only $1,204,289,- 

 ooo. That is, the products of 1867, from less than one-half as 

 many acres and half the amount, brought the farmer $79,71 1,000 

 more. Can these figures be explained away by want of thrift 

 or extravagance ? 



Labor, the architect of all wealth and prosperity, is languish- 

 ing to-day from similar causes. There is no other nation on 

 earth where labor is despoiled as easily as it is in America. In 

 other nations it requires a monarchy, a standing army, and the 

 traditions of a brutal past to effect this robbery ; but here it is 

 accomplished almost by common consent. All economists unite 

 on the proposition that "labor is the sole creator of wealth." 

 If that be true, what agency steps in between the producer and 

 the wealth he creates ? In the answer to this question lies the 

 whole labor problem. In the discussion of this point it is nec- 

 essary to examine at least two others. What is labor ? It is 

 mental or physical exertion. Capital is wealth used in produc- 

 tion, and wealth is the crystallized labor of the past. Again, 

 while all capital is wealth, all wealth is not necessarily capital. 

 Wealth not used in production is not capital. There are also 

 two kinds of capital, visible and invisible. The first consists in 

 money, tools, merchandise, etc. The latter lies hidden in the 

 brain and brawn of the individual, and is called labor. 



It would seem that these two factors ought to live peaceably 

 together, and many kind-hearted people insist that they do, that 

 their interests are identical. This, however, is not true ; their 

 interests are diametrically opposed to each other. Instead of 

 living in peace, they are at war ; they have been in the past, 

 and will be in the future, so long as the present system of eco- 

 nomics continues. This contest began with the introduction of 

 a medium of exchange, and has continued ever since. In the 

 primitive state of the race, men labored simply for personal or 

 family wants, and there was neither commerce nor exchanges. 

 Each produced what would satisfy, and each enjoyed the full 

 benefits of his labor. A few conditions of barbarism would be 

 appreciated even now. If a man made a coat, it was his ; he 

 was not obliged to part with it to pay interest, or hide it from 



