190 AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



the tax-gatherer. If he planted a field, he was not compelled 

 to eat the refuse and sell the best to pay rent or to make 

 a payment on the mortgage. If they were without schools, 

 churches, and railroads, it is no less a fact they were wanting 

 in prisons, poor-houses, and tramps. 



Soon barter, an exchange of commodities, began to take place 

 between individuals and tribes. The fish of one section were 

 exchanged for the fur of another section. It often became diffi- 

 cult to make these exchanges exactly balance. One class of 

 products would possess more labor value than the other. For 

 example, ten pieces of fur would have more labor value than ten 

 fish, but not enough for eleven. This made the bargain unequal 

 and entailed a loss. After a time they began to use shells and 

 beads to represent this difference in labor value. These shells 

 and beads had no value of themselves, but by common consent 

 represented labor value. By and by some one hoarded up 

 enough of these representatives of value to exchange entire 

 for some of the fish or fur. Then the war between capital and 

 labor began, and has continued until the present time. The 

 man with the beads and shells wanted all the fur and fish he 

 could obtain for them, while the hunters and fishermen wanted 

 to give him as little as possible. The self-same struggle is 

 with us to-day. The shells and beads of barbarism are the pro- 

 totypes of the gold and silver of civilization. The owners of 

 these shells and beads of barbarism are identical with the 

 banker and bond-owner of civilization. The form and material 

 have changed. The conditions and circumstances of exchanges 

 have differed since that time. But the old idea of barbarism, 

 the relationship which these representatives of value bear to 

 each other and to all created wealth, has remained the same, 

 has obeyed all these years the same general laws, and has been 

 guided by the same unvarying rules. The same general laws 

 govern the production and distribution of wealth to-day that 

 did when production and distribution began. With an increase 

 of these representatives of value, products are more justly dis- 

 tributed, labor is paid better, and prosperity makes its appear- 

 ance. With a decrease, exactly the reverse of this is effected. 

 This has proven true in all ages of the world, and is proving 

 true at the present time. 



