Charles T. Fowler

[one_third padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] [/one_third][two_third_last padding=”0 0px 0 10px”] Subject: CO-OPERATIVE HOMES. The Home and the Family—Its Status—Marriage—Sexual Ethics — Where they Arose. Wife And Housekeeper—”Her Sphere”— Co-operative Home’s Influence on her Independence—Effect on […]

A corporation is an association of individuals, acting as one body by force of law. Co-operation is an association of individuals acting together in their separate capacities by private contract. Corporation is a legal word, co-operation is a natural one. The members of one are legal, artificial, constructive persons, those of the other are natural ones; one acts under a charter, the other acts under an article of agreement or association.

IN a previous issue, we ascertained that the first principles of Co-operation were Liberty and Equity, We showed what they were and their mutual relations. We found that majority rule, in government, must give way to equal sovereignty, and profit, in commerce, give place to cost;—one the rule for properly minding one’s business, the other the basis of common honesty.

Now, these invisible laws, if such, are just as operative when disobeyed as when obeyed. The only part which we are asked to perform is to adapt ourselves to them in our organization. In examining the working, of the present profit-making system we shall see wherein they are violated, and how to apply the remedy.

WHAT is co-operation? From two words, con and opera, it means to work together. It is a practical instead of a speculative word, and is fraught with the most fruitful blessings for humanity. It is natural, therefore, that it should be so generally favored as the ultimate solution of the Labor Question.

Now no one disputes the evil of intemperance, suppose we call it the greatest of evils. If government can or ought to suppress the greatest, then it should try its hand at the next in importance. If two pigs are tearing up the sward in your yard is there any reason why, while driving out the one that weighs one hundred pounds, you should leave the other, which counts ninety and nine? That would be a discrimination only against one pound of rooting!