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THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE CAPITALIST
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stronger. The result is that they are the owners of everything that makes life worth living.

"We want it back. Now how are we going to get it?

"Ask them for it? They would hand us the laugh.

"Buy it from them? It never belonged to them in the first place—no, we are going to take it.

"Take it how? By force? No, not necessarily. By bullets? We are not so foolish. We have the power already. We far outnumber them and our brains, when used, are as good as theirs. Therefore, we will organize our power and use our brains in our own behalf hereafter instead of theirs. When the workers are once solidly united the system by which the capitalists daily rob us of the fruits of our toil will simply fall of its own weight."

A leaflet, the Noon Hour Chat, sent out by the socialist section closest akin to the I. W. W. ends with these words:

"Precedents from American history are all against the theory of compensation to capitalist owners. The thirteen American colonies having asserted their independence had no scruples about 'confiscating' to themselves millions of acres of land hitherto vested in the British crown. The North had no scruples in confiscating property valued at one billion dollars, when it freed the chattel slave.

"Capitalism comes into court with dirty hands when it crys 'Confiscation!' From the time it unjustly confiscated the rights of the peasants in the land, down to our own time when it has virtually