THE CO-OPERATOR.
___________
KNOWLEDGE AND UNION ARE POWER:
POWER, DIRECTED BY KNOWLEDGE, IS HAPPINESS.
HAPPINESS IS THE END OF CREATION.
No. 8. DECEMBER 1, 1828. 1d.
THE THREE ESSENTIALS OF CO-OPERATION, viz. LABOUR, CAPITAL, KNOWLEDGE.
LABOUR.
- In order to shew that a Co-operative Society must necessarily obtain a state of independence for all its members, it is sufficient to shew that it contains within itself the common basis upon which all the independence of the world is founded. This is labour. Labour is the root of the tree whatever size it may ultimately grow to. Labour is in this sense everything: therefore, he who has labour has everything.
- No man will be senseless enough to deny that the working classes possess this labour within themselves. They are the only people who do possess it. They have the monopoly of this article most completely in their own hands. Nor can any law or force deprive them of it: for all force is a species of labour, and resides in the working classes, and in them alone and the power of any person, or class of men, is nothing more than the power of directing the labour or power of the working. classes.
- We wish to direct the attention of the working classes to this point, that they may employ the power they and they alone possess for their own advantage, instead of the advantage of others. Till they do that, the command which individuals now possess of directing labour and living upon it, must continue to stand in the place of co-operation. As the working classes are the only persons who labour, they may choose at any time whether they will labour for themselves or for others.
- Labour is the basis and corner stone of the building— the hey stone of the arch—the root of the tree—the perennial spring of the mighty river—the heart of the body—the essence of life. If the working classes possess this labour they ought to possess the building, the arch, the tree, the river, the body, and the life itself. But they do possess this labour, therefore the moment they enter into co-operation they must succeed.
The literal transcribing of these circa 1828-1829 texts of The Co-operator. has been commissioned by Manzanares & Partners Law Offices on the occasion of the Golden (50th) Year of 1 Cooperative System of the Philippines Life and General Insurance. Aside from the Firm's founding partner starting to write his first book on the cooperative movement, he also publishes The New Co-operator., ‘The frontpage of the co-operative web.’
Some Corrections
In order to show 🌟 that a Co-operative Society must necessarily obtain a state of independence for all its members, it is sufficient to show 🌟 that it contains within itself the common basis upon which all the independence of the world is founded. This is labour.
Labour is the root of the tree whatever size it may ultimately grow to. Labour is in this sense everything: therefore, he who has labour has everything.
No man will be senseless enough to deny that the working classes possess this labour within themselves. They are the only people who do possess it. They have the monopoly of this article most completely in their own hands. Nor can any law or force deprive them of it: for all force is a species of labour, and resides in the working classes, and in them alone and the power of any person, or class of men, is nothing more than the power of directing the labour or power of the working classes.
We wish to direct the attention of the working classes to this point, that they may employ the power they and they alone possess for their own advantage, instead of the advantage of others. Till they do that, the command which individuals now possess of directing labour and living upon it, must continue to stand in the place of co-operation. As the working classes are the only persons who labour, they may choose at any time whether they will labour for themselves or for others.
Labour is the basis and cornerstone 🧱 of the building— the keystone 🗝️ of the arch—the root of the tree—the perennial spring of the mighty river—the heart of the body—the essence of life. If the working classes possess this labour they ought to possess the building, the arch, the tree, the river, the body, and the life itself.
But they do possess this labour, therefore the moment they enter into co-operation they must succeed.
Some Notes
To demonstrate that a Cooperative Society can achieve independence for all its members, it's enough to recognize that it's built on the same foundation as all forms of independence: labor. Labor is the foundation, as crucial as the roots of a tree, no matter its final size. In essence, those who control their labor control everything.
- A cooperative society is an organization owned and run jointly by its members, who share the benefits or profits equally. These societies are based on the principles of collective decision-making and shared ownership, aiming to meet their members' common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations. Unlike profit-driven businesses, cooperatives focus on fulfilling the shared interests and goals of their members. (NCDC)
It's undeniable that the working class holds this power of labor. They alone have a complete hold over this resource. No law or external force can strip them of it since force itself is a form of labor, found only within the working class. The power of any individual or group is simply their ability to direct the labor of the working class.
- The "working class" refers to the social group consisting of people who are employed for wages, especially in manual or industrial work. The working class is historically and sociologically significant as these individuals do not own the means of production but rather earn their living by selling their labor.
We aim to bring this to the attention of the working class: they should use their unique power for their own benefit, not for others. Until this happens, the current system, where individuals control and profit from others' labor, will persist. Since the working class is the sole bearer of labor, they have the choice to work for themselves or for others.
Labor is the foundation and cornerstone of any structure, the crucial element that holds everything together, like the root of a tree or the heart of a body. If the working class possesses this labor, they should rightfully own the structures it builds. Their possession of labor means that once they engage in cooperative efforts, they are bound to succeed.