A Poem of Political Economy
from Grip, mid-1887
likely by J. W. Bengough
Capital, Land and Labor
Were triplets at their birth,
And started out together
To cultivate the earth;
Quoth they, “We’ll work together,
And all the wealth we make
Will be divided fairly,
And each a third will take.
“Capital’s share is Interest,
Land’s share we’ll know as Rent,
While Labor’s we’ll call Wages.
And each will be content.”
The business grew and prospered,
And wealth was made galore,
But, lo! while Land waxed wealthy
The other two grew poor.
And it was seen, most strangely,
That with the rise of Rent,
Both Interest and Wages
Lower and lower went!
“There’s something wrong, dear brother.”
The others said to Land,
“There’s something crooked somewhere
We’d like to understand.
“While you are fat and jolly,
And from all care are free.
We, though we do our portion
Are pressed by poverty.”
Said Land, “My dearest brothers,
The facts are as you state—
While capital and wages fall
Rent grows at inverse rate.
“And why? — the thing is simple,
And very plain to see: —
For all your raw material
You’ve got to come to me.
“And I (through ‘private ownership’)
Am thus empowered to say,
As much as I see fit to ask
You both have got to pay.
“We’re on a different footing,
As you may now perceive,
You’ve got to have my help, you know,
Or, simply, you can’t live.
“And since (through ‘private ownership’)
I ask more than my share,
It follows that my partners
Are left a little bare!”
“Most excellently reasoned,”
Said Labor. “clear as day!”
“The very thing,” said Capital,
“That I was going to say.”
“Well, now,” said Labor thoughtfully,
“I think I see the chip
That spoils our dish of porridge—
It’s ‘private ownership.’
“We’ll just dissolve this little firm
And form again with two
Called Capital & Labor —
Both workers — that will do.
“And Land (or raw material)
Since it by Heaven is sent
We’ll treat as common property
By wiping out all rent.
“Then while the wealth producing
Will go on as before,
The workers will enjoy it,
And neither will be poor.”
J. W. Bengough was a prolific illustrator and cartoonist, and he clearly had a way with words. He published Grip for many years, and late did weekly cartoons for The Public. See also his Up-To-Date Primer and Whole Hog. He coined the phrase "Natural Public Revenue." Look for "Grip" on Google Books; you won't be disappointed!