The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-02-08
From Miles's Weekly Register.
POLITICS FOR WORKING MEN

in Essay on LABOR and SUBSISTENCE. addressed
10 the Free Productive People of hes United
States, July 4, 1881.
1 have several times contemplated an essay on
LABOR and subsistence, to explain, SO far as / am
able, with all possible simplicity and in the plain
manner OF practical mechanic certain great
principles OF POLITICAL ECONOMY which every
worklng-freeman should not only understand but
give an earnest and unqualified support to ; for
lhey deeply interest every man whose means of
subsistence are furnished through the labor of his
own hands. The times are pregnant with impor-
tant events to all such persons in the United States
There is manifest desire in many to reduce the
grade of these in society, and TO stint the comforts
which honest industry en- Joys; conspiracy of the
influential few against the divided and undisci-
pinned many But the latter have The power to d.
rect events to their own advantage-they command
at the 6diLot-6oI as well as in the feld-they NAV
hold the lCiu and the Stcord of the national GOV.
eminent; and if they do ascertain their riGhts
and, with unity preserve them, the fault shall not
rest with me-ior the humble ability afforded has
been, tor more than thirty years past devoted TO
exalt the character and advance the interests of
my otcn class in society, and give to labor that
rank which genuine virtue" should hold in the
republic.
Every body has heard the story of the poor Irish
man, who having had too much to do with the
crGtuT, fell out of his bed-but promised to ret
In again, when he could catch IT. as IL fetc round
the room! Pat" is made the butt ofmany Joke
yet there are not few Jonathans who have thought
that tree or post left its location run against
them But many tens of thousands have been.
and are, intoxicated from other causes than the
immoderate use of distilled liquors. Politics pro-
duce more fntenperGnce in the United States than
whlskey-and political drunkenness causes manv to
believe that beds, as it were, whr round the room
or trees leave their roots, wickedly to knock down
harmless persons-the obquity of their visions max
ing them SuDDOse that a
ience," or snakes course is a 5zHsE5FsW
bold straight line And hence | well know that
some of them have been prevented from giving me
patient hearing. because that my opinions-(en-
lertalned when the "greatest and best" public
men were as obscure and humble as myself)-are
dictatorially pronounced, by drunken or profit
gate politicians, as belonging TO the transient dis.
pules about persons to preside or direct the |
affairs of this nation. 1t is the business of these
whole" gallon generals and half gill captains to
!ntoxlcate thouehtless persons, and so lead them
through all the filth of furious party-bolding any
thing lawful which may accomplish the desired
end-G senseless and unrefecting rote at elections
Most OF these do know, or at least ought to know |
that such proceedings are dishonest towards mo- |
But ais fair in politics." says the contemplate
thing at New York, who fills high office under |
the United States, and manufactures paragraphs
to serve any party to which, for the time being he
may happen to belong, and, with the rest of his
herd, will laugh at any deception, any rank false
hood, or foul corruption that subseryes the party,
and fills his pocket-the rights of things being
measured by the amount of " grist which they
bring to his own mill" On this account, take |
leave to repeat land abundant proof of the truth of
the assertion exists in all my writings that the ell
ements OF every opinion that | now hold, to the
justice and necessity of protecting The labor Of the
american people, that " none may go supperless
to bed" were just as we'll and as firmly establish
ed in my mind, when in the Goth year of my age
at present having nqSsad S21 And will
be seen, that in all the changes of circumstance
and tme," have nerer waVered-never passed
for one moment to the right TO the left, from the
leading principles which embraced in my youth
that, as labor tcas the source of alt icealth those
teho lG6ored toere The primary concern of every oise
and paterndl government To take care of these
or rather, to enable them TO /" manage their oicn
concerns in their tcay" is the true reading of
the words PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS" which the
sages Of the revolution regarded Of the I'm.
alienable rights" of all men.
shall now proceed practically to shew what
the Congress of seventy-six meant by the words
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS"
| There is country under heaven wherein the
free working people live well, and rapidly
advance their fortunes, as in the United States
and 1t will be because of their fatal indier-
ence, if they do not always maintain that high
ground which separates them from the white
slaves" Of the old world, or black working ma
chimes of the new. Let every man look around
him and see from whence came tho most wealthy
and useful of his neighbors He will find that ma
ny, perhapsa large majority of the richest. and
bearing the reputation Of honorable men, were
humble plough-boys, plain mechanics. or poor day.
laborers. Let him also enter into the dwellings Of
those, who yet labor every day. and he will find
plentiful supply Of all the necessares of life, ma
ny Of the comforts and some Of the luxuries, with
in the premises or subject TO the command Of thu
prudent and industrious poor. There are som'
exceptions because of sickness other casualtic
but il may be generally said, without the fear o
contradiction or shadow Of doubt, that ever
man, able and willing to labor, has, or may hare a
much Of the best bread ard meat as his family ca
consume, with n suficiency Of decent clothing
good shelter from the weather. and full supply Q
fuel. So much must be conceded. And can il h
believed, that there is large and powerful part
I in this country, which would DENY such right,
9 enioyments to industry-thdt rould send he Il
4 borer . s,pperiess to bed?n THERE Is Sue
$ A PARTY! They are those who call thcmselv,
i friends Of free frade'-whe not knowing tn
y such thing 90 free trade" exists; preachir
against the laws Of their own land, whic, pr
l. tcct the working people in their several emplo