The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-09-08
From The People ! Platform.
The Sources Of Wealth. Z =

The great mass of people in every com.
munity are those who labor. with daily and
incessant toll, not for the sake Of boarding
up, but who are compelled to spend alE
they earn for the support Of themselves and
their families. They can make no pfoviss
ion for sickness or old age--much less
find leisure for intellectual or moral i'm
provement. To the few among this great
mass Of laborers who may chance to see
these lines, we address few bfiefremarks.
You are doubtless aware, and ifnot, q
little reflection will impress the truth, that
there are two great sources of wealth.
first, the raw materials which Nature, or
rather the god of Nature has provided, in
Guiding the earth and its natural products;
and secondly the labor Of man bestowed
upon those raw materials. These are the
two great sources of human and animal
substance, and of all that which we call
capital or wealth. ids' 40 aYssi aaA
The first source of wealth, then. is the
earth and its natural products. To whom
do these belong! There can be but one
answer given to this question, and that's
they belong to the human family in COM
mon, as the gift of a common Father, to
be used, and only used, for the common
good. On what principle should appropri.
atoms be made to individuals out of the
common stock? To this question we can
only reply-"On the principle as near as
the human faculties can reach it, ofuniver.
sal and perfect Justice and Equality.''I
The second source of wealth is the la.
Dor of man upon the earth and its natural
products. This is, in fact the great prox.
innate source of all material wealth, asit
now exists, for without mans labor, the
earth and its natural products are, gener.
ally speaking. valueless, and in a great
measure, useless. 1t is labor, then, that
gives to all things their real and immedi-
ate value. 1re fsf4 VIM
Now who should enjoy the fruits of the
toll? The common sense of ali
has but one and the same answer
all over the world, and it is, that the labor.
er himself should enjoy it, and that laws
should be made to secure to him the Just
reward of his industry, and to punish the
idle, the disolute, the avaricious and un-
who would rob him OF his rights.
If such were the case, ard If as grave Di.
vines and great men tell us, the distinc.
ion between rich and poor must all always
continue, then those who labor would be
'ich, and all others would be poor, and
pensioners upon their bounty. The slave
md his master in the South, and the white
aborer and the capitalist in the North,
would change places, and the present or.
ler Of things in regard to the distribution
If the products Of labor, would be wholly
eversed. M i5 as,essS
All these results would foRow:-The
ast wealth which labor has created, and
which is now appropriated and boarded
" one or few men in a company or cor.
'oration, would be distributed among hun.
lreds. nay thousands of laborers, and
make them all, not affluent, but comforta.,
lie and happy. hsea gs,t Il
Let Justice be done to the laborer, though,
he heavens fall, and the governments Of
arth crumble to pieces!
"GoD SPEED THE RIGHT" sgo;,