Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-06-15
MASS MEETING OF MECHANICS

last. The object Of the meeting appeared to be
to listen to an exposition of the character and
objects Of SECRET order which has an existence
here, known as the Mechanics Association
which was given in an address by f. H. Rudd,
and brief speeches by several individuals AT
ter this was do1ie the general interests of labor
and the interests of labor generally, were taken
into consideration, and finally committee of
twelve was appointed to devise and report at an
adjourned meeting to be held Oh Tuesday eve
ming next, plan Of association for the mechan-
les, in accordance with some general ideas ad-
vanced at the meeting
1t cannot be doubted that the labor of the coun-
try has great cause, not for complaint, but for ac-
ton. Not for complaint, we say, because the
labor OF the country has the power to dictate the
policy of the country, and hence the evils it suf-
lers, depend for cure on its own action Labor
creates all the wealth of the world and when we
know that this same labor has the very least pit
lance of what it creates, it needs no argument to
demonstrate that something is wrong which calls
Tor effort to remedy. Thousands of plans will
be preached, many will be tried, and although
seeming failure will attend on many, and perhaps
all OF these plans, yet the great end-the rights
OF labor, viii be advanced, and the way finally
opened to secure the desired results. We have
our own opinion of the steps necessary to secure
to mankind their rights, which of course embra-
ccs the rights of labor and the aborer: but while
we have confidence in our own plan as the best,
we have equal confidence that no plan can be
preached and acted upon without some good re-
suits. Associations combinations, trades un-
ions, and all those kind of things are not without
good results, yet they have not and will not eff
feet permanent cure, for the reason that they
do not touch the great question of human rights
They may wage successfully defensive war.
but after years of such warfare they are no near
Ger final triumph, than at the commencement
Dor yet remains, and works it baneful results. 1t
must be evident that while the labor market is
overstocked. all the combinations in the world
! can be productive of no permanent good, for la =
the instinct of self-preservation demands that the
mouth shall be fed and the back clothed if it takes
all the energies of nature to do it. A little re-
Election also will show that in our present social
and political relations, competition must 90 on
increasing History shows that century ago
in Europe, the condition of the laborer was vast
~ better than at present, and yet since that time
the wealth of the world has been increased fifty
fold. Beside the natural preponderace the la
Dor as compared with the capital of the country
machinery represents millions Of laborers, and is
in the field of competition with them. What the
last century has wrought out the next will inev-
itably, without radical reform. Horace Gree
ley says truly, that the tendency of the wages of
labor is inevitably to point Just sufficient to sus-
tain life. Ii the laborer can live on bushel of
corn per week, that is what his services will COM
nand, and when the time arrives as it has alroa-
ready in many ports Of Europe and viii here.
thathis services are worth not hing. then he must
starvc and die or rebel and be hung If compe-
ttion, or the great overplus of labor as compared
/ il.ll
] plain to cure the evil the cause should be remo-
we'd, and TO that point should the efforts of the la
/ borer at reform be directed This brings us to
our remedy, which is, simply to restore to man
has right 10 The earth. This must be the basis of
all permanent reform Without this basis, al
our projects must be air built and however beau
tlful to the eye, must soon dissolve into the thin
element on which they rest. If the world had
never known sufferng-if labor had never been
the oppressed and crushed thing it is, mans ma
tural and unbought right to the earth, would
exist as fully as under present circumstances ::
but whilst men in the enjoyment of the worlds
comforts, may forgo a demand for their rights.
under existing evils they wrong themselves by
such concessions. But would the remedy we
propose be sufficient for the end Some will
deny and many will doubt; our own convictions
however are clear. In Europe the land is held
by few-the many are denied access to it; they
throng the streets of cities, they throng every
department o: labor, fighting with their brothers
for the scanty m0rsels thrown them. The soil
of Europe has been demonstrated to be capable Of
sustaining in comfort the whole population If
this be the fact, the argument is at an end. for
where the necessity of suffering if there is an
abundance. Men do not suffer for the pleasure
of it, and the fact that they beg upon their knees
for work, is evidence sufficient that it is not to
idleness their suiferings are to be referred. It
is as we stale-they are denied access TO the land
they have no source of independent subsis-
tencc--the means of their subsistence are in the
hands of others, and at the mercy of those others
they live, and the result is seen in suffering des
titution, and death. Could they have access to
the sell, all will perceive that this state of things
could not exist We do not claim, of course
that all would betake themselves to farming. nor
is it necessary they should The surplus labor,
which is competing against itself for life, and
begging aud starving in the towns and cities
would be drawn off and leave the labor market in |
a not oyer-crowded and healthy condition. The
moment the labor market become glutted, and la
Dor failed to yield remuneration, the surplus |
would of course be drawn off to the field of agri-
culture, the reward of which is sure as naturally