The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-12-19
Political &c onon,y and Socialism.

The existence of man from his mother womb
to his mother earth, is but the result of certain
principles, and combination of certain causes o.
yer which he has no coutrol except to destroy
their harmony. The social state of Man, in his
relations with his fellow in society, is analogous
to the relation which the conflicting dispositions
of each individual holds to each other.
In Man as a society as much as in man as an
individual, some dispositions will predominant,
and assume and exercise such control as pla-
ces all others in subordinate capacity; and
whenever power or wealth is allowed to exer
else this undue influence on society, the harmo-
nv of mans existence becomes disturbed, he be-
comes a master or dependent; subject or
sovereign. Political Economy is that science
whose maxims teach men to regulate their inter.
course with each other so as to preserve that
harmony of existence which is the medium be-
tween wealth and poverty.
Political Economists, it is true, cndcavor to
show not only what wealth is, but how it may
be acquired; and in their endeavors to cnlighten
mankind by exposing to view the sources OF
wealth and the magnificent results OF well-dI-
rected application of its resources, they place
mankind in the most antagonistic position a
gainst each other, in which wealth and poverty,
labor and capital become the opposing clements
The tendency and even the inevitable result OF
the old systems have been to "make the rich
richer, and the poor poorer This, however,
has not been the fault of the science, but of its
| Ill o&l,o 1x,hpc
principles have not been understood, or whose
rules have been misapplied, Political Economy,
instead of being well-studied and wcll-known
science, is scarcely recognized as securer OF
fixed rules and principles.
It is not surprising, nay, it is natural ond per-
haps lust, that the mass of mankind should be
slow in recognizing as scientific truth, doctrines
whose tendency would seem to place them IN
that subordinate capacity in which poverty and
labor is placed, beneath wealth and capital
Yet such is the position in which the majority
of mankind find themselves placed after the Re-
lgous and Phlosophic teachings of nearly six
thousand years. 1t was in vain that Religion
and Philosophy taught that wealth and capital
had their duties, while the rights ofpoverty and
labor remained unrccognizcd; it was in vain that
tyranny was rebukcd and denounced from the
pulpit and closet, when resistance totyrants was
punished as treason. Too much stress has been
laid upon the legitimacy of established customs
on the social state of existence; but the inequal-
ity which these customs and prcccdents stamp
upon the face of society, have awakened in the
minds of the masses doubt as to their legitima-
cy The political doctrines Of the age have re-
cognzed the individual as the legitimate source
of power, while the laws regulating the affairs OF
men on all subordinate questions, remain fixed
upon the precedents of another age and of other
doctrines, and are made to conform to the GUS
toms of other times.
Poverty and labor arc elevated by our political
institutions, but by the laws of society they are
placed subordinate to wealth and capital. The
effect of this state Of things must be, that in our
political institutions are democratic and re-
publican, whilst in our social state the prccedents
and customs of other times and other people
make US aristocrats. At an election are e.
quail, in the social hall or public exhibition we
are Us Opposite DIS WCdltu diiu po'ClIy. iICiC oAS
family shadowed forth the forms which will soon
stand forth in bold relief to combat for the rights
of labor, and for the privileges of wealth; the
former contending for state of society called
SOCIALISM, which elevates poverty and labor to
a level with wealth and capital; the latter con-
tending for that supremacy of position which its
possessors contend to be its legitimate consc-
quence.
Were labor and wealth left to contend alone
we should be constrained to tremble for the con-
sequences; but knowing, as we do, that it is moi
upon physical energies alone that the laborcl
(and by this term we recognize all legitimate Ia
bor,) depends in this combat, we rejoice at the
anticipated prospect, when we shall delight our
eyes and gladden. our hearts with seeing power
Ity and wealth, labor and capital, form but one
society, in which each shall have position
neither subordinate nor super-eminent. Such is
the result We anticipate from this conflict of in
terests-a reorganization and amalgamation Of
the normal elements of society, and their recon
struction upon the basis of equality.