New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-10-31
Address Of the Industrial state Convention


FELLOW CIT1zESs-We address you in pursu
ance of instructions of the State Convention held
at ALBANY on the Cd and 3D. of October, to delibe
rate regarding the rights and wrongs of Labor.
1t has become alarmmgly evident that there
prevails among our people fast increasing inc
quality of wealth and possessions, and conse-
ouentlv of the means of life and happiness iand
that too, in great measure Irrespective of indus
try or merit which is entirely inconsistent with
our theory OF political equality, and with the rea-
soneble expectations Of the beneficial results of
Republicanism, entertained by the founders Of our
Government.
1t is due alike to our own interests and to those
of the masses struggling with Despotism in the
Old World, that this reproach on our experiment
Of selfgovernment be speedily removed.
The cause of the evil state of things of which
we speak is not to be traced to the predominance
now or heretofore, of this or that Political Party
which have divided and still unhappily divide our
republican family 1t has been entirely over
looked till quite recently, by each and every par
ty that have existed among us. We inherited it
from the discarded Monarchy, totally unconscious
of the deathly poisonous fangs OF the viper we
cherished in our bosom.
AS long ago as the year 1899, in this State, the
voice Of Labor was heard crying aloud against
the expressions with which it was even then
grievously burdened and demanding, in the alb
senoe of a clearly perceptbe remedy, some tenn.
porary palhatives Even then the evil was traced
to ito foundation. In an Address adopted that
year by three thousand Working Men of the City
of New York, it was declared that CJaen Coo.
eminent a37pr0priateS uneYudily the only property
which has 1chen begins 10 cr,St, that's, the SOIL
of The State, 1t THEN lays the foundation Of OPP
prcsSaoa
In the same Address the Manorial Monopolies
of this State were instanced as examples OF the
anti-republican effects OF Land Monopoly show
ing the necessity OF immediate remedial measures.
The wisdom OF those admonitions OF the Work
ing Men is shown by the result in consequence
of the total inattention OF the party politicians
who has'e ruled the State to the subject, Pauper-
ism and crime, the result of want OF employment
and Ill requited toll have teartully and dlspropor
tionately increased throughout the State; and, in
the Manorial Countless the oppressed Tenantry
have been driven into distinct political organiza
ton which, though looking only to local and tenn
porarv relief from Land Monopoly has, for some
years past, controlled the destnies of the State.
We complain not of the Antl-Renters of the
Manorial Districts. 1t would be expecting too
much of human nature, that men oppressed as
OF their toll for the support and aggran-
dizement of race Of Monarchy. bcgotten Lord
lings OF the Soil, should not look to the most di
rect method of temporary relief from their oppres-
sve burdens. We find fault with the criminal
neglect OF the time serving Politicians and still
louder we complain of the apathy Of the people,
an evil daily and hourly increasing,
and threatening destruction to our Republican
form of Government, and the doom of Ireland to
the toling masses OF the State.
Hundreds OF thousands OF our citizens are al
ready homeless, and their numbers are fast IN.
They are dependent on an overstocked
labor market for the means OF subsistence, while,
in consequence Of their aggregation in cities and
villages, through the monopoly OF the soil In the
country, they are compelled to pay exorbltant
prices for the shelter they are forbidden to pro-
vide for themselves, and subjected to higher and
higher rents the faster they increase, and because
their increase gives the Lords otthe Soil the pow
er to exact them
Had we the power, we would inscribe this truth
in letters ofunquenchable fire In the heavens that
any system that enables one set OF men to live
without labor in luxury on the necessities OF
their fellow beings deprived of the means OF self
employment, is a daring iniquitous usurpatlon OF
Mans InalienaMe Right, that ought to be resist
ed without cessation and at all hazards. OF such
a character we declare the Usurpatlon OF the SOIL
tor the exclusive purposes OF any NUMBER less
than the whole People; and we call upon our
fellow citizens to wage unceaslng warfare against
that usurpation I'LL the right of every family to a
Home be acknow lodged, and its security made the
first object of Government To this end we urge
the following as measures fprimary Importance,
and TO be insisted on as such among the qualtca-
tons OF all candidates for public Office
l. To prevent any further Monopoly Of the Soil by limit
ing the quantity that any individual or association OF
persons, may hereafter acquire.
ii TO exempt the Homestead from all liability for debt
Ill To prevent any further traffic in the Public Lands, by
declaring them free 10 actual settlers IN limited quantities,
and transferable only those possessed Of other ands
These are measures which consider of radi-
cal importance. Beside restoring the Soil to the
people, and securing Homesteads to all in one
generation at farthcst, and at once reversing the
present tendency to higher rents, lower wages,
and want of employment they WILL of their own
operation remove many existing evils for which
surface remedies are required aud proposed. We
WOuld have our legislators first and foremost, pro-
vide against Land Monopoly, by the measures
above named and then, having secured the down
fall of the Master Evil, we would have Them in
stead as heretofore, of legislatlng almost exclu-
sively for the benefit OF Capital, turn their atten
ton to measures for the present relief OF down
trodden Labor, for list of some of which mea
sures we refer to the resolutions OF the Industrial
State Convention.
Too long have the Industrial Glasses been mis-
led and estranged from each other by party names
This state of things has resulted almost necessa
rily from the great evil which we are now organ
ICED to uproot One operation of L and Monopoly
has been to amass wealth in the hands of non pro
ducers, who, by means OF 1t, have controlled legis
ation and proeured unnumbered privileges to en-
able associated wealth to extract usury from the
people, by schemes ostenslby for the public good,
tor objects which the people were unable to ac-
complsh Tor themselves, because isolated and de-
prived OF their nghtful means by Land Monopoly.