The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-08-21
THE LABOR QUESTION.
BY L. A. HINE.

The question Of Labor is said by an editorial
writer Of the Era to be open one, and 80 il Is
Its discussion has by no means closed for It is
but just commenced.
> What is the Labor Question 1t is nothing
more nor less than the security Of all the products
: OF human agency To those who work, and the
guaranty Of privation 70 those who do not work
This Is law Of Nature-that those who fu,al
the condition which all the comforts of life can
be obtained, shall have and enjoy them while
those who do not comply with the condition. shall
neither eat, be clothed, have shelter, nor wealth
This condition is Labor--Rnd those, whether male
or female who do not labor, should be permitted
} to 60 where Nature would carry them-tO hun.
ger, nakedness, and starvation--go Just where
those who now perform the most work are driven
This would be right for the laws Of Nature
should either be Obeyed or their penalties inlct-
ed. The only mode Of bringing man kind to Ole
dience and to the means Of Progress is to permit
Nature TO infiict upon them the penalties they
have incurred. But now the order Of Providence
in this is reversed those who perform the least
s's,:''-.. -T--'TF>, Bft sRd consume the.meet
and those who do the most Of hard toll, get and
enjoy the least This is the universal "sArAti1-
\ OF tfiusN The monoPOnst 6slaud ana Of bank
stock sits in his palace diverting himself az best
he can, without doing the least, he or bis family
, toward earning what they consume, and his in
come may be one hundred dollars per day while
on the other extreme we find the seamstress toll
ing In her garrett sixteen seventeen, or eighteen
hours per day, Sundays included, 70 keep soul and
body together! On the one hand, we find a man
receiving every day hundred times more than
he can make use Of with any advantage 10 him.
self.and that, too, without workine-while on
the other hand man or woman gets three times.
nay, ten times less than they need, with the most
slavish working This is wrong, and every reader
OF the National Era kAops is 1vrong. Let us
then take hold Of the Labor Question, and cor
rect this wrong Those who know wrong to
exist and will not assist in correcting it, are what
every one Of good sense and respectable integrity
can readily conceive them to be.
This, then, Is the Labor Question. By what
means shall all mankind be set to work-be made
to produce their own living-be disabled from
specializing out Of the products Of other peoples
toil2 This is the question of the age-embody-
ing more Of exact justice and benevolence than
all other questions II includes all others--for.
being the first Of human duties, the beginning
and ending Of human obligation IL necessarily
cOmprehends everything relating to human we'll
being. Have this question truly settled, and JUS
tiea in JssneGt thereto fully Dracticed what would
/. All would be relieved from privaton, and all
their wants, physical and mental, would be sup
piled.
2. That severity Of toll which now defOrms so
many bodies, and stupefes 30 many minds, would
no longer be imposed upon any one
3. That Incidence which now aflcts so many
rich families, whose wealth places them above
work, and which also afiiicts some poor families
who are discouraged, would cease TO make men
and women pale and puny, vanitous and vicious.
4. Crime would cease, because there would be
no temptation. 1t would be easier to earn than
to steal living. Jealousy, envy, and Antagonism
would cease, and personal offences be unknown
s. Industry would be the lot Of all, and human
time would all be employed in useful service,
either for the sake Of the soul or the body and
therefore intelligence would soon universally pre-
vail every male would be a man, and every female
a wOmaN, In the highest sense Of these terms.
9. MammOn piety would give place 10 God piety.
The magnificent churches now erected TO Nam
mon would be reatted in simplicity and dedicated
to the living God True religion would univer-
sally prevail, were this Labor Question SO settled
that all would live to be great and good, and not
to get gems and gold.
All this Is involved in the Labor Question;
| for surely fourteen hours of manual toll per day.
to obtain food and clothing are totally inoompati
bic with ease, enjoyment, virtue, and develop
ment and surely the idleness, fashions, fooleries
and extravaganza Of rich families, that live with
out earning cent, are totally incompatible with
the same essential conditions Of human happiness.
1 This Labor Question, therefore, involves the
4 highest well-being Of both the rich and the poor
for ID Is doubtful which Of these classes most do
serves commiseration, and most demands re-
demption from the curses under which they groan.
But how Is this question to be solved 2 A very
important inquiry-one that receives most Of the
study OF the writer hereof Howl IL Is not
difficult 10 tell how il can be solved far more
difficult Is It TO make a stupid and selfish gene
ration comprehend the theorens by which IL Is
solved and still far more difficult is Il to induce
the parties interested TO apply the remedy
Howl
/. Let all the old cobwebs be brushed from our
statutes; let all wrong and evil-workng laws be
repealed and, where necessary, let good laws be
enacted In their stead Legislation has had much
10 do In bringing about this bad state Of things
IL has breathed altogether Mammon spirit; yea,
more, II has continued down to this day, grossly
irreverent and has legalized the grossest implety
II has converted the earth itpelf-the precious
soil In which all the means Of human support
| grow by the application Of labor-the soil which
! God made for man TO live and work upon, has the
law made a subject Of Specializing traffic The
strong of society have controlled legislation and
imbued with the spirit Of selEaggrandiTement at
the expense OF their brethren, they have 10
framed the laws that they may control the earth,
and subject their fellow men 70 the necessity Of
working for them 20 obtain the means and the
, privilege Of living. God tells all mankind thai
I they may live on and out Of the earth, provided
they will work but the laws say 10 the strong
Z you may control the earth and IL any Of God
( children presume to enter upon and cultivate
spot that no one else cultivates he shall be iabl'
in action Of trespass, and the court shall enter
I Judgment against himi What impiety Is NOR
e aggravated than this7 II Is the prolific psren
Of all ether Impurities. Il produces poverty, ig
y noranoe, vice, and all manner Of wickedness II
q overtbrows the order Of Providence, by striking
= at the foundation OF humsn iife--the earth, on
which, and out Of which, all mankind are com
N PEELED 10 live
l. What is 10 be done In respect to the earth
r Every man aud woman is to be secured the Sod
.. given privilege OF living freely upon and cult
= waiting the earth for the comforts OF existenc'
j. and The means Of Advancement. No one should
Of desire more land than he needs TO employ his owl
"a labor and win contribute TO the comfort Of fam
on ily without employing others 10 caltivate Il 70
mi him. Thls Is the limit Of Nature, and 70 thi
be limit must the laws bring the landed possession
nv on the People The reason why one desires I