The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-08-04
shall constitute days w<k for every me.
chanic In the State Of illinois,.
H. M sE6REFsaEr i

H. M EE6RfFszGl
ws snaS vorsd % show 10 our, Ard -
tide that, here wss no seod foandAfiop
Esther IN sature - reaa6b VI the present
inequality among mankind with respect e
the possession Of property. We esdeavorsd
further to show how this inequAiity had
csisRstsd, via: IN some s6zifk BY force
and in others gaining by cunning that which
belonged to common stock, and to which al
men were equally entitled. and in appropri.
atine; the same 10 THAR .oEn. private sss ia
utts. Disregard Of the rights Of others. We
concluded our article i'm the Inst issue Of the
ADyocArE with the remark that, the present
uneqvS distribution Of property owed its
origin 10 Fraud and Rapine.
Hthis b true, we have reached solid
and substantial ground upon which to base
our d, ctrine. For u the original title sa,
roid, no subsequent alterations or transter,
can make Il good. The possession must still
remain an infringement upon tho rights oil
others, and the length OF time which the
wrong has been continued only aggravates
its Nervousness. Il is adding insult to in
jury to say that, rights have became vested
under the system, and that the peace and
safety Of society depend upon Lolding fast
to these landmarks. Can right be vested
under an original serons must society =
and by society is meant few individuals
must society then owe its existence to the
recognition Of injustice and oppression as its
fundamental law And does not this So
eiety- of the few-owe its existence to this
very circumstance? Let US see We reeur
again TO Blackstone. He remarks:
1--WE think it enough that our title is de-
rived by the grant of the former proprietor,
by descent from our ancestors, or by the last
will and testament Of the dying owner, not
caring to reflect that accurately and strictly
speaking9 there is no foundation in nature
or in natural law why set Of words upon
parchment should convey the dominion OF
land, why the son should have q right to ex-
clude his fellow creature from determinate
spot Of ground because his father had done
50 before him, or why the occupier Of par
ticular field or Jewel, when lying on his
death bed, and no longer able to maintain
possession. should be entitled to tell the rest
# the world who should be entitled to enjoy
it."
Let US refer to that period of history,
called medieval, which commenced with
the downfall Of The Roman empire, and out
Of which has grown modern civilization
BY glaneing briefly at the record, we will be
able to elucidate and to place in stilf stronger
light the observations above quoted.
The northern tribes that overran the Ro-
man empire we're organized upon the feudal
system. This system was adapted to bar
barous and vigorous people, and hence II is
simple and easily understood
The principal features are these The
commander-in-chief of an army (who was
also the civil ruleI, would, npon the con-
quest Of a province or territory, divide it
out among those generals, who were next to
him in rank; and they in return would rem
der him military service in time o war. In
order to be able 10 perform this service, they
would again divide out the land TO their in
feriors, also exacting military service In re-
turn. Thus down the scale, so that the
conquerors were an organized army in time
Of peace and at the same time civic com
n. unity. These generals were the feudal
chiefs or mobiles. They built castles and
their soldiers, or retaincrs as they we're
sometimes called, would lounge in idieness
about the baronial mansion or prowl
through the country on errands Of plumber.
The conquered people were reduced to slav
cry, ana they titled the soil for the support
Of their lorily masters. Thus in England,
after the Norman conquest, all the lands
were distributed among the followers Of the
Conqueror, and the Anglo-Saxon might have
been seen at labor along the highways and
hedges with q brass collar on his neck with
the name Of his owner written upon it.
Substantially the same took place in Ger
many and Italy during the times Of Charlie
mango. There, too, aristocraciss founded
upon landed property were grounded; and
the doctrine Of Divine right, that is, that
God created some families to rule and to
possess, and commanded others toDobey and
be slaves, was the keystone to this compo-
site fabric Of church and stat IN
Such are the outlines Of this famous sys-
tenn, whose vast and grinding oppression,
and the insolence Of whose claims have az
forded wide range for the denunciation IF
modern civilization. Smooth tongued or.
tors and oily writer's have diverted attention
from the great question before the world, oy
their laudations Of the present happy sys-
tenn which has risen upon the ruins Of Fea-
dalism.
But these oracles are false prophets. The
essential features Of Fsudalim stiR remain
and constitute the basis Of modern society.
The facs thai the embattled towers Of an
ciegt castles have Wondered into Gust, that
tilt and tournament have passed away,
and that the harp Of the wandering minstrel
is no longer heard in the halls where chiv-
airy and beauty met together, does not show
that feudalism has expired On the other