The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-04-18


cessfulIy sppesled 70, ~ they should be.
Consider the large amount Of human suffer
ing ia the world. believe Il don't know
1t but believe I'D that the time will come
when the Stewards and Astors will be looked
back upon a. monsters lin an evil sense-)
There could not, 1t might be said, be the
splendid uses Of capital that there are il
wealth were to be more nearly equaIised.
This might or might not be, but il would be
better to dispense with these uses than to
have suffering in the world. How is capital l
prevented many times-as in buying elections
and 50 corruphng voters-for what
Perhaps that high protective tariff law
may be passed, which We do not want. |
True, II the rich buy voters the poor sell
them but what has made the poor Of such
q miserable pecuniarr disposition (as have
said) but the oppression Of capitalH
Capital would be q good thing if it made
men better, but the reverse in the case. The
poor it makes poorer, the rich il renders
vicious.
There is an obtuseness to suffering in the
world. The sight oft makes no impression
on large number Of people. Those who
grind labor cannot be looked upon with love
CT respect, and only as upon wild beasts be-
hind bars And national governments
which Cypress the poor cannot be loved, and
can only be looked at as an enemy to the
laborer. The narrow spirit Of capital is
illustrated in the story of the man who pre-
tended sickness that be might have 10 him
self all OF . plate Of dumplings, (rsther
hearty eating, It might be supposed, for a
sick man) instead Of sharing them with his
! little son, who had importuned him for .
part. "Go away sonny" replied this greedy
and unnatural parent, "Pa is SICK"
The capitalist lives upon the rule, stated
in the words, which have read somewhere,
> "Leave me mine and give me yours
said in former letter that it was to be
4 admitted that capital was not the enemy of
labor, Is it was TO be admitted that man il
not the enemy of bis horse. But the com
' parison does not hold good. Inasmuch a.
!, the laborer is the capitalists fello@-man, he
is his enemy if he grinds him down, and
that the capitalist does to the laborer.
3 Adam Smith is reported to say, "Master,
+ are, always and everywhere, in sort Of taci
' out uniform combination not to raise wages
: above th cir actual rate. Masters, too, some.
4 times enter into particular combinations t,
4 sink wages even below this rate" This j.
) proved when we apply anywhere for place
0 or for work-the lowest salary, and the low
D est wages, are named by the employer.
o A writer in the English Fortniqhtll
:, Mdg1zine of, l think, May, ls67, (of tha
3 date or about that dste) after saving sub
E stantally the same az Mr. Smith, as above
: concludes his article with what is hint /,
the workingman. He says that az artificia
4 arrangements keep down wages, it may b,
"superceded" by other artificial arrange
e ments to keep wages up, and that comblna
o TONS by employers may be met by "counte
o combinations" BY laborers.
: Passing Oh, | would remark that if an
y employer presses on me in the way OK los
4 salary, must press on all below me, or tina
r employ or paw money TO, while il b
i were to pay me literally, is would enable m
Z TO pay others Literally. Capital is therefor
: the enemy Of the laborer to all practical pun
e poses.
e Ira Steward Of Hopedale, Mass, (wh os
e article, ia favor Of a more equal Distribute
J. Of wealth, | sent you, aud hope you wi
publish in the ADVOCATE, if entirely willn
: to do 50, If you have not mislaid ill., tells u
d that the low rate OF wages is not from "th
operation OF supply and demand" but fror
. "the operation Of hunger SIMPLY" and
: think he sufficiently proves the assertion.
'e His object is the more equal Distribute
1 OF wealth, and he places the beginning Of
~ In the reduction OF the hours Of labor. II
. holds that the reduction of the hours Of la
D Dor will not ultimately reduce wages. Ii
+ says that 'in reducing the hours Of labor,
70 there is "set ID motion a train OF moral, 70
70 cial, and material causes which gradually in
crease wages" And "the real meaning" I
= this increase of wages" Cor the real near
le ing OF these s'mora, social, and materis
d causes, is, he says "a more and more equG
4 distribution Of s0ealtA" This Il his under
% scoring. But, as | said, wish you woul
~ publish the whole OF his srtic 10 the ADyc
y CATE, il you have it, or make it sufficient
'e the subject Of some Of your editorials. A
y though Mr.. Stewards article appears to hay
~ been written to offer the way Of bringin
about an abolition Of war, it contains idea
=. Of the greatest moment to workingmen, a.
q think, and is worth all Of my humble letter
&c in the ADVOCATE.
= l propose now to speak briefly Of th
g miseries Of the poor, and Of the miseries
= poverty, WHEREIN there il some difference
You have noticed boys, perhaps, going alon
whistling through the streets defantly, an
a. putting on airs Of defiance in many way
IN III is the boys Of poor parents, and not ih
"a Boys of the rich.) What dees it uesn?
~ tells OF misery somewhere /; il tell. Of miser
DC that may eliminate in force that it ma
X take war to put down !. (Not war BY III
be permission Of your correspondent. His rul
be being the cure Of injustice by an appeal /
j. the reason, or common sense.l Yet the vi,
d. tins OF this oppression Of capital themselve,
10 40 soldiers, will turn around and help pC
n down this instruction against oppression
~ as when . regiment or more, every perso
III in II, believe, voluntarily returned to th
y. city 10 put down the riot caused by the dra
ae during the late war. Which action do N
r speak Of to justify the riot, having sal
ns that man should consent peaceably, Cor D,
y fore he would offer any violence) to be shC
Ne down, before he would 60 to war, If he al
~ not want to 20, and that il would be r,
be venged by the teaching Of the event.
o. What Id it makes devils Of men but OF
10 preston somewhere What makes OF
Dc drunkards, in many cases, but the views
nc life that men frequently are forced to tax
e from the oppression Of capital, who take
I'd intoxicating drink as . sort Of resort frou
a. this oppression upon themselves and others
Y would say that there is distinction
% drunkards. There are drinkers tyrannics
le in their natures, who want only rum I
r bring out these natures in acts Of violenc
y upon poor and defenceless women, who a.
y their wives. For these-though il does nc
> exonerate capital-there should be Law
- some sort, say law to deprive them ofthei
70 rum a well ~ to punish the rum-seIIel
'e Yet kindness, believe, would 70 great dei
4 further tewsrds reforming this class Q
ID drunkards than anything else. There Or
u those TOO, not rough 10 their natures, who