The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-05-09
FROM MISSOURI.
ST. MARr's. MAY 8. j

To the Editor Of he WoBKISGMAE's Advocate
The following statement truthfully por-
trays the inmost wishes and sentiments Of
during protracted and extended tour, east
and west Of the Mississippi river, and was
originally addressed to your Pittsburg CO.
temporary
In late number Of your esteemed paper
you invite workingmen of all the country to
inform you if they are ready to organize
workingmen's political party and run a can
didate for the Presidency on the working
mems ticket next fall, &c, to which ! must
answer, that in common with thousands of
my fellow workingmen, have been
anxiously in hopes that some Cd annel would
be opened to give expression to the wants,
rights, privileges, and best interests Of the
industrial classes; but to my great regret
have seen nothing to cause me to believe
that any Of the many so-called Working
menI Advocates are sound, that is, vii.
sta nd square on the real questions between
Labor and Capital, and tell the whole truth
Like the politicians, they start out with the
most eKtrayagant expressions Of love for,
and interest in the "dear people, till they
get position, and then begin to temporize,
Try what is expedient, and compromise with
the enemy Of Labor, and soon they are work
ngmeus advocates only in the name. There
fore, workingmen do not write their wants
basket, without even reading, by some
politician or editor in the pay of capital
the salaried tools OF landlords and bondhold-
ers, hired to deceive the people by taking
advan' Of their loyalty, and smothering
up the issues the irrepressible conflict that
has ever been, and always will exist, between
Capital and Labor, in the vain attempts to
persuade the masses that the Interests of
both are Identical when rightly understood"
Now, sir, this want Of confidence IN the lead
ers prevents workingmen from taking part in
public affairs, and gives 'Jacklegs' the con-
troll Of political matters throughout the
country, and on account Of which | have
besitated ill the danger of ruin, to which
lanatical misrule has brought US, makes
silence not only contemplate but criminal
and though do not expect this contribution
will ever be read in the columns Of !. g rsss-
paper, for fear there is none, no, not one,
that will dare 20 back to first principles and
take a stand to defend the right, which first
principles are patent 10 all men of all parties,
bot none will accept or advocate their Just
necessary conclusions.
II il self-evident that everything having
value is produced by Labor, and they being
the creators, workingmen have the absolute
right to control the material tcenifh of the
sorld; and as the regulation of the rights Of
property comprises nearly all necessary legis-
lAtion among men, It necessarily follows, at
least in this country where the popular voice
Is lau, that workingmen have right to con-
troll this government 1t is evident that the
United States government was formed by the
people to protect the weak from the encroach-
ments and exactions Of the strong, and can
hare no other object. It then follows that
whenever the agent called government, Hbe-
comes destructive Of these ends" Ceases to
protect the humble from the exactions Of the
great the people not only have the right,
but It becomes their duty "to alter, amend
or abolish it." Qhe government,) to preserve
popular liberty. 1t is also evident that as
there is at leas. two elements that have crept
into, or been created by our government,
which Observation-Disclosures and debt-have
destroyed the liberties Of all former repub-
lies, We cannot hope to escape the common
fate OF mankind-slavery- we the
workiugm,n Of this country rise up as one
man and destroy forever these deadly enemies
and destroyers Of Liberty.
Respectfully submitted,
VIZ. II. DoDGE.
10 BE- continually
| IF our friend had been a subscriber to
the ADVOCATE, be would have learned BY
this time that bis ideas do not possess any
originality whatever.-[ED. ADv,