The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-06-13
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National Labjr Reborn Parry

enable rights that among them mru life,
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness that
to secure these rights governments are in
stituted among men, deriving their jpst pow
ers from the consent Of the governed.
That there are but two pure forms o. gov
eminent, tine Autocratic and the Democratic;
under the former the will Of the individual
sovereign Ii the supreme Law, under the lat-
ter the sovereignty Ia vested in the whole
people. all other forms being q modification
Of the-one or the other of these principles,
and that ultimately one or the other Of
these forms must prevail throughout All
civilized nations, and il 10 now for the Amer
lean people to determine which OF these prin-
ciples shai, triumph.
That the design of the founders OF the Re
public was to institute a. government upon
the principle of absolute inherent sovereign
~ in the people, and shat would give 20
each citizen the largest political and religf-
Gus liberty compatible with the good order
Of society, and secure to each tbs right to
enjoy the fruits Of his labor and talents !;
that when laws are enacted destructive Of
these ends, they are without moral binding
force, and it is the right and duty Of the
people TO alter. amend or abolish them, and
institute such others, founding them upon
the principles Of equity, as to them may
seem most likely to effect their prosperity
and happiness.
Prudence will indeed dictate that iDpor-
tant laws long established should mot be
changed for light and transient causes, and
experience has shown that the American
people are more disposed to suffer while
evils are siderable, than TO change the
forms and laws TO which they have been So
customed. But when long train of legisla-
tive abuses, pursuing invariably the same
object, evinces q design to subvert the spirit
| of freedom and equality upon which our in
situations are founded, and reduce them TO
state Of seryitude, it In their right-it is
their duty TO abolish such laws and provide
new guards for their future security. Such
has been the patient suffering Of the wealth
producing classes OF the United States, and
such 10 now the necessity which CONSTANTS
them to put forth an organized and united
effort fox maintaining their natural rights,
which are imperilled by The insidiOus
schemes and unwarranted aggressiOns Of
INSCRIPTIONS bankers and usurers BY means
Of unwise and corrupt legislation.
We further hoId-That all property or
wealth is the product of physical or intel
lectual labor, employed in productive indus
try and in the distribution of the produc-
tions of labor that laberers ought Of right,
and would, under a Just monetary system
receive or reta.a the larger proportion Of
their productions that toe wrongs, oppres-
sions and DESTITUTE m which laborers are suf-
fering in most departments of Legitimate en-
terprise and useful occupation, do not re-
suit from insufficiency Of production but
| from the unfair distribution Of the products
Of labor between non-producing capital and
labor.
That money is the medium Of distribution
to non-producing capital and producing
labor, the rate of interest determining what
proportion Of the products Of labor shall be
awarded TO capital for its use, and what to
labor for its productions that the power to
make money and regulate its value is an
essential attribute Of sovereignty, the exer-
else Of which is by the Constitution Of the
United States wisely and properly granted to
Congress, and it Is the imperative duty OF
Congress to institute it upon such q wise
and just basis that 1t shall be directly unC sr
the control of the sovereign people who pro-
duce the value it is designed to represent,
measure and exchange, that it may be cor
rect and uniform standard Of value, and DIS
ween capital and LABOR according to the
service or labor performed m their pre-
ductioh.
That the Law enacting the so called Ma
tional Banking system is delegation BY
Congress Of the sovereign power to make
money and regulate its value to a class OF
irresponsible banking associations, thereby
giving to them the power to control the value
Of all the property in the nation, aud to fix
the rewards Of labor in every department Of
industry, and is inimical to the spirit Of
liberty and subyersive Of the principles OF
justice upon which our democratic repub-
lican institutions are founded, and without
warrant in the Constitution; justice, reason
aud sound policy demands its immediate re-
peal and the substitution of legal-tender
Treasury notes as the exclusive currency OF
the nation.
That this money monopoly is the parent
Of all monopolies--the very root and essence
Of slavery-raiiroad, warehouse and all other
monop 9lies, Of whatever kind or nature, are
the outgrowth Of and subservient to this
power, and the means used by it to rob
the enterprising, industrial wealth producing
classes Of the products Of their talents and
labor.
That as Government Is instituted to pro
tect life and secure the rights Of property
each should share its just and proper PR
portion Of the burthens and sacrifices r.e-
cessary for its maintenance and perpetr ,ty,
and that the exemption from taxation OF
bank capital and government bonds, bearing
double and bankrupting rates Of interest, u
q species of dangerous and unjust class Ie-
gislation opposed to the spirit OF cur insti
buttons, and contrary to the principles Of
sound morality and enlightened reason.
That our monetary, financial and revenue
laws are in letter and spirit opposed to the
principles Of freedom and equality upon
which our democratic republican institutions
are founded. there is in all their provisions
manifestly a studied design to shield nom
producing capital from its just proportion Of
the burthens necessary for the support Of
the Government, imposing them mainly on
the industrial wealth-producing classes,
thereby condemning them to lives Of un-
remunerated toll, depriving them Of the or
binary conyeniences and comforts Of life
Of the time and means necessary for social
enjoyment, intellectual culture and moral
Improvement; and ultimately reducing them
to state of practical servitude.
We further hold that while these nm
righteous laws OF distribution remain in
force, laborers cannot, by any system OF
combination CT cooperation, secure their
natural rights. That the first and most i'm :
portsnt step towards the establishment Of
The rights Of lsbor, is the institution Of .
system Of true corporation between nom
producing capital and labor. That 10 effect
this most desirable object, money, the medi-
um Of distribution to capital and labor must
be instituted upon such wise and just prin-
ciple that instead Of being power 70 cen.
traliSe the wealth In the hands or few
bankers, usurers, middlemen and non-pro-
ducers generally, it shah be power that
will distribute products to producers in &C
cordance with the labor or service performed
In their production servant and not she
master Of labor. This done the natursi
rights Of labor viii be secured, and cooper
alton in production and in the dhtEibption
OF products, will follow az natural oonse-
quence. The weight will be lifted from IL