The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-05-23


~sM
National Labor R6Isrm Party
o. TAsrs1av. Asxust ~. 1851.
We hold these truths 70 " ssli-evidsus,
that I'll men srs crsaked eqpek that they are
endowed BIZ thair crsatsr Wilh oertain ina
nable rights that among them are life,
liberty and che pursuit Of happiness ttat
to secure these rights governments are in.
stitatsd among men, deriving their jnst pow
ere from the consent Of the governed
That there are but two pure forms OF goy-
ernment. the Autocratic ard the Democratic;
under the former the will Of the individual
sovereign Is the supreme Law, under the LAT.
ter the sovereignty 10 vested In the whole
people, all other forms being modihcatlon
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 nov for the Amer
lean people to determine whicf Of these prin-
ciples shall triumph.
That the design Of the foupuers OF the Re-
public was to institute . government upon
| the principle Of absolute inherent sovereign
| ty in the people, and that would give TO
| each citizen the largest political and religi-
GUS liberty compatible with the good order
Of society, and secure 10 each the right TO
enioy the fruits Of his labor and talents
that when laws are enacted destructive OF
these ends, they are without moral binding
force, and 1t 10 the right and daty Of the
people to alter, amend or abolish them, and
institute such others, founding them upon
the principles of equity, 40 90 them mas
seem most likely to effect their prosperity
and happiness.
Prudence will indeed dictate that iDpor-
tant laws long established SHOULD not be
changed for light and transient causes, and
experience has shown that the American
people are more disposed to suffer chile
evils are siderable, than to change tLS
forms and laws 10 which they have been &C
customed. But when long train of legisla-
tive abuses, pr-szing invariably the same
object, evicoes design to subvert the spirit
Of freedom and equality upon which our In
situations are founded, and reduce them 70
state Of servitude, it IL their right--it ID
their duty to abolish such laws and provide
new guards for their future security. Sucf
has been the patient suffering of the wealth
producing classes of the United States, and
such 10 now the necessity which constraini
them to pss forth an organized and united
effort for maintaining their natural rights
which are imperilled by the insidioui
schemes and unwarranted aggressions o.
inscriptions bank ers and usuFers by means
of unwise and c0rruI legislation.
We further hold-Thst all property o.
wealth 10 the product OF physical or intel
lectual labor, employed in productive indus
try and In the distribu OF the produc
tions of labor that laborers ought OF right
and would, under . Just monetary system
receive or retain the larger proportion o
their productio. that the wrongs, oppres
sions and restitution which laborers are suf
fering in most departments Of legitimate en-
, terprise and useful occupation, do not re
! suit from insuficiency Of production Blu
: from the unfair distribution of the product
Of labor between non producing capital an,
, labor.
} Ttst money is the medium Of distribution
to non-producing capital and producinI
labor, the rate Of interest determining wha
proportion Of the products OF labor shall b
awarded to capital for it's use, and what /
labor for its productions that the power B
make money and regulate its value is n
r essential attribute Of sovereignty, the exer
; else of which is by the Constitution of tn
United States wisely and properly granted
. Congress, and il Is the imperative duty Q
Congress to institute it upon such Q wis
! and just basis that it shall be directly unde
J the control Of the sovereign people who pro
! duce the value it is designed to represent
measure and exchange, that 1t may be cor
D rect and uniform standard of value, and dis
: tribute the products Of labor equitably bet
, ween capital and labor according to tn
: service or labor performed in their pro
} duction
That the law enacting the So called Ma
; tional Banking system is a delegation b,
! Congress Of the sovereign power to max
: money and regulate its value to class o
; irresponsible banking associations, thereb,
} giving to them the power to control the valu
Of all the property in the nation, and to a.
, the rewards Of labor in every department o
industry. and is inimical to the spirit o
liberty and subversive Of the principles o
justice upon which our democratic repub
lican institutions are founded, and withou
warrant in the Constitution justice, reason
and sound policy demands its immediate re
peal and the substitution Of legal-tende
Treasury notes rs the exclusive currency o
the nation.
That this money monopoly is the psren
; OF all monopolies-the very root and essenct
of slavery-raiiroad, warehouse and all othel
monopolies, Of whatever kind or nature, ar,
the outgrowth Of and subservlent to THU
power, and the means used by il to roI
the enterprising, industrial wealth. producing
classes Of the products of their talents anC
labor.
That as Government 10 instituted to pro
tect lie and secure the rights Of property
each should share its just and proper pro
portion Of the burthens and sacrifices ne
cessary for Its maintenance and perpetuity,
and that the exemption from TAXATION o.
bank capital and government bonds, bearing
double and bankrupting rates Of interest, !:
species OF dangerous and unjust class L.
gislation opposed to the spirit of eur ;nsti
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 cur democratic republican institutions
are founded. there 10 in all their provisions
manifestly q studied design to shield non.
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 I'M
enumerated toll, depriving them Of the or
binary eonveniences and comforts OF life
of the time and means necessary for social
enjoy ment, intellectual culture and moral
Improvement and ultimately reducing them
to q state of practical servitude.
We further hold that while these un-
righteous laws of distribution remain in
forcs, laborers cannot, BY any system Of