The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-02-15

CHICAGO. SATURDAY. FEB. Is, 1885
THE LABoRER,s CURSE

n
Worklngmen Of America. They have been
bowed down so long beneath this yoke that
they have almost lost the aspiration for
emancipation. Il results from this slavery.
z EblcAthey nave been 50 long subjected.
that it is so difficult TO rouse them up TO anv
adequate sense Of the evil.
Here we see, say two moulders or two
masons, or two Of any other kind Of mechan-
les, both working in the same shop, both re-
ceiving the same wages, both having families
to support and educate, and raise respecta.
bly,, both having precisely the same hopes
and the same interests, and yet, wonderful
to tell, ore belongs to one party and one be-
longs to another What can be more alb
surdp. Would two iron manufacturers IL
Pennsylvania take different sides when the
tariff was to be increasedG And capital,
whatever competition between capital and
capital, has it ever failed to join hand il
hand, 70 strike down labor, when it has q =
tempted to raise its heads
Thus, in Europe, on the same principle,
Austria, and Prussia, and France, and Rus
sia, vii, whenever they see proper, plunge
their people in war, with all its distress and
ruin. But then, these wars are waged by
one nation against the other-like competi- |
ton between capitalists-let the people OF
Europe, Of Whatever tongue or country,
make an effort 70 free themselves from OBJ /
preston, and ct once these hostile nations
become friends, and princes and aristocrats
everywhere make common cause to crush
them out
Every body knows how Europe combined
to stransle The French republic; how the |.
Duke Of Brunswick, at the head Of the al
lied armies, crossed the Rhine, with fire
AID sword in one hand ard letters in the
other, which were to be riYeted forever on
young Freedom
This same antagonism is repeating itself
in America, under another form. The two
parties-and the parties are nothing more
than the leaders-will forget their ouarrels.
and unite 70 escape a common danger, when
they find out that the laboring people are
beginning to sec into the hocus pocus Of the
Ire Eho!e proceeding.
What are the facts? They are simple, and
can be comprehended by the dullest intel
lect.
There are number Of interests in the coun-
try. @ere is the commercial interest, the man
ufaeturing interest, the BANKING interest, the
railroad interest, &c, &c. We class them
ali under the broad term "Capital.'
Some Of these interests are in opposition to
Others, snd some are not. But each inter.
e. mas its own peculiar schemes which are
to De carried out. Hence, each one of them, I
p order to effect its purpose, POUNDS new
newspaper organs, or buys in old ones, to
create public opinion in its advantage.
The money Of these monopoles is counted
Ivy mlli0ns, and they can afford to do Il.
Politicians, members of legislatures, men,
7ers Of Congress, ard public officers gene
rally, are also approached by men repre-
seIting these interests, ana the thing "usual-
y works"
What part nave the woTkingmen played in
this great political contest between inter-
estsy 1t would be iud crous to contemplate
the ir7'h were it not. alas i TOO painful. 1
80 ten pms that these gen
49,. Wing at to see who |
There Is ar:
into.est, but not workingman's interest.
What remains to be done2 Cut loose from
"a parties, representing q dead interest
which neither sees, or feels, or hears; and
sand up for the God-created, God given
rights Of living, breathing, toiling and suf-
feIing humanity.
idark the insidious approaches Of that man
wAo, whether in stump speech or in
newspaper, tells you that you should 20 with
this party or with that other party. They
m'y have done much for railroad or
bank, but what have they ever done for your
Then put the question to your own hearts
ard bosoms, ''should not we too, be an In
ten sstf'n