The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-06-06

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We hold these truths TO be self-svidsnk
that al men are created equal, that they ere
endowed by their Creator With oertain Ina
enable rtshts that AMONG thsA A. lie,
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness thai
TO secure these rights governments are In.
stituted among men, deriving their just pow
srs from the consent Of the governed, 4
That there are but two pure forms Of gov
eminent, the Autocratic and the Democratic;
under che formsr 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 q modification
Of the one or the other Of these principles,
and that ultimately one or the other Of
these forms must prevail throughout al
civilized nations, and II 10 now for the Amer
loan people to determine which Of these prin-
ciples shall triumph.
That the design Of the founders Of the Re-
public was to institute government upon
the principle Of absolute inherent sovereign
~ in the people, and that would give "a
each citizen the largest political and religi-
GUS liberty compatible with the good order
Of society, and secure to each the right to
enjoy the fruits OF his labor and talents !;
that when laws are enacted destructive oil
these ends, they are without moral binding
force, and 1t is the right aud dnty OF the
people to alter. amend or abolish them, and
institute such others, founding them upon
the principles Of equity, a. TO them may
seem most likely to effect their prosperity
and happiness.
Prudecce will indeed dictate that iDpor-
tant laws long established should not be
changed for light and trsnsient 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 ac-
customed. But when q long train Of legisla-
tive abuses, pursuing invariably the same
object, evinces design to subvert the spirit
OF freedom and equality upon which our in
situations are founded, and reduce them 10
state of sersitude, it is 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 ia now the necessity which constrains
them to put forth an organized and united
effort for maintaining their natural rights,
which are imperilled by the insdious
schemes and unwarrAnted aggressions of
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of unwise and corrupt legislation.
We further hold-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 prodnc-
tions Of labor that laborers ought OF right,
and would, under q just monetary system
receive or retain the larger proportion OF
tteir productions that the wrongs, opPres-
sions and dossitution which laborers are suf-
fering in most departments of legitimate en-
terprise and useful occupation, do not re-
suit from insuficiency 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 whai
proportion Of the products OF labor shall b
awarded to capital for its use, and what tc
labor for its productions that the power tC
make money and regulate its value is e.
essential attribute of sovereignty, the exer-
else Of which is by the Constitution of tht
United States wisely and properly granted t
Congress, and it Is the imperative duty o
Congress to institute it upon such wise
and Just basis that 1t shall be directly undel
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 dts
tribute the products Of labor equltably bet
ween capital and labor according to thu
service or labor performed IN their pro
duciien.
That the law enacting thc so called Ma
I nkinw ia dalanatinr III
Congress Of the sovereign power to max.
money and regulate its value to class 0
irresponsible banking associations, thereby
giving to them the power to control the value
Of all the property in the nation, and to II
the rewards Of labor in every department 4
industry, and is inimical to the spirit =
liberty and subversive Of the principles o
justice upon which our democratic repub'
lican institutions are founded, and without
warrant in the Constitution justice, reason
and sound policy demands its immediate re
peal and the substitution Of legal-tendel
Treasury notes as the exclusive currency o.
the nation.
That this money monopoly is the parent
of all monopolies-the very root and essenct
of slavery-rsilroad, warehouse md all 0thei
monopolies, Of whatever kind or nature, arr
the outgrowth OF and subservient to thin
power, and the means used by it to rot
the enterprising, industrial wealth. producing
classes of the products OF their talents anc
labor.
That az Government Is instituted to pro
tect life 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 CO pifAl and government bonds, bearing
double and bankrupting rates Of interest, !:
. species Of dangerous and unjust class le
gislation opposed to the spirit of our insti
buttons, and contrary TO the principles d
sound morality and enlightened reason.
That our monetary, financial aud revenue
laws are in otter and spirit opposed to tht
principles Of freedom and equality upon
which our democratic republican institutions
are founded, there 10 in all their provisions
manifestly q studied design to shield non
producing capital from its just proportion d
the burthens necessary for the support 81
the Government, imposing them mainly on
the industrial weallh-producing Glasses,
thereby condemning them to lives Of un.
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binary conveniences and comforts of life
Il the time e.l means necessary for social
enjoyment, intellectual culture and mora
Improvement; and ultimately reducing them
to state Of practical servitnde.
We further bold that while these IN
righteous laws Of distribution remain in
force, laborers cannot, BY any system Of
combination CT cooperation, secure then
natural rights. That the hrst and mosk in.
portant step towards the establishment Of
the rights OF labor, Is the institution Of q
system Of true CO. operation between nom
producing capital and labor. That to effect
this most desirable object, money, the medi-
um Of distributien to capital and labor,must
be instituted upon such wise and just prin-
cipIe that instead OF being power 10 cen-
tralize the, wealth in the hands of few
bankers, usurers, middlemen and non-pro
ducers generally, il shall bea power that
will distribute products to producers In &C
cordancc with the labor or service performed
In their productiOn-the servant and not the
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