The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-08-01

hat eli msn an creates. eqpal, that they ere |
GndousA by kkeir Drsat0rs with naftain inpr /
ensble rights that among them are hfe, /
llkerty and the pursuit Or happiness that
10 secnrs these rights. governments ara ipr
stituted among men, deriving their just pow
ers from che consent Of the governed.
That there are but two pure forms o. goy-
ernrsant, the Autocratic and the Damocratie; |
under the former the will of the individual
sovereign is the supreme Law, under the lat- |
ter the sovereignty is vested In the whole
sople. all other forms being q modification
Of the one or the other Of these principles.
and that ultimately one or the other q
these forms must prevail throughout all
civilised pations, and it 10 now for the Amer
lean people to determine which OF these prin-
oiples shall triumph. i
That the design Of the founders OF the Re
public was to institute government upon
The principle Of absolute inherent sovereign
tv Ia the people, and that would give TO
each citisen 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 OF
these ends, they are without moral binding
force, and il IL the right and daty OF the
people to alter, amend or abolish them, and
institute such others, founding them upon
the principles Of equity, as 10 them may
seem most likely to effect their prosperity
and happiness.
Prudence will indeed dictate that irpor.
tant laws long established should not be
changed for light-fsd 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 ae-
customed. But when q 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
stisntions are founded, and reduce them TO
a state Of seryitude, 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
prod ucing classes Of the United States, and
such is now the necessity which constrains
them to put forth an organized and united
effort for maintaining their natural rights,
which are imperilled by the insidious
schemes and unwarranted aggressious OF
INSCRIPTIONS bankers and usurers by means
Of unwise and corrupt legislation.
We further hold-That all property or
wealth is the product Of physical or intel
lectual labor, employed in produe'.v indus
try and in the distribution OF the produc-
tions OF labor that laborers ought Of right,
and would, under Just monetary system
receive or retain the larger proportion Of
/ their productions; that the wrongs, oppres-
sions and destitution which labOrers are sui
| fering ia most departments of Legitimate en-
terprise and useful occupation, do not re-
/ suit from insuiiiciency Of production but
from the unfair distribution Of the products
Of labor between non producing capital and
labor.
That money is the neiium'of distribution
to non-producing capital and producing
labor, the rate Of interest determining what
proportion Of the products OF labor shall be
awarded 10 capital for its use, aud what to
labor for it's productions /; that the powcr to
make money and regulate its value 10 an
essential attribute Of sovereignty, the exCr-
else Of which is by the Constitution of the
United States wisely and properly granted tc
! Congress, and it Is the imperative duty Of
Congress to institute it upon such a wise
and Just basis that II stall be directly undcI
the control Of the severe gn people who pro
duce the value il is designed to represent
measure and exchange, that it may be cor.
rect and uniform standard Of value, and dis
tribute the products Of labor cquitably bet
ween capital and labor according to this
service or labor performed IN their pro
duction.
That the law enacting the so called Ma
tional Banking system il delegation By
Congress Of the sovereign power to. maxi
money and regulate its value to class d
irresponsible banking associations, thereby
giving 10 them the power to coatrol the value
I ofAll the property in the nation, and to fiz
the rewards Of labor in every department o.
industry, and is inimical to the spirit Of
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-tendeI
Treasury notes as the exclusive currency OIL
the nation.
That this money monopoly is the parent
OF all monopolies-the very root and essence
Of slavery-reiiroad, warehouse and all Other
monopolies, Of whatever kind or nature, are
the outgrowth of and subservient to this
power, and the means used by it to rob
the enterpri..ng, industrial wealth producing
classes Of the products Of their talents and
labor.
That as Government 70 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 aud perpetuity,
and that the exemption from taxation Of
bank capital and government bonds, bearing
double and bankrnpting rates Of interest, il
q species of dangerous and unjust class le-
g'slstiou opposed to the spirit OF our insti,
! buttons, and contrary to the principles Of
sound morality and enlightened reason.
That our monetary, fnanclal and revenue
laws are in letter and spirit opposed to the
principles If freedom and equality upon
which our mocratic republican institutions
are founded. there is in all their provisions
manifestly 0 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 I'M
remuDerated toll, depriviRg them Of the or
binary convtniences and comforts Of life !;
of the time and means necessary for social
enjoyment, Intellectual culture. and laoral
tDPAOfCncutf anu uititn@tciy tcuuotuB SBeM
to state of practical servitude.
We further hold that while these un-
righ teous laws of distribution remain in
force. laborers cannot, by any system Of
combustion CT corporation, secure their
natural rights. That the first and most i'm
portant step towards the establishment Of
the rights OF labor, Is the, institution Of 3
system of true corporation between non-I
producing capital and labor. That 10 efvct
this most Desirable object, money, the medic
nm Of distribution TO capital and labor, must
be instituted upon such wise and Just prin-
ciple that instead Of being power, 20 cen
tralize the wealth in the hands OF few.
bankers, Insurers, middlemen and non-pro-
ducers generally, is shall be a,poweEthat.
Will Distribute products to producers 10 nc
cordance with the labor or service performed
LII a