The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-08-22
THE LABOP "LATFoRM.

In the present issue viii be found letter
from L. Q. REAvIs, Of St. Louis, writer of
some pretensions, and author of a pamphlet
entitled "THE NEw REruBLIc,' in which he
objects to the Platform of Principles adort-
Cd BY the National Labor Union, and asserts
that the authors do not understand the Ia
Dor question. much less the business OF
mankind. Ahhou.h we think modesty
banld hare diesated the ad1eadvm, Gin INV
opinion" we are willingsne should telf' his
story IN his own way. Before proceeding to
answer his criticism, however, from which
We dissent, IN toto, we desire to say that
nothing would afford Us greater pleasure,
than to discuss this important question from
his standpoint and from our own, thas at
fording him ample opportunity to substi-
tute demo7strdt4oqi for defamation. leaving
our readers 70 draw their own conclusions.
Passing over his preliminary remarks,
which present no ideas worthy of special
notice, and TO which We take no exception.
We GENE to the pith of his letter, expressed
IN the following language
Il object TO your platform of principles: il
is a wordy defamation, and the authors M ~ do
not understand the labor question. much less
tie business interest OF u anknd The Drincf
pies ~ 81 great questions simple when right
~ understood. The authors Of vour platioru,
nave been unfortunate in not understanding the
SUBJECT with which thy were dealing. The last
paragraphs Of the platform, beginning at co Oh
eFAt!Te reg -.aticDs, are good and should be
stu1ied and unGststoodn
Now, this is plain and emphatic language,
though We had preferred that our critic
would have supported his position by argu-
ment instead Of assertion. Per contra. we
mold that ths authors of that platform
thoroughly understood the subject with
which they we're dealing, and as an evidence
that they did so, went to the root If the evil
- our false monetary ssstem-and furnished
the only practical, radical solution of the Ia
Dor question, which has ever been presented
to the American people. We have carefully
perused the pamphlet referred to, Certain
portions of which we propose to review in
our next, and candor conpels us 10 cav
that We fail to see wherein the author does
more than skip the SURFACE Of the greatest
problem of the age.
But, as We desire at present to defend our
own position, rather than assail our
friends, we propose to condense and simpli-
~, as far as possible, in the following para
graphs, the principles embodied in the plat
form Of the National LABOR Union. II our
ciitic bad taken the pains to examine be
would doubtless have discovered striking
similarity between the "vordy declaru..ti ms
TO which he-tAkes exception and the ,'eclara-
ton 81 Independence, in which occ' -sa re-
catsi OF theyronss ehdsred, and upon which
ajustiRcatiOd OF the eDplc yment Of means
TO effect their overthrow, i, based. Be that
As y may, letus proceed to q conside ration
Of The measures themselves.
IN the first place, it is laii down as a fun
oamental truth that all wes It'll is the product
Of physical or intellectual LABOR: ard that
those Who produce that wealth ought of
night, aed would, under o Just monetary svs.
TEN, receive the larger proportions Of that
is0or5 that the evils Of pAuperism which
our york .ng classes suffer do not arise ron,
insvaiiciency Of produc ion, but from an IN
j''ss dis rioution Of tne products Of labor be-
tWeea .ahor and capital
70. That money is the medium "a distribn.
.aon labor and capital, the rat> Of hkssa
what proportion shall be- r.s-
84w<l A. s..a. 4