The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-05-16

National Labef Reform PaftJ
On Thuzsday, August ~. 1887.
We hold ihos trutAs.to b sSlf-esid@nk
that al men ars created equal, thht they 10
endowed By their Creator with certain ina
liberty and the pursuit. Of happiness that
to secure these rights governments are In
stituted among men, deriving their inst pow
ere from the consent Of the governed.
That there are but two pure forms Of gov
ernment. the Autocratio and the Democratic;
under the former the will Of the individual
sovereign is the supreme Law, under the lat
| ter the sovereignty Is vested in the whole
people, all other forms being q modihcat'o on
| OF the one or the other Of these principles,
and that ultimately one or the ether OF
these forms must prevail throughout all
civilized nations, and it 10 now for the Amer
| lean 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
| ty in the people, and that would give 70
each citizen the largest political and religi-
Gus liberty compatible with the coed 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 ii 10 the right and daty OF the
people to alter. amend or abolish them, and
institute such others, founding then upon
the principles Of equity, ~ TO them may
seem most likely to effect their prosperity
and happiness.
Prudence will in Iced dictate that iUpor-
tant laws long established should NOS be
changed for light and 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 70 which they have been ac-
customed. But when q long train of iegisia-
tive abuses, pursuing invariably the same
| object, evinces a design to subvert the spirit
of freedom and equality upon which our in
situations are founded, and reduce them to
state Of se-vitude, it is their right--it is
their duty to abolish such lave and provide
new guards their future security. Such
has been the patient suffering OF the wealth
producing 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 i7sidious
schemes and unwarranted aggressiOns OF
INSCRIPTIONS bankers and usurers by means
Of unwise and corrupt legislation.
| We further hold-That ell property or
wealth is the product OF physical or intel
\ lectual labor, employed in productive indus
try and in the distribution Of the produc-
tions Of labor that laborers ought OF right,
7 49,
receive or retain the larger proportion OF
their productions; that the wrongs, oppres-
sions and destitutiOn which laborers are suf-
fering in most departments Of legitimate en-
| terpriss 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 ilserest determining what
proportion Of the Products oil labor shall be
awarded to capital for its use, and what to
labor for its productions that the power 70
make money and regulate its value is az
essential attribute Of sovereignty, the exer-
else Of which is by the Constitution Of the
United States wisely and properly granted to
Congress, and it Is the imperative duty Of
Congress to institute it upon such . wise
and Just basis that 1t shall be directly under
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 dis
tribute the products Of labor equItably bet
ween capital and labor according to the
service or labor performed IN their pro-
duction.
That the law enacting the o-called Ma
tional Banking system is . delegation by
Congress Of the sovereign power to make
money and regulate its value to q class Of
irr, sponsible banking associations, thereby
giving to them the power to control the value
Of all the property in the nation, and to fiS
the rewards Of labor in every department Of
industry, and is inimical to the spirit Of
liberty and subversive OF the principles Of
Justice upon which our democratic repub-
,ican institutions are founded, and withouI
warrant in the Constitution justice, reason
and sound policy demands its immediate re
peal and the substitution Of legal-tendeE
Treasury notes as the exclusive currency 81
the nation.
That this money monopoly is the a-ent
of all mohopoIies-the very root and essence
Of slavery-rsiiroad, warehouse and ali other
monopoles, of whstever kind or nature, are
the outgrowth Of and subservient to this
power, and the means used by it to rob
the enterprising, industrial wealth producing
classes Of the products Of their talents and
labor.
That a. Government is instituted to pro-
tect lie and secure the rights Of property,
each should share its just and proper prc.
portion Of the burthens and sacrifices ne
cessary for it's maintenance and perpetuity,
and that the exemption from taxation Of
bank capital and government bonds, bearing
double and bankrupting rates Of interest, Is
q species Of dangerous and unjust class le-
gislation opposed to the spirit Of eur insti-
tutions, 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 our democratic republican institutions
are founded. there is in oil 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 IN
remunerated toll, depriving them OF the or
binary conveoiencss and comforts of life
Of the time ana means necessary for social
enjoyment, intellectual culture and mora
Improvement and ultimately reducing them
to state Of practical servitude.
We further hold that while these IN
righteous laws OF distribution remain il
force, laborers cannot, by any system Of
combination CT cooperation, secure Their
natural rights. That the first and most i'm
portant step towards the establishment d
tbe rights OF labor, 10 the institution Of q
system Of tue cooperation between non
producing capital and labor. That to effeci
this most desirable object, money, the medi-
um OF distribution TO capital and labor, musi
be instituted upon such wise and just prin-