The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-01-23


They srs isaruing inkhs school OF expari
snce that ths ballot-box b stronksf tAan eu
army; and I mistake tha signs Of the tune.
lif tho day 10 not near when our whit
slaves" win reconstruct society.
Our terrible civil war has stricken m
shsckles from the limbs Of black men, bal
slavery has besa destroyed only 10 form. ltl
spirit still exists and rules with despot;t
SWAY. Money does not own the tlesh and
muscles and bones, but it 10 the legalized
master Of labor aud approprates its predactz
with q merciless and insolent pswer. Il haa
been said that revolutions never 90 bacEr
ward, and We may therefore hope that t1e
full results Of the late civil strife viii not
be attained until our northern sinudsillx, =
our white slaves, are emancipsted. Lahos
unions are spriDging into existence, inspired
with lofty and resolute purpose 20 assert
and maintain the rights Of labor. Tbs In
ouiry 10 being made, why is It that moss
''who rise early, sit up late, and eaf ~ pssaa
Of carefulness," are but little better MAN
medicants, while the few who live ~ giclons
idleness tare sumptuousiy every daH. Inc
divine Law, 'sif . man does not woSk neitns<
shall be ears b&s been abreBatsa 40 nas
man who does not work has everything TO
eat, while the hardest worker often goes
supperless 70 bed.
IL white men and women are not bought
and sold, they gnaw the bones, eas sne
crumbs, and wear the cast-oh garments Of
idle and luxrious capitalists There ls, rom
some cause, IN unfair distribution Of the
proTucts Of labor between non-produclng
capital and producing labor.
We are tsld that thus IL has ever been !;
men Of money have appropriated in their
own way and upon their own terms labor
and Ice productions that there always VIII
be the rich and the poor, and the latter the
servant OF the former. | ar no agragian,
no advocate Of an equal division Of property
or Of any division but such ~ providence
and improvidence industry and idleness,
intelligence and Ignorance, virtue ana vice,
create. | an alike opposed 70 all legisla-
ton which discriminases in favor Of accumu-
lated wealth. The creation of all monopo-
lies, whether in land or money, 10 an imPo-
sItion on the rights Of labor and IN violation
OF the spirit Of ~ur free Institutions
believe that q Government which has the
right 10 conscript poor man an put him
in the ranks 10 fight us battles, and dictate
TO him the wages be shall receive, has an
equal right to selSe the rich mans purse -
pay the man in the ranks, and dictate the
rate Of interest he shall receive for the use
Of his money. The rights Of persons should
be rs sacred as the rights Of property, and .
forced loan, with or without interest, 10 as
justi6able as acoDscript law.
| propose to refer more specifically to
some of the wrongs Of which the workir z
men complain, and against which We will
protest at the oallot-box, and through the
political parties or IN spite OF them will
ensncipate ourselves, or IN the expressive
language Of Senator Hammond, recon
struct society,""
10 the first place we demand a thorough
and radical change in :he policy OF Congress
in relation to the disposition Of the pub bllc
the foundation Of civilization, liberty, and
progress, and our existence ~ Republic
depends much upon a thorough distribution
OF the lands among the people. IL IS said
that twelve men own one half the land 10
Scotland, one hundred and Fifty persons
one half OF England, and four per cent.
of our population own one half of ne
property in this country. Richard Carlisle
says:
ION the question Of the monopoly Of the
land, am decided that it is the master evil in
our political condition"
Workingnen claim that the public lands
are the common property Of the whole Peo-
pie that Congress Is only the trustee, and
As such is transcending lis powers when it
undertakes TO grant these lands to railroads
or convey them 70 spectators and land pl-
rates. We claim that they should be dis
posed Of only to actual settlers IN small
quantities, and at n minlmurl price 'The
heavens are the Lords, bas the earth
He hath given TO the children OF men," and
whoever wishes to build himself home and
erect an altar under the prote ection Of our
Gag, should be allowed to select o spot any
where upon the public domain. With equal
right might the atmosphere be bottled and
the sunshine barreled up and sold out in lots
to SUIT purchasers as the earth to be hacked
in pieces and withheld from lis rigbtiul own
ers-
Within few years congress has given Of
the peoples pa'rimony TO various western
and southern States, 70 aid in the coEsIEuc-
ton Of railroads., 57,0O0, 900 acres; for ca
nails and other public improvements, ~ ,000,-
600 more. In 1864 Congress granted 10 the
States, for the endowment Of agricultural
colleges, $4,000 acres.fo each senator and
representative IN Congress, making la all
., 900, 900 thousand acre7, or enough 70 make
ten States large chan Rhode Island. What
has become Of these lands, aud where are
the schools of sgriculturei The land scrip
has been sold 10 spectators st prices rang
ing from thirty 10 eighty cents per acre. One
individual purchased half million acres, snd
one firm IN my own State bought and ad-
vertises for sale two and half million acres.
Schools Of learning are yet 70 be endowed
upon the pittance obtained for the land scrip.
Land monopolies are Ear more certain to be
established than collegesi
The Pacific railroad, . giant monopoly
which may yst make presidents and dictate
receive by the criminal prodigality Of Con-
gress, In addition 10 enormous subsidies in
bonds, one handred and t~enty-four million
acres cfland; enough TO make four 8 atea larg-
or than New York, PsnnsYlvAnis, OHIO and In
diana. How these subsides In bonds and
lands were procured and who are the parties
benehcially interested, may yet be Q subject
Of investigation. understand thAs huagFy
swarm Of railroad adventufsrs now fll these
Hobbies, who are pressing their pstTl0Iie
claims to large share Of the remaining I'M
appropriated territory.
Congress, holding the public lands in trust
for ths landless poor, has already voted away
an area Of country larger by Eve millions Of
acres than the six New England States, New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Dsawars,
Maryland, Virginia, and OhIo. Il may b
necessary Tor the development OF our nAlisn.
al resources and make the public lands &C.
cessible, that these great highways Of travel
and commerce should be constructed, and
government aid may be indispensable 10 Be-
cure their construction. Il 80, let the pro-