The workingman's advocate., 1869-11-20
FROM MICHIGAN.
DETROIT, Nov. 6In.

DETROIT, Nov. 6th.
r. the Editor Of the WoRKTHoMAH's ADvOoArH.
/ read your paper with much interest.
The settlement OF the relations between
capital and labor is the grand problem Of
this generation. During all the years sue
ceedIng the last war with Great Britain, and
up to 1861, the tendency 10 this country
had been very strong towards fair adjust
ment Of those relations. MOnOpOlies had
been destroyed. Special charters were not
received. Capital tended towards diffusion.
Protective tariffs had been voted down. The
government had been economically admin
istered. The laws were fairly executed, and
labor and production were free from al un-
necessary restraint and burdenG The pub
lie domain being open to actual settlers, and
not encountered by railroad grants, the a.
borer felt encouraged under the RESPONSE
bilities Of o growing family. His children
could migrate to his opn land in the West
Keeping even pace with the march OF im.
provement. His mind, not disturbed BY
wars or rumors of wars. was keeulY alivet to
his own interest, and the Legislation OF the
country was made from year to year, more
and more to subserYe his interest.
The civil war grasped the laborer in it'
iron claws and hurled him headlong and BE-
wildered before the cannOn's mouth. The
great disturbing element had arisen. LAOOf
could no longer guard its little hOardsd
store and its home interests, and the plum
derers sprang TO the attack. Since 1901,
everything which extreme sel6shness and
avarice could do to destroy the healthy ten
dency or previous legislation, has been done
MonOpolies have been created, and are nov
fortifying themselves by consolidation. Tue
whole banking interest is under one spec'A
charter paying teD per cent. dividends, and
adding from ten to twenty per cent. 10 ad'
dition annually to their reserved pro6s. A
protective tariff upon q plundering scale,
unknown in the previous history Of Iba
world, overshadows the industry OF zoe
and in the present weakened state
Of labor and production, this tariff is ssri-
king its fangs deeper and deeper into re
body of its helpless victim. The govern
ment administered by the rich, employsAn an
immense army Of spies; detectives and nH
collectors, and the poor man who in despe-
ration smuggles o cheap garment to ProEect
his shivering children is sacrificed with az
his property to these harpies, while the "a"
has nc terrors for the weslthy.
The Stalwart son can no longer be Pid-
ne@T, depending on his industry, for
homestead near the last settlement. lie
must now pay $40 an acre to some man
moth chartered corporation, or Else move
from five to ten miles distant from some
projected railroad which NAV never be con.
pleted; and the halls Of legislation are nilec
with the paid adherents Of this system 9i
robbery, whose only study Is how 10
resist successfully the demands OF 10,
Dor for Justice To this well concOctsd
scheme Of plundering the many for the ben
Eft Of few, the irredeemable legal tender
paper system has beel valuable adjunct
II was SIMPLY intended as relief to Ghe
yo7ernment-s means OF borrowing four OF
i've hundred millions from the people With
but interest. 1t had the effect of enhancing
prices, arOusing speculation, and the legH
lender clause made it securing present re-
lief against urgent creditors and threatening
stagnaton. Az we have never been able "
gnore the gold standard, and never WALL
We are now paying the penalty Of departing
rom q specie basis. | am not an adVoca'e
Of immediate return to specie payments, ou'
cannot see the virtue or utility OF per-
petual irredeemable paper currency, con-
Vertible at pleasure into interest bear
ing bonds, and the bonds recon-
Tertible at pleasure into currency
In the first place our imports are Pur'
chased and our exports are sold abroad % =
'oin basis, and we cannot therefore IN any
way rid ourselves Of coin value OF our cur.
'ency. This continual calculation Ol 'u'
'elatlve value of coin and currency upon
which the purchase of four hundred millions
iollars in value OF produce flor e1Por'auop,
md which would fix the price Of nearly y
'ther surplus produce, and upon when ~
)rice Of about four hundred millions oi ".
ported goods at the merchants counters III
'end, would be in the power Of the imPOI''ii
md exporter, and could not be conuOn0S
y the producer who sold she produce anu
Fought portion Of the imported gOOu'
Fictitious relations between gold ana 81
ency could be established 50 az 70 creA'S
depression Of produce or m advances u II
,oods, and these advantages would al
leld by the speculAtor over the lAOorer A"1
PRODUCER.
In the next place, whenever bonds w"