The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-11-06
PHILADELPHIA, NOV. 6, 1869.
C. BEN j., REPORTER

y
" looked upon in this light Oaly by very few.
The public regards it it an article Of much gen
uineness, and its display US worthy Of general
cPmmendation. For assuming to dispute opin-
i4ns so popular, the few have been called agra
Ran, demsgogic, and utopian schemers Bnt
tie position held by that few, Is well fortified
che and calculated to oppose q formidable resist
ance to any and all assaults that may be made
Upon it A synopticAl detail Of the facts which
/ sp strongly fortify that poIition, would be in
face here, we're it not that they have eonsti-
ted the subject matter Of our columns, ever
slnce we took ground iP the advocacy Of re-
form. OF disputants Of our belief We ask, Who
zee the most ardent supporters Of that impous
system of monetary legislation, which has ele-
fted them &c position financially, from whencs
<ley can dispense millions, without mourning in
pc expenditure one iotA of inconvenience or
ciscomfOrt-the same system that has rendered
ne industrial classes 6t subjects for such chart
Yes. Are they not those whose philAnthrOpic
greatness our little ones are taught almost to
1orship: What opposes the will Of the people
a
gold From whence come the thirty pieces for
Zach political Judas, except it be out Of the
pockets Of Stewart, Packer, a Belmont, or a
fhildss The price Of the periurer who stuffs
he ballot box, or who sells his suffrage as a
Aere citizen or as a legislators is debited in the
'Aodern phihanthrOphist's ledger, Who without the
assistance Of such hire lings would perhaps ne
Ger had need to keep a ledger. Nor il it alone
~ the exercise Of such foul means Of main
laining the iniquities Of government that these
pen thrive and fatten, and are capscitated to
become philanthrophists, but downright. direct
fraud IN trade as well as a systematic clustering
together Of helpless human beings, whose mex
l3rable necessities compel them to labor at Just
tucn prices as they NAV choose to pay, are also
means employed by them to insure the degrade
zion Of the working classes, and the consequent
Enhancement Of their own pecuniary interests. I
Away back in the memory Of 1.-THE Oldest inhab-
liant, success in business only attained by
such as heed the interests Of their customers to
be paramount consideration in their barg aims,
and who combined with such a spirit, frugality,
perseverance,, and desire to deal equitably by
Ior with their assistants as we'll as with the rest
tOf the public. But in the present new aud ap-
proved era, business success is but diploma
rendered to the possessorS, after few years Of
.sharp practice, subtle AduIteration, brainless,
Gextravagance and sinful disregard Of all inter
ests save those Of self. Then such a combina-
ton as that which, few weeks since, convulsed
the money mar ket from centre to circumfe renee,
making many poor and a few excessively rich,
would have been looked upon with holy horror,
now the successful ones are Landed as "cute
dogs" and the unsuccessful, are pitied as we
pity those whose losses are the fruit of ignor |
rance, and this We call civilization, the legiti-
mate good works Of government IN which all |
power is presumed TO be equitably distributed |
among the people. If it BE civilization, for I
Gods sake let us hasten back to aroarism, for
then there were no Vanderbilts, nor Jay Cookies,
and those who ruled purchased the right to rule
at least with valor, aud fidelity to country, not
by the exercise Of vile craftiness which we
call cunning. This age is morally as well as
physically degenerate As the lamented Sylvis
laconically observed, it embraces two classes,
"the SINNERS and the skinned" The skinners
being the rulers, both osteusible and actual,
and the skinned their subjects, gullible and sub
nissive, or unwilling and helpless. Morality,
either IN trade or in government, which has been
reduced to mere traffic in the rights Of the peo-
pie, is s commodity, to all intents and purposes,
obsolete. A mans trade victories are great or
frequent, according as his conscience is small,
the mos. in6nitessimal Of that article being the
best insurance against impecuniosity. The res
titution Of a very small portion OF the proceeds
Of years Of systematic cheAtery, we dignity with
the title of philanthropy. Money, which was
created to become the servant of industry, is
now the ruler Of the universe, and it's rightful
master is its football. There is but one course
for this fearful disease in the body polite and
that is, radical reformation and publication Of
our financial system, which can only be purged
OF ts prolific sources Of social evil, through the
efforts Of united working people.
I An OLD AXIOM KSocKKD TO PIEcEs.-"There
is no knowing who's gov ernOr until after the
election" We have quoted a favorite axiom
with dubious candidates for political honors,
which can no longer be as an elixer Of hope to
their doubling souls, for even at that late date
in the campaign, it is impossible to compute,
with anything like certainty, the chances even
OF the candidates favored with majority Of
the votes pOlled. And this is why Last fall
there assembled in the various precincts Of our
city, those Of our citizens by law vested with
the privilege Of the ballot, together with sundry
others not 80 vested, for the purpose of choos-
ing Tor themselves q mayor and various other
municipal officers. Upon the coun ting of the
votes it was officially promulgated that the can
didates presented by party calling itself the
Democratic party, had been chosen by msjOri-
ties varying from 500 to 1000. Their Oppo-
\ nents who had entered the canvas hush ed with
a succession Of prior victories, aud confident OF
success in the one then pending. were filed to
overlooking with caagrin and modification, and
Immediately there came from them an ACCUSE
ton that their defeat attributable solely to
a series of neatly execute ed frauds, committed in
behalf of the successful candidates. The result
was then formally contested, and a board was
appointed to examine into the quantity and
quality Of tue ballots polled. After "tediOuI
and laborious" e.. animation, they submitted
! their case 10 the judges. who have decided thai
, six out Of the seven officials, whose seats were
contested, should vacate their respective Offices
{ in behalf of the contestants. This decree ha
been executed, and six Democrats have went t
grass, and six Republicans TO the sweets Of pub
D lie pap That the decree is in accordance will
0 the facts, or even the evidence, many doubt
while many are content that it IS in accOrdAnc
4 with the wishes Of the victors. For ourselves
! We wish to state oUR BELIET, that where fraud