The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-07-09
TIE PUBLIC LANDS

TIE PUBLIC LANDS
Resolved, That we view with great concern
and uneQuivocally condemn, che prohigate
squandering Of the public lands BY the Con-
gress Of the United States, holding, as We do
that all the lands adapted TO agriculture shoud
have been held 40 sacred trust, and given in
reasonable quantities for homesteads to actual
settlers-they being American citizens, or hav-
ing declared their intention to become such
and to none other.
| IMPORTATION CT MEN.
Resolved, That we are unalterably opposed
TO the importations now being m lde of serviie
race. IN the interest Of sordid speculatcrs, but
we are at all times ready to welcome to our
shores the unbought emigrant who comes as
! freeman among freemen, and not to subordinate
the labor of American workmen to the slavish
ussges and customs of pagan nations.
LABOR RExORN.
! Resolved, That wherever and whenever the
workingmen of any section Of our country are
pressed for want Of employment, they should be
recommended and assisted to move out to the
! public domain, there to become actual settlers
| and culiivators of the soil by doing this iu-
stead of remaining 10 over crowded labor cen
tres, swelling and iD'rlsifying the competition
among their fel,ow laborers, and finally de-
scending into the pauper, or worse, the criminal
class, the natural advantages derivable from in
dustriously cultivating fruitful soil, would re
suit both in Individual relief and advancement,
and the moral and social good of the whole
country
Resolved, That As labor il the source from
whence all national prosperity flows, its intelli-
gent prosecution and direction Is q matter o
paramount importance to the government, as
well as to the worker, and therefore, with
view to fostering, stimulating and protecting the
true industrial interests Of the country, we ask
the creation Of q separate Department of
Government, to be known asthe Department Of
Labor, with power to collect and utilize all the
available statistics of every industrial element
in the country, promote the spread Of useful
knowledge among the producing classes gen
orally, and make such recommendations to
Congress, from time to time, as the best in
teres OF labor, aud more fair distribution Of
the products thereof may demand.
Mr.. r. +. Trevellick was then in
troduced, amidst the greatest applause,
and for two hours, enchanted the atten-
ton of his audience by an earnest and
eloquent exposition Of the principles of
the National Labor Union.
He was followed by the Hon. Jehu
Baker, who spoke substantially as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Baker said: There is law Of
historical progress governing the indus
trial interests of mankind. During the
whole period of ancient history, and
in the most celebrated States, the
prominent industrial fact was that the
laborers were slaves. As an illustra-
ton of the general condition Of the
labor interests of mankind at the time
alluded to, it might be stated that in
one noted city, there were twenty thou
sand slaves, and that in one famous
State, there were twenty million citi-
zens and sixty million slaves. Slavery
was the social status of the laborer in
the ancient world. Next came the
status of serfdom, which succeeded the
breaking up Of the ancient labor sys-
TEN, and which prevailed in the Euro
pean States for period varying not
far from Thousand years. Next came
the status of industrial freedom, which
prevails in the Eu, qn-Americsxa
system Of States to-das ll.is, TOO, Is
changinl Is passing something
different from is former end its present
self.
" is obeying that vast movement
Ok civilization which is marked by the
diffusion of more and more mental de.
velopcment, and consequently, Of more
and more social, industrial, and politi-
cal power, among the working masses
of mankind. This law of humanitary
movement, which appears to be fair
generalization from the whole course
Of history, takes its place among the
most cheering facts Of mans life. II
! filings light of hope over the darkest
of our social problems, and inspires us
with courage, ever renewed, to look
the sealed future i'll the face. II is in
the light Of this great law that we are
: to estimate the social value Of that
widespread industrial organization, in
Europe and America, which is one Of
the marked features of the present
time. No matter what may be its par.
ticular limitations and errors, it must
be accepted as a social fact Of a very
high value. 1t is fact Of social de-
velopment, of the quickening of mil
lions of minds into vigilence, activity
and power, which had heretofore laid
dormant. Its tendency is to aid in diff
> fusing and populising the actual power
: that controls the State. 1t is fact OF
f progress and Of humanity.
He concluded by proposing the
adoption Of the following resolutions
J Resolved, That We favor The enact nent OF
D laws, State and National, which shall be- as
J., nearly possible, practicable IN their bearing
b on the whole people of the United States. In
the making of laws for the levying of interIa
taxes, for the raising of ex post duties, for the
institution and regulation of money, for the dis
! bursement Of public revenue, and for al Other
purposes, the good governing principles should
= be to work with no undue psrtislIty to any spe
ciNl classes or interests, but to the general good
of ali classes and all interests, the people
: should be equal before the laws, so the laws
should be equal before the people. We believe
that faithful application Of this principle to
] our legislation, State and National, would work
D an immense and most s-lutary reform.
q Resolved, That though We favor the payment
Of SOME portion of our national debt every year,
yet. IN view of the facG that our nation is rapid
ly growing in population and worth, and that
the same scale Of taxation will consequently
yield continually an increasing amount Of reve-
nue. we hold that the true principle governing
our situation 10 this respect, is that we should
as rapidly practicable, remove the more vex
3 atious burdens some and unequal portion of our
! taxes and imports, and look to the growing in
crease Of our wealth, carrying moderate and
/ uGburdensome scale Of taxation for the gradus
( but more rapid extinction OF the entire debt
We favor the faithful performance Of the na-
, reputation.
The Hon. VIM. Ill. Snyder was next
introduced, and spoke as follows
} Novalis has beautifully and truthful
" remarked that, democracy is the
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