The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-08-27

of subsidies, and cheapening manufac
lures to the infinite benefit of the PEG
pie. The non-producing class, instead
OF getting, as now, nearly all the net in
crease of wealth, would get but q fan
per centage, leaving the most Of it tc
reward the toll of those whose brains
and hands make the wealth, thus Civ.
ing to every thrifty toiler a better sub
sistence than now, and the means Of
advancement. Now high interest,
high tariff, and high taxes so increase
the cost and exchanges of everything
which makes up the subsistence Of
laborers that, as has been conclusively
shown by Commissioner Wells, they
live more poorly now in this country
than before the war. Hence strikes,
@hich consume scanty accommodations
needed for other uses, diminish pro-
auctions, discourage enterprise and
breed rancour, between employers and
employed, when often the employer is
90 eaten up with interest. rents and tax
es that he cannot afford the wages need
ed and demanded. If an equitable
division of accruing wealth be es'
tablished between labor and capital
the workers, which term includes gen
orally employers as well as employed
will have something to amicably divide
instead of fighting as now for the
profit which lpital has carried off from
both, as the fox in the fable slipped of
with the kid while the lion and tiger
were exhausting themselves fighting fol
it.
The finance policy, announced by
the workngmen, which have cursorlly
discussed, strikes at the root of almost
all their grievances, which is also tbs
root of the exorbitant privileges of the
owners of productive wealth; a class
comparatively small in numbers, but
powerful in mind, resource, tact, tradi
tons, combinations, and all the appli
ances by which the few have, from the
beginning enslaved the many; but
under our Government reforms, i'm
possible heretofore or elsewhere, car
be accomplished. In the Republic Of
Athens, by the laws Of Scion, no man
who worked for living could vote
While Rome was Republic, its con
stitution was such, that it was ruled BY
the wealthy patricians; so, too, with
the Republics of Venice and Genoa
At this day, on the continent of Europe
the workingmen can be heard only by
revolution and in England they are
still no more independent than Nher
Gurth wore the collar of Cedrick thu
Saxon. In the United States they are
free to vote as their judgment dictates
and their numbers are large enough t
accomplish such legislation as they
think for the general good.
But i: will be no easy victory-tht
. enormous privileges which that polio!
will end are deep rooted, and not to b
uptorn without fierce and protractet
struggle. You will be assailed will
all the power and arts Of political war
fare; all who worship property anC
ignore man will cry out against you
f The exaggerated and superstition
veneration for property, the evil coun
terpart Of communism is all pervad
ing, and will confront you everywhere
| You will be charged with agrarianism
communism and reputation, in disre
gard of your expressed purposes. TIL
, owner of every farm or town lot vii
be told that you will compel him t
divide" the owner of every bond tia
you will repudiate; and the fears Of thos
who have little will often be more In
tense and unreasonable than of thoSt
: who are rich. You will encounter to-
| the SCOTS and hackneyed saws CT nearl
: all the professional men OF finance Il
[ Ing TaHd-TuI rICn VINO through at I'm
terrible panics before the war, clun,
to the stupid. and necessarily disas
| trous, specie base State Bank system
) who were Mortified at the issue of lega
t tenders, by which we got, TO the frs
: time, a good currency who would no
4 surrender fOr abate their notion, tina
f there can be no good money but gOlC
I, and silver, or their representatives
though a score Of Jim Fisks and
4 year of black Fridays were sen
t to plague them for their unbelief
e by men, too, who think it vastl
f important to American people to b
thought well off by the money king
Z of Europe, so that any future ad
! ministration can induce them to tax
: part of another national debt, at so 0
: 60 cents on the dollar. You will be OF
! posed too by the peoples conscience
r and loyalty keepers, who glOrify tn
: banks and bondholders as the saviour
: of the Republic, to be dealt with a
f they themselves may dictate, unde
= penalty of disloyalty aud dishonor
t however oppressive their schemes t,
! the people, who bear the heat ant
) burden of the war.
t But all the opposition and discussion
, evoked will direct public thought t
! the evils the masses suffer, and the jus
r and beniicent reforms they propose.
Labor questions already stir tn
; world. The war which now shake
the continent was brought on lsrgel,
t. postpone the demands of working
men, which already began to threaten
existing dynasties. Here we shall hav'
no contest but Of free discussion, which
! ought, and l believe will, ultimately
give to the labor movement such powe
that no political party, however forti
fed by skill, money, craft and prejadice
can prevail against.-Very respectfully
| yours, Tyou.o E,v,xc T.
FROM HON. C. w. JULIAN, OF INDIANA.
MR SHELDON, Executive OF the Nationa
Labo, Union for Missouri, having invited