The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-12-17
Gov Brown 3ndorsest til Q Principles of
the National Labor Union.

On Monday afternoon last, 4 NUM-
Der of the members of the Labor Re
form Party in st. Louis, met in one Of
the parlors Of the Southern Hotel, to
present an address to the Hon. b.
Gratz Brrwn, expressing their appreci-
alton of certain views expressed by him
during the gubernatorial canvass. Some
eighteen or twenty gentlemen were
present, Interested in the success Of the
Reform party, and DESTROYS of
eliciting the views If the Governor
elect.
Mr.. John Mrgwire first addressed
the Hon. b. Gratz Brown as follows
The National Reform Party, at their conven-
tion in Cincinnati last August, appointed an
executive committee for each State and Terri
tory in the Union, to carry into practical effect
the principles Of that organization. We noticed
with great interest your vindcation OF one
Of the principles that lie at the foundation
of that institution, in the late canvass for Gov
erRor Of the State we have therefore taken
the liberty of inviting you here and having an
address prepared upon those principles which
If it is your pleasure will now be read.
The Governor elect having signifed
his readiness to hear the address, Mr..
Thos. S. Nelson read it as follows:
ADDRESS.
10 the Hon. D. Graft Bro0a Governor Elect Of kissOuri
SIR: In your final speech to the people, at
the Court House in St. Louis, on the Bth of
November, 1870, which closed your canvass as
candidate for the GOvernorship of Missouri, you
gave utterance to sentiments which are in &C.
cord with the doctrines Of the National Labor
Reform Party. You speak therein of Freedom
equally rom political disabilities applied to per-
sons, aid from the more subtle sIaveries of
property in the guise Of taxation and tariff"
that 'any abrdgement of personal liberty in q
free republic is tyranny, and that any levy Of
taxes for ostensble protection to special inter-
ests as pluAder," and you insist on the corrol-
laries Of the avowal that men being born free
and equal, shall live and die So" You further
advert to the struggle in which you were en-
gagged as "being one between monopoly and in
diVidualism. which our opponents seek to con-
vert /. - struggle betwixt capital and labor,
and you trust, that, whilst many threats are
made on the other side, no one on your par
Will undertake TO influence any vote for you by
improper means, or to discharge the laborer be-
cause he may vote as a freemt even though
it be against US"
The doctrines Of the Nation Labor Reform
Party are those embodied j Tue Declaration of
our Independence and ests he'd by the Revo-
luton there is nothing W in them except
their application wherev,r he sovereignty ex-
lists the attributes Of that M vereiguty belong
these attributes are the soil he currency and
the ballot; when the sovert nty is invested in
an individual, or in few 4. in conjunction
with an individual, the soil, tine currency and
the ballot are primarily theirs. to the exclusion
OF the body OF the people, except 90 far as they
are dOled out to the masses FOR the benefit Of
those who hold the sovereignty in possession.
10 our form Of government the sovereignty
and it's attributes are vested in the people, mot
in the aggregate but in the individual; an az
eregate ballot Tor instance, lie monarchy; and
equally 50 is an aggregate ownership Of the soil
or of the currency. The truth Of this doctrine 10
simple and obvious when avowed, and the de-
parture therefrom by those who administer the
government tends to the overthrow Of the Re-
public.
One word more in reference to fundamental
trincIPles The necessity Of asserting the in
dividual right 70 the ballot arose from the very
outset, because without its exercise the people
could not elect a President or constable; diff
ferent TO this was the requirement Of the cog
nate attributesof the coil ana the currency.
belonging TO Union Of Slstes sparse In nu,,,-
bers TO begin with, and possass.d of an afgluence
OF the soil unexampled in amount and qualify