The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-02-26
A DD R e @ q
OF TIE
NATIONAL LABOR UNION
TO rHg
People Of the United States.
INTRUDuCTION.


10 th- paople OF the Uuited States, and espe-
ci-lly TO brothers and sisters Of toll Of
every grade and kind, greeting:
Impelled by deep and abiding cOnvic-
ton that there are radical wrongs in our
monetary, commercial and land systems,
which tend inevitably to the benefit of the
few and the injury Of the many that the
disparity thus created continually widens,
until we are threatened in the near future
with the most serious consequences that
out Of these arrangements come nearly all
the evils known under the names of ignOr-
ance, poverty, vice, and crime that up to
this hour the craftsmanship of party politics
has failed to produce the proper remedies !;
that the most plausible reason for this state
of affairs is found in the fact that the legis-
lation Of the whole country IS in
the hands of and under the su-
supreme control Of bankers, moneyed men,
and professional politicians. to the almost
entire exclusion Of the productive classes
who are the real sources of all our wealth !:
For these and other ressOns we have prepar-
ed and submit the following facts, arguments,
and ccmmon-seDse remedies, with the con
6dent belief that they will commend them
selves to your best judgment. We solemn
ly declare that our sole purpose is the high
est good Of all classes, which can only be OBJ
tanned in the common good Of the whole
We do not propose to array labor against
capital any further than demanded By the
eternal principles of justice. We would in
jure no one We would benefit the whole
people. We will mot stop to criminate the
authors Of our complaints; but, forgetting
the past. we would grapple With these giant
evils rs we find them, and apply such re-
medies as the conditions afford, disturbing
only as compelled existing relations and
values. We demand for the brain and mus
Gle Of labor, the real sources of wealth, an
equitable share Of the responsibilities of Ie-
gislation, and that it shall have such protec-
ton as Law can afford from the unjust dis
ordinations made against it in the past.
To accomplish these ends, we have no
hope in party politicians They have been
tried and found wanting. After one hun
dred years OF their administration, We find
ourselves in possession of national debt
Of 81, ,4V0, ,OO0, ,O0O-State and local debts
Of equal amount the public domain largely
wasted much Of the most fertile land ia the
country in the hands Of railroad companies
and other monopolies Statesmen, editors,
financiers and politicians clamoring for re.
turn TO specie basis, system which s self
destructive. and has produced universal
commercial disaster every ten years, thus de-
monstrating its utter incompetency; q
moneyed aristocracy disorganized labor a
blasted commerce; land full Of murder,
suicide, prostitution, arson, robbery, poverty,
public corruption, private We and intem
perance divided interest, and divided
people! All these and more we find, and
therefore demand surrender Of the powers
50 long abused. In making this demand,
We have no compromises to offer or accept
We mean no bargain and sale Of our high
trusts or the peoples interests for the bene-
fit Of any party. They have utterly failed
we cannot trust them; and we AJAX al
classes, representing all useful industries
to join Us 10 our demand to bring all theil
highest and best powers to the work Of re
constructing the whole machinery Of govern
ment, in the interest Of the whole people.
Ii, then, We have offered o satisfactory
solution Of these abstruse problems, we shsl
have earned the gratitude Of the people, anG
demonstrated our capacity to assume th'
responsibilities Of Legislation