The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-12-03

OWOA w NObCA buC SAIL COucco Vi luc LIdUCuisO
TO which the attainment of his majority
will entitle him That the adoption of this
proposition, assuming it to be feasible,
would result in creating a better class of
citizens, there is no possible room for doubt,
provided the text books used and the teach
ers themselves can be kept free from party
bias. l have merely adverted to this mat
ter incidentally, and with no intention Of
charging upon it at this time. 1t is, how
ever, matter of sufficient importance to
merit serious consideration, growing as it
has grown out Of the notorious scarcity of
good citizens possessed of an adequate ap-
probation Of the value and uses Of the bal
lot box.
! have said that the sad condition of
things is the result of Indifference, and |
believe myself safe in adding, that where
one vote is lost to an honest measure, hav-
ing no candidate to advocate it, because of
downright purchase or indirect bribery,
there are twenty defaulters because Of indif-
ference. Many citizens have remained away
from the polls, especially of late years, be-
cause OF conviction that the only candi-
date to Office named were either bad or
Ignorant men. This is indifference to par
ty, but not exactly the Indifference to
which alluded, anu which most partic-
ularly deplore. The success or defeat Of
either of the present parties, provided there
is no other contestant, is to myself mat
ter of supreme indifference, regarding them
as do, as alternately greater and lesser
evils-as two dogs fighting for bone that
belongs to third, but which the third in
his apathy, possessing enough without
It TO supply his present needs, does not
think worth the worry of entering the lists
for. The smile may pro6tably be further
extended, for am most positively assured
that we, the people-the working people
more properly-will live to repent the
folly Of having let it escape US SO easily.
The indifference to which / have especial
refere nee is one of far greater moment, in.
volving, as | firmly believe, an ultimate,
aye an imminent danger, which we cannot
begin too soon making preparations to meet.
An indifference to the gross inconsistency
with Democratic Institutions, of the laws
under which property in this country is so
rapidly being centralized, monopolies created
in comparison with which the moropolies Of
monarchical creation. pale almost with insig.
nihcance; and pauperism, voluntary idleness
and crime, in all its hideOus phases, increas-
ed. All these are evils which | maintain
are the natural result of outrageous laws
burdenlng our statutes, and outrageous
preJudlces burdening our minds, and this
proposition is easily susceptible Of the clear
est demonstration. Our Indifference TO these
thing is certainly manifested in our inditfer.
ence to the almost inestimable value of the
free ballot when honest and intelligently used
| say honestly and intelhgently used, for
the greatest of bOOns may be made produc.
tive Of unlimited injury in the hands Of the
criminal or the indolent, the best Of tools
may be applied to the worst Of purposes, OF
left to rust in the house Of the careless, and
the house Of hin who, having the ballot in
his hands, fails to Use it in promotion of the
general welfare, as it is constitutionally en-
joined upon him to do, is the house Of the
most criminally careless 1t is not an in
difference to whether it is applied at all, to
which | would beseech your attention, but
that worse than Indifference to the manner
of its application.
Just now l reGihed few of the evil
which he!I16ve to have grown out Of bat
.ss.s,T Z, and equally bad practices or prejudi
O., the sine Of these laws being some o
them sins Of commission, and many NOR,
sins of omission. It is generally believed
that to be lawful is to be right. And Will,
| do not cOncede this to be at all times cor
rect, | do admit, that, where you are de
spoiled, 10y permission Of laws which you your
selves have made, and have the power Il
alter and modify as Pleases you, consistent
ly With the spirit Of Democratic institutions
you have little reason to complain Of bin
who takes advantage of your folly.
For this reason / hold you more culpabl,
In your Indifference, than the politician il
the crime which you wink at, the monopo
list in the fraud you empower him to com
NIT, and the capitalist in the tilching b.
does on your sufferance If you have no
enacted laws specifically cOuntenancing
these things, you have failed to make pro
vision against them, and in either event you
are equally to blame View the matter il
the following, which is the only just light
A government thoroughly Democratic, which
you know ours pretends TO be, is com.
pact under which community agree to
labor for living. The law contains The
conditions prescribed with the object Of Sc
curing to each bis own. These are founded
upon, and as far as popular, patterned after
the universal law of God Being so, they
bold all men to be 50 far free and equal, that
each is entitled to the largest liberty com.
patable with the interests Of the whole in
the pursuit Of happiness. They certainly
cannot with any degree Of consistency OF
prOpriety, contemplate any especial priv.
leges to any one. They do not necessarily
regard the pursuit of wealth as the pursuit
of happiness, when it entails an infringe
meDt Of rights which they declare to be
common. This is done in our land, vet no
man is for that reason transgressOr Of the
law, because your sin of omission has failed
to provide against it. The declaration Of
rights which called our Government into
being, is proven lie, a delusion, and a
snare, by the laws which we have enacted
to fOrtify it against encrC schment, and
those we have left unenacted. You have
country, declared to be safe abiding
place for the oppressed of every people,
This claim you publish to the world, a
wicked world dotted everywhere with gov
ernments still worse than your own yet is.
You invite the grievously burdened of these
governments to seek refuge from tyranny
here, under flag which floats over a PEG,
pie of which every man is considered to be
the equal of bis neighbor But while you
make this glowing promise to the hope,
while you send it creeping like ray of