The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-08-06


the present system have the power to impos
the necessity to labor. This class seem
think it their right, if not their duty, to tax
all the surplus earnings from laborers, tha
the latter may be kept at work. If it b
true that man is naturally indolent it vii
be difficult to show any good reason for CON
Pelling the larger part Of the race to labo
excessively to keep from starvation, Will
the greater and better portion Of their pro
duetions is applied to support e snalle
class without labor. There are those, how
ever, who believe that man is naturally il
dustriOus. They know that healthy children
are continually active, and that wher
motives of comfort or pleasure are offered
they are ever ready to make great cxertion,
to possess themselves of the desired objects
Hence they believe that if the production.
of labor were fairly awarded to the produc
ers, the prospect Of the comfort and eleva.
ton in store for the industrious, would pre.
sent sufficient motives to secure all necessary
and desirable exertion. This certainly is
true unless the natures Of the child and tbe
man are radically different. But if when
child bad made great exertions to obtain
some desired object, others should bv 4
secret or visible power prevent bis receiving
three-fourths of bis well earned reward. and
the same exertions should be repeatedly fol-
lowed by the same results, doubtless he
would be discouraged from further attempts.
Ii under these circumstances be should be-
come idle, or seek to acquire without labor.
i ought not to be attributed to natural in
dolsnce, but to the want of a reasonable
assurance that his labor would be success
fuL The situation in which the producing
classes Of all nations are placed, seem anal
ogcus to that Of the disappointed child. II
bas hence become a very con mon remark
that man Is naturally indOlent. If dis.
courasements were percei, ed by the minds
Of children equal Q those f miliar TO the
laboring classes, they would be so disheart.
ened in their efforts as apparently 10 change
their natures, and we should then hal
lazy children. Their efforts would also de-
pend on.necessity and men and children
would be found to have the same natures,
and to be governed by similar motives.
AS further illustration Of the foregoing
principle, we may notice briefly the policy
which our Government should pursue in the
sale Of the public lands. If country is to
become wealthy, facilities must be afforded
to those who perform the labor necessary to
make 1t rich. 1t is generally admitted that
free people will perform more labor, and
make greater production than an equal
number Of slaves. This seems to prove
that those who expect to own and enioy the
proceeds Of their labor will produce more
than those who are stinted in the necessaries
OF life by having their products appropriated
to the use Of otkers. When large estates
are rented, and the landlords take a great
SharA of tho AA-s>i-es-- &c -4AAir tanants the
farms are not generally as well cultivated,
and the buildings and other improvements
are seldom if ever as good as where the
farmers are the owners of the soil which the
cultivate. The difference is doubtless owing
to the hoIelessness in one case, that even by
severe toll they shall materially improve
their condition, and to the prospect in the
other of enjoying the fruits Of their labor.
10 the former labor is burden, while the
latter cheerfully perform greater amount
If then our Government desires the i.oprcve-
ment of the public lands, encouragement
must be offered to those who will purchase
and cultivate them. Spectators who buy
and sell item at tenfold profit, and make
no improvements on the lands, add nothing
to the wealth Of the country but purchasers
who 60 upon the land and improve il by
their labor, increase the public wealth.
Let then the Government sell the lands to
actual purchasers only, in parcels not ex-
ceedlng half section to any individual
Let small part Of the purchase money be
paid down. and let the balance remain on
mortgage at one and one-tenth per cent in
terest until the occupant is disposed to pay
It. In this way the land will at once bring
an income to the Government as good as If
the whole purchase money were paid and
reloaned at the legal rate of interest. The
Government will be perfect safe, and the
people will pay for and improve the lands.
This will at the same time build up o
prosperous and happy people, who will soon
add immensely to the wealth Of the nation.
and who, in improving their condition, will
contribute to the comfort and happiness o.
Others by supplying them with food, and re-
ceiviDg their surplus products in return
If the laws be such that the people can
secure good living and a handsome sur.
plus without labor, and can earn only .
scanty subsistence and no surp US by il.
they will seek to exempt themselves from
labor. But if the laws be made such that
labor will secure 70 them good LIVING and
a handsome yearly surplus, while without i
they can obtain only poor wing ana nv
surplus, people will incliue to labor If in
terest be reduced to a just rate, almost N,
entire population Of the country will ~ %
gagged in some species Of productive industry.
and the laboring classes will be relieved
from the support Of numerous body who
nov live by their wits-that is, by cOntriv-
ing to obtain the products Of others without
toll When money is made just standard
the injustice of contracts founded upon it
will cease, and many laws necessary to sup
port the present unjust standard will disap-
pear.
So long as monetary laws continue a
standard that will wrest products from pro
ducers, and place and protect them in the
hands Of nOn-producers, they will require
for their support the aid Of the sword and
bayonet, because mans natural sense of
right revolts against the usurpation and the
injustice Of such protection. But when
monetary laws shall sustain a just standard
Of value, which will place and protect pro
ducts in the hands Of their producers, they
will Of course conform to the natural laws Of
production, which were ordained by a higher
than human power. The distribution then
being according to justice strife will cease
because man having his own rights res
pected and protected, will naturally respect
and protect the rights Of others. The time
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