The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-09-23
FOOD FOR REFLECTION

/ tells us that "al men are born free and
equal, and that among these inslienable
rights is the pursuit Of happiness. II
this is true, and no American viii dare
openly deny its truth: are not a very
large population Of the call men" de-
spise1, and by circumstances generally
beyond their control, Of their natural
rights, aud forced into position that
torbids them all opportunity Of secu'-
ing their happiness in any pursuits that
our present artificial structure Of soci-
ETY. permits ? Although We might con
slider a declaration of rghts made by
the government We live under as sufh-
cient authority, yet study Of the
natural and revealed religion OF our
great Creator will throw a MONDAY
light on what many please to consider
as a very clouded subject Is it to be
thought for a moment by the most devO-
ted worshiper of 'the powers that be"
that our Heavenly Father, who created
all things for our benefit, should pro-
yide necessary food, raiment and shell
ter for all the inferior animals, and leave
man, the greatest OF all, subject 10
doubtful chances Of obtaining either !!
/ The instinct of all animals, in their nat
ural condition, man even included, tells
them, when, where aud how they may
obtain those things necessary for their
existence. Man has been raised from
/ his state Of nature to that of so called
civilization, and being inferior in instinct
/ to all ether animals, must depend on
reason and revelation from on high tor
the development of such structures Of
society as will secure him the means Of
existence and the power to pursue his
own hapT mess in this life and FL him
I for that TO come. Has man been guided
7 by that reason and revelation or has
society been suffered to pass through its
varied forms, and yet TO be still in the
same chaotic state, after six thousand
years of experience? II there is much
change Ia society since the pastoral
state, it is certainly for the worse. In
early times each was sure Of a suffi-
cheney to protect him from restitution.
And why, if in earlier times, when
most OF the necessaries of life were pro-
! duced by the sweat of mans brow,
men did not suffer from actual want,
and We have no reason 70 suppose they
! did, why, when we have called into
existence machinery to tighten his la
bors many fold, is il that every con
trivanc, 10 save toll is looked upon by
the producer with distrustI The reason
is obvious. Many believe that much
o. the labor saving machinery is calcu-
lated to produce wealth to its inventors.
but misery to those thrown onSof ern-
Iployment by its use You may see here
in Chicago a splendid machine dlvel-
oped by a great brain, that will turn
bed posts, &c, fifty times faster than it
can be done in The usual way. Is any
society rightly constructed that makes
it the interest of any to lament The in
vention of such 2 labor-slvng machine !:
And yet it must throw out Of employ
ment many who are skilled only in the
labor it supplants. And if the forty
nine hands rendered comparatively use
less w II, were skilled in the manufac-
ture Of tie macline,is it to be supposed
for a moment they could all fud employ
ment in making it? How is this thing
to end For il is ridiculous to suppose
that with the present and increasing
enlightenment of the working classes, a
stale Of society can continue, in which
! il is the interest Of each to ruin all who
come into competition with him; and
in which the LbOring man looks with
terror upon all devices intended to re-
lease labor With so much actual
wealth produced that there is no occa-
sional outcry that "there is too much
production " When all improvement
IN machinery is but for the benefit Of
class, whose mission in life served to
be bit to luxuriate upon and waste the
wealth they never assisted in bringing
into existence? Wher men, able and
willing to work are idle, and their fam
HES kept from starving only b, the
cold charity of thelr neiuhbors j.
1t too much to ask that A part OF the
brain work of "our enlightened classes"
should be diverted from the efforts to
obtain the wealth produced by others,
and be given to aid in developing some
structure of society that will give to
''all men" the opportunity TO perform
that amount of labor which the laws Of
wealth require, and enable them in
fulfilling their duties as created beings
to secure their happiness? We feel
very sure if the "better Classes" as
they are mis- called, DO not soon take
hold Of the subject in Christian spirit,
they will loose all chance Of securing
their illgotten wealth for their children
to waste. We, the producers, are still
willing for generous compromise with
them; to let the past remain as it is,
provided we are allowed the full results
Of our labor in the future. But should
we not be assisted in reconstructing
society, we shall have to do so as best
we can, and in the struggle that must