The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-08-11
THE "NATloNAL LABOR
PARTY" "
Their Declaration Of PIinciPles.

the National Labor party propose to go
before the country next year are as iol,
lows. In referring to o call Tor National
Convention TO nominate President ana
Vice President they say
In making this call and presuming to
enter into competition with existing par
ties, It Is not that We should give to tue
world our reasons as well as the remedies
we propose for the wrongs OF which We
complain. Starting then with the maxim
that our government Is founded on the
sovereignty and consent Of the governed,
and lis purpose Is TO protect the property
and enforce the national rights, and thus
give to all an equitable chance In the race
Of life The land, water, air and oil nat.
ural elements arc common gifts, and gov.
ernments are only trustees to guard
against their misappliCatiOn, AMI that as
trustees they have no right 10 ALLEVIATE
without the consent OF the owners Is free.
ly given. That all classes Of legislation
whereby these original and common Gle.
ments or the proceeds Of the same arc en-.
HANGED by intelligent labor, are perverted
from their original design and made TO
inure to tho benefit Of non.producers and
10 the injury Of producers, is wrong and
subyersiYG Of the purposes Of good gov.
crnmenl; that all able.bOdied, intelligent
persons should contribute 10 the common
stock by useful industry as the sum or
quantity equal TO their own support, and
legislation should tend as far rs possible
to the equitable disiributionoI the surplus
products.
"lf these propositions are true, Our gov.
ernment Is wholly perverted from its
true design, and the sacred names Of
Democracy and l'epubllCanism are
SYNONYMOUS Of despOtism, and the par.
ties represented thereby are now tho
Organized engines Of oppression, crushing
out tho lives Ol the people. We need
only point TO the facts that In this benill'
cent country Of unlimited resources with
the land annually growing beneath the
products Of humane effort. The mass Of
the people have no supply beyond their
daily wants, and are compelled from TN.
Just conditions In sickness and misfortune
10 become paupCrs and yagrants. Pau.
perism and crime are tho prevailing qucs'
lions Of all modern craftsmanship, and II
Is with these we have to deal. How far
these evils are connected with the abuses
inflicted on labor, n superficial statesman.
ship seems not tOpercelye. Slavery has
been abolished, but tho rights and rela.
tions Of labor stand just where they did
before the emancipation. In respect to
tho division of its products, the difference
lies only In the methods Of abstraoting the
results and concentrating them In the
few capitalists, now the master, md die.
tates terms, and thus all labor Is praCll.
cally placed on the same condition 0i tho
slave before his emancipation.
"In thus placing II, the interest Of all
labor becomes common, and they must
fight the battle In unity II they would
succeed. What, then, are tho instrumen.
talites by which these wrongs arc In.
ilictod
"1st. Banking and mOnied monopOlcs
by which through ruinOus rates Of Int.
rest the products Of human labor are con.
centrated in the hands Of the producers.
This Is the great central source Ol these
wrongs, in and through which all other
monopOlies exist and operate
"2d. Consolidated railroad and other
transit mOnOpOlles, whereby oil industries
are taxed 10 tho last mill, they will
bear for the benefit Of the stockholders
and stock,Iobbers
I'D. Manufacturing mOnOpOlles, where.
by small operators crushed and the
price of labor and It's products are deter.
mined with mathematical certainty In
the interest Of the capitalist
"4lh. Land mOnOpOlies, by which tho
public domain Is absorbed by a few speCu.
iatiOns and speculatOrs.
10Th. The commercial and grain mon.
OpOles, speculating and enrlching their
bloated corporations on human necessl.
ties.
ave propose to restore the Government
to lis original purpose, and as far as pos.
siblC, to remedy these evils and remove
their result.
"lst. BY establishing monitary system
based on the facts and resources Of the
nation, in harmony with the genius Of
Government and adapted TO tho exegen.
cies Of legitimate commerce; to this end
the circulating notes Of the National and
State banks, as well rs all currency that
Is not Of full legal tender, should be
Withdrawn from circulation, and a paper
currency issued by the Government which
shall be a legal tender In tho payment Of
all debts, public and private, duties on i'm.
ports included, and declared the lawful
money Of the United States; this currency
az money to bo interchangeable at the
pleasure of the holders OF Government
bonds, bearing three per cent interest; the
Government creditors to have tho privl.
lego Of taking the money or tho bonds at
the time, at their election, reserVing to
Congress the right to regulate the rate OF
interest on the bonds and the volumne Of
the currency, 40 as to effect the equitable
distribution of the products Of labor be.
tween money or nonprOduClng capital and
productive industry.
"2nd. BY paying the National debt IN
strict accordance with the laws under
which II was originally contracted, In
gold where specifically promised, but in
all other lOrms Oi Indebtedness In
currency. The principal oi the 6.20
bonds shall be discharged at the earliest
option Of the Government In the legal
tender currency or lawful money Of the
United States, without funding itin long
bonds or In any way increasing the gold.
paying and untaXCd obligations Of the
Government.
I'D. By preserving inviolato the
public domain to actual settlers and tillers
Of the soil.
"4th. BY tariff for revenue alone; be.
leying as we do that the reduction Of the
interest to adjust the ratio will do more to
increase tho rewards Of labor in all the
departments Of useful industry and toen
courage the development Of agricultural
minerAl. manufacturing and mechanlcal