The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-01-21

~ An -Ou
N expressed by our Corres onden''l :
r. the Workingmen Of the Northwest
The meeting Of the local legislature Of Iib+
MI. seems to me a good opportunity to addrc;b
can on YOUR wants, and what sou should ~
,,uire from your supposed representatives. lh
III legislation the field Of opera tions a.
ar ought to be, very limited. No body Of larii-
.;vsrs or law makers can be allowed 70 prGt
,cribe. As 10 the days ,l old, tie God thGf
fellow men should cat--the clothes hey s. ou7h
vesr-the trades ttey should work at
ne wages thcy are 10 have-neither cAh
oodes Of religion or morals be laid 0oSh
ana enforced, az in former, not very fin
zone age or years. Laws may bt passed hafA
nv ttr.e views ia he intention Of a. prnpaL
.srs sud enuctors rrof, but such become OIL
solete from their creation, and public opir b
prevents their being put il force. III fact, mo,t
Of men now recognize il tie main part TIE
great fact that civil governments are founGh
byHmutual compromise and giving up Of mech.
" pers nal rights, and should he q substitutirh
of order for violence and brute force. To cir
r, this out though no government should sle
sror d to carry out the practice of feudai in.
The representatives Of the people can and oue4t
10 provide clean md even handed Justice GAr
rich and poor aliil-aud the sure and speaIy
Dunishmeni Of crime secure. They should NH
vide protection from monOpoles, whether III le
II railway Z, mpanies, or cry other chartergd
corporations, who, b the exorbtantpOwersgra,4
I'd 10 themfrOm time a. time are able to enbal "
tbe cost of living caused by thu high char4ts !
for merchandise and the transit Of passepeejs |
That the best modern means shall be used 10 |
Droyide thorough drainage in town and couLtdy |
and The best mode OF tagging the Sidewalk |
and pavement in the Carriage wav-, md thaI |
full aud abuudanf supply Of pure water shcg |
be attainable TO every iuhabItant That hou3es |
should be built with a view 20 the health Phd |
comfort Of The citizens, ava Oe fully provided |
Eth the means Of enforcing deceRcy aud uae-
serving health. Tim. education should be irIe
complete and unsectaran-and Jle mean4of
educating The masses should be kept alwavgjat
the ratio Of the increase OF the popul4tiAD
Thst meats be taken TO enforce the law4ItO
provide perfect security Tor life and propeaty.
That the mtrn and helpless rOor should HE
ever carefully provided tor in their dlsthss
and want. That the axes required C. cAkrv
out she requirements Of tie law to prur1de
officers should be raised from realized incd5les
40 that the brain energy Of any class Of 10
ciety should not be taxed whilst struggIH8 "a
make living and b competency
To illustrate what have -et forth as the Jro
vince OF legislators, | will take each subject
separately aud give my views # the cours.j TO
Be- taken in each-not dogmatcally, bat AZ the
result Of long cNF erience Of these msitess-
and ! will Sc. these iOrth not 70 INTRODUCE
Wordy wrangle Or discussion Of party po,lcy,
lot with The sole view If making men think
and producing practical r, suits Bel re
going further / NAV state | was part1 in
Tie Chsrtist movement Of Great BritaiJ Ia
movement to obtain the adoption Of uuiv.1rsal
suffrage vote by ballot, and payment Of meUsbers
Of P rliament. If these we're adopted, myself
and the other jealous advocates of the c9nse
believed eVery good blessing would follow |
understood this was th case in the Uf4ted
States ! need scarcely say how much diSap-
pointed both and many more Radicals ard on
coming here to hnd e i the evils complained of
az home which We sought to remedy BY ths4 e1-
tension OF tie franchise, AZ bad, If not W3rse.
than in England. The working classes, .nssead
Of holding the balance and acting for t5em
selves have been the subservient tools "a the
most unprlncipled cbarlataDs the world Ever
saW-sho will degrade themselves in everv lway
before The election e. secure themselvcs the
means OF s,lt-sggrar li-emcur-but who liter
they are elected forget Nj their rom ises Until
The return Of the election period, vhen the
same dreary round of folly Is again run byl the
men Who shOt ID see through il all, and lwho
should act differently. The reason WIN witthy
men specially should act otherwise, and snbuld
send proper men 10 Congress "a y b. to be telf-
evident 70 them they are poor, they .afer
more from bad laws than any 0ze else, bethuse
being poor, they cannot stand up againss! the
rich 90 protect themselves and their children.
Whilst however, this state Of things shuu Tot
exist IN this country and az this period cs the
worlds history-it can only be stopped by her
tuiean efforts and united action, which 4hile
used and carried out vii lot be succes sfiI u
OF many % The present generation dro. Unto
-be grave. Yet BY using Tie only Vulnerable
point Do the armor Dc YOUR mist aders, viz the
love Of office and desire Of rleetion-vorimay
set many concessions you would not otherKise
obtain.
] Will coNeuue this letter by asking you
why, having he majority Of votes-the Eiork-
ing classes exercise so little influence and have
accomplished so little IN preventing tbs evils
"nleh are me bane q the old WOrlJ, beilk 10
Gated in the United States
Yours respectfully