The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-04-01
THE OVERSHADOWING QUESTION
SP 4 ECH
Il ON. GEORGE W. JULIAN,
OF md NJ A,
DKLIVLRLB
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JlNTlRY 81 IS7It
SUARY 81. 1871. !!

AT Y AIRY II, lA1l.i
The House having met as in Committee
Of the Whole for debate-Mr, Julian
said:
Mr.. SPEAKER: Nothing is more re
markable than the growing tendeDcy of leg
islation in this country to lend itself to the
service Of capital, Of great corporations, of
monopolies Of every sort, while zoo often
turning an unfriendly eye upon tie people,
and especially upon the labOring Eoor The
cause Of this may fairly be traced to the
evil genius of the times, which makes the
greed for sudden wealth sort Of ;levouring
passion, and thus naturally clutches the
machinery Of government in The accom-
plisbments Of its purposes This had spirit.
which has been steadily marching toward
its alarming ascendency since the outbreak
Of the late civil war, writes Itself down Up
on every phase Of society and life. 1t breeds
political corruption in the most gigantic
and frightful forms. 1t whets the appetite
for public plumber, and through tie aggre-
cation of capital in the hands Of nhe cum
ming and the inscriptions, it mehaces the
equal rights Of the people and She we'll
being Of society. So manlign a ssirit must
be resolutel y confronted. 1t il no mere
question of party politics, for it Ahreatens
the life Of all parties, and the perEetuity Of
the government itself, 1t not onS invokes
the saving Offices Of the preacher aud the
moralst, but It summons to naW duties
and increased vigilance every man who
really concerns himself for the welfare Of
bis country.
Mr.. Speaker, | believe the evil to which
refer finds some explanation in. the false
teaching Of political economy. According
to many Of the leading writers on this sci
ence, its fundamental idea is tina creation
and increase Of productive WEALTH. If
farming on great scale, carried on With
the skill and appliances which concentrated
capital can command and methbdize, will
yield greater results than the tillage of the
soil in small bomesteads and by ruder
methods, then the system Of large farming
must be preferred, though it deI,rives null
titudes Of the poor Of all opportunity to &C.
quire homes and independence, and entails
appalling evils of landlordism AMI the whole
brood Of mischiefs with which lhe monop-
oily Of the soil has scourged the people in
every age of the world. So, if manufac-
turing on grand scale, with the perfected
machinery and cheap labor Which capital
can WELD, will turn out larger product
and at lower rates than numerous small in
dustries, then such manufactures must be
fostered, though tie policy pauberizes and
brutalizes thousands of human Beings. who
take rank as operatives" and whose ex-
istence is thus made curse rather than a
blessing Sir, | protest against such prin-
ciples as both false and unjust. ''The in
crease of wealth" says Sismondi, is not
the end in political economy, ba its instru-
ment in procuring the happiness of all.
1t has for its object man, not wealth. 1t
regards chiefly the producer, and strives
for the welfare of the whole people through
a Just distribution. 1t is not the object Of
nations to produce the greatest quantity of
work at the cheapest rate"
In the light of these broad end humane
principles interpret the duty If the gov
eminent. Its miss on, within the sphere Of
Its just powers, is to protect labor, the
source Of all wealth, and to seek constant
ly the well being of the millions who toll.
Capital can take care Of itseE Always
sagacious, sleepless, and aggressive, it holds
all the advantages in its battle. with labor
The balance Of power falls 50 naturally in
to its hands that labor has no opportunity
to make just bargain, The labor market,
it has been we'll observed, differs from
every other. The seller of ivery other
commodity has The option to sell or not
but the commodity the workingman brings
is life. He must sell il or Gle. Labor,
therefore, should not be regarded as mer-
ehandise, to be bought and sold, and gov
erned entirely by the law Of supply and
demand, but as capital, and its human
needs should always be considered. The
rugged face Of society,"" says celebrated
writer, "checkered with the extremes Of
affinence and want, proves thaf some extra
ordinary violence has been cOnsmitted upon
1t, and calls on justice for redress. The
great mass Of the poor in all countries have
become an hereditary race, and it is next to
impossible for them to get out If that state
of themselves. 1t ought also 90 be observ
ed that this mass increases in all countries
that are called civilized The proposition
that the rich are becoming richer in ouI
country and the poor becoming poorer has
been vehemently denied but | cannot
doubt its truth for a moment. want nc
statistics to settle it, since The unnatural
domination Of capital over labor, which
instead Of being depressed by legsla
ton, is systematically aided by it, clears
the question Of all doubt Our vitiated
currency largely increases the cost of the
chief necessaries Of life, and is shus heavy
tax upon the poor. Our systesl of national
banking is an organized monopoly in The
interest Of capitalists, demanded b. no pub
lie necessity, and rendering nj substantial
service in return for the burdens it imposes
upon the people.
Our tariff laws, for years past, while
pretending to favor the laboreG, have been
framed IN the interest Of monoeohsts. The
duty on Goa which is a necessity Of life
admits Of no defense To tai coal Is T.
tax the poor mans fire, ''to Tx the force
of the steam engine, to starve the laborer
on whose strength we depend for work. :
The duty on leather has Increased its COS
annually about ten million dollars, Will
the consumers Of boots and shoes have hac
to pay an increase Of some fifteen million
dollars. The duty on lumber has largel