The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-01-14

a6selsss control. The ballot bex became
the instrument Of capital, and any
election farce. A vast majority OF
both houses of Congress were inter-
estsd either as aockhOlders, officers,
borrowers or counsel Of the snks,and
whatever new tsyor their fearful mo-
nopoly demanded, were granted In
roads were ruthlessly made by this
newly consolidated power upon the
public domain for any railroad asked
FOL, and the Government me- only gave
away in this manner to private corpo-
rations hundreds Of millions of acres
which belonged to the people, but
guaranteed the bonds with which the
companies built their roads The SOW
ereign power mad only two more
grants to make to constitute capital the
supreme Dictator of the nation. The
first was to cut off the whole world
from any rivaly with our rich manufac'
turers by putting bounty upon their
products of from rs to 100 per cent,
which was a cruel tax on the consum-
ers of the country, and the last step
was to levy a direct tax upon whatever
might be the pittsnce left by the spar
ing hand of honest toll. Such prosti-
tuition of political power, in building
up an all controlling despotism-an
impsrssam IN irperio-is unmatched in
all history. Never before has the
wealth Of a nation SO quickly shifted
hands from the many to the few. To
bring about such state of thugs in
Rome, or France, or Spain, or Eng
land, required centuries of class legis-
flation. Here it took but months All
through the country the favorites Of
this prostituted power have sprung in
a day, from the position of vagabonds
or bankruptcy to bloated wealth, and
they are the spoilers of the working
man, the controllers of Legislatures, the
corrupters of judges, the holders Of
the press, the undisputed masters OF
the ballot box.
Such we believe to be, substantially
candid, although p erhaps too earnest
representation of the actual condition
OF things in our country to-day. But
if it should 60 ont by itself, rs an un.
qualified st atement, il would do the
grOssest injustice to all parties, and ia
no one more than to the writer himself
for it seems to heap blame and
odium indiscri Intimately upon thousands
of the best men in the land. Itmight
have bad influence (if il had any at
alb by tendency to array labor
against capital, in which ! see nothin 2
but mischief, unless we should be com
PEELED to resort TO revolution, for
which can see no necessity at pres
ent. Nor do / believe that such ne.
cessity is likely to arise for the follow
ing reasons:
LIST. All parties now feel that the
present system is bad, and has gone
far enough.
I'd. That however justi6abI lie land
grants, and restrictions on commerce
and banking privileges, may have beer
considered during the social Revolution
through which we have just passed
yet time, with it's lessons Of experience
will correct these evils and mistakes
and place us, and sooner than even the
ssngume expect, upon a basis of en-
during justice, and equal prosperity
which no nation has ever reached.
Sd, Capital, which has everything
to loose, will not in this country invoke
a collision with labor, for in such con
fiict it requires no prophet to foretel
which would 60 down.
And, besides, where people is free
there is no necessity for that collision
They are not in the nature Of things
hostile to each other, nor can anything
but injustice bring them into antago
nism. They are naturally and mutually
dependent; they are Gods allies for
coming civilization.
There is bat one way of escape from
all these evils which we have briefly
enumerated, and that plan can be
adopted without any injury or preju-
dice to any interest in the country,
and its effects would be an immediate
revival, and steady and constantly in
creasing prosperity of the whole bu-
siness of the nation. 1t 10 50 simple
that its bare statement will convey
with it conviction to every mind.
IT is TO MAKE MONEY PLENTY, TIC
KEEP LABOR IN CONSTANT DEMAND Al
HIGH PRICES. That this can be done
there is no doubt. The way to do il
will be shown in the next number.
Important to MinerA