Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-02-03

embodles the principles of the Labor Union par
| tv md wbile some viovvs tokep Ia, Tho loc,urer
w ss -. -
uie ooiIeo'' 'ne'o "'e many "nicn neeai moulnca-
tion before that party Will be able to make any
| impression upon the minds of the people, We
M ~ beretocoro rcferrod 10 r,ro, or ,ybot Ia Oh
,s,,,',s ~, ,i, " ',u' u VIM 10 oO-
Jo0''o'''p.S ii 'io" PiiiopieS, WHICH eFcry ono
can readily see are unreasonable, and not calcu-
! lated to advance the interests of any party:
Oar Free lecfurcs ..u.ohor ue.
form,
| sH ~
huMbhhLAND' M January 10, 1919
To the Editor of the AinertcGn' 4.
| The secoud lecture of our free course, at the
| Old School House Hail. was delivered on Tues
day evening, January 9th. by N, F. BURD1cK. NJ.
| ID. Editor of tho Penn, ylvaniau Subject '''The
| Labor Party and its Principles. Tile following
is an imperfect statement of some of the leading
| ideas
"Ancient governments said the lecturer, were
instituted in the interests of privileged classes.
The fundamental idea of our government is the
! ''greatest good to the greatest number"
The growth of the government should keep
| pace with tho growth and development of the ma
! tion, and perfectly adapt itself TO the wants of
the people. Ii any class of persons feel their
rights to be in any way abridged,it Is their right
as well as their duty to call for such nm amend
rnent TO the Constitution as shall secure to them
equal rights aud privileges with the rest of their
countrymen. We are met by the oft repeated
! cry of Unconstitutional" Most of these who
are ioudest in this cry, cannot repeat six lines of
The Constitution many have never even read it.
Every citizen has right to an equal share in the
administration of public ahlirs, therefore the eX
ercise of this power cannot be, from the very ma
fure of things, contrary to the spirit of the Con-
/ stitution. .-
The labor party asks for better distribution
of the products of industry. This we seek TO ac
complish, not by barrcades and riots-not by
any violent measures-but by appealing, in IA lc-
glrua'c ay, to the tribunal OF the people. All
mus adm that there is not Just distribution
of the fruits of labor. The wealth OF the coun-
try Isl fixed fact. The Capitalization of wealth
therefore, IN a lew hands, mus tend to lmpoVer-
. ish the great body of the people.
The real wealth of nation consists in the val
ue of its productions. Money has no intrinsic
value. 1t is only useful for what it will buy. Its
real purpose is TO furnish convenient medium
of exchange. But because of its commercial
value the possession of large amount of it gives
' an individual an immense mower over his felow
mon Who shall say that brain and muscle are
not the slaves of monevcd aristocracy
The working men are the glory of the nation
70 them belongs in n great measure the credit
for nll material inprovcmcnt Labor and labor
saving machines. have built the railroads and
canals. towns and cities, bridrcd the rivers. &c
If farmers mechanics miners &c should 70
fuse to work, money would be of no value. If
no wheat was prodnccd all the money in Wall
street coul1 not buy a bushel vet what share of
NIL the profits does labor receive
The wants of the human r,cp ora numhr7less
and there must be continual production to sup
nlv them 4 country dors NOT consume cvnry
tbng II prolurps nor nro,Iurr ryrrv,Lin,r il cnn
shines. What may he ndvnntnocorisIy rrodnccd
in one place, NAV not b, in another. and vice
versa. There is therefore, a continual inter
change of productions Capital is the great
commission house through which this cycl1urc
is effected
The lecturer then rave few hr,1rcs showing
the cost of this commission housr to be obout
81. .80O, 900 600 annually, beyond the actual labor
of exchange. This is clear profit TO capital. sun
pose capital save, 500 U06 OgO of this to draw
intnres. since tho IN tio or the incrr,.o of I'M.
resi- is not 9ritbmnIirni int ,.cn,mrtrir ~,
M ten NOR cent viii Is,uIe In seven wears There
,roud, therefore, be at the end OF that time, ST.,
400 900 900, at the end of seven wears more So
SOC, 600. 900. and SO on. Labor must puy this in
tcrc,t. This drain on labor tends to prevent
just distribution. oud ,IHke tEo Ilcn man rlch.
er, ana the poor man poorer. ihe labor party
proposes to reduce the rate OF Interest to three
per cent, and TO do tins through legislation. II
law can make six To ten per cent, 1t can make
three. Interest on money detcrnlae the profits
OF capital or hNcd wealth.
Money is purely legal thing. There is no
need for special basis. If the government
shOnld !ssuc currency bearing the simple state
/ ment Of the denomination, One Dollar, or what
ever II might be, and make this the lawful mo-
ney Of the country. It would supply a perfect
circulating medium. We advocate the payment
of the $50 bonds in this currency, to be made in
terchangHabic, at the option Of the holder, with
goycrnmc 1t three per cent bonds. These bonds
would det rminc the rate OF interest, MS the 90
and 1910 do now.
Every GreCn6ack bears on the f'ce Of il a false
statement. 1t Is promise to pay to the bearer,
one dollar, but II presented would 1t be paid I
No IL would be Immediately protested. There
Is in the country about S2JO,0OU,OO0 in gold half
oi which Is IN wall street, How can We have
7 GOO,OOO,OOo of paper money on this.
SHIPS are buiit on the clyde, with money Mt
/ ~ TO per cent. Our snip builders must com
pete with them where money bnn%s SIX to ten
per cent. The result Is our ship" arc di'"picAr'
ing ron tnc oceAn'
II We had money at hNc peF cent, we shonld
need no 'HllI! except lOr revenue Zen per cent
interest could not exist Wth Tree trade. We are
l"il 'n3t WIN Tree lTlue' we co4.d not compete
"luh european pauper labor. But we see win
/ our improved machmcry elght days Ianor are
worm IL collars IN lhls country or dollars IN
I LhSiAGd. IN addition TO TINS advantage we have
a Wlde ocean between Us. Inc labor party adyo-
aud eventually lead to shorter hours Of labor,
"nI De'trr "llGlt Glt"hl'leS l9r education