The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-07-20
THE LESSON woRKINGMEN MUST
LEARNING. q

Since the advent Of Trades Assemblies,
capitalists advocates have been very cap
tious about these movements. A good |
deal Of sage advice has been Furnished
gratis but always in the direction Of more
work. and more economy by workingmcn.
The question of - more pay, or even the
same pdy, and . less hours labor is almost
universally ignored Thus complaints arr
not answered nor discussed by the employ
er and in fact, both sides rs yet. sihirly
discuss tina labor question only IN the high;
OF What IS my ptcaAidry .iaeIest- 1t L.
however, apparent, that 10y the "rganiza
tion Of labor, period is approaching, when
this "itLor question:" like all Others, II
oppression and wrong. will he discussed
from a much different stand-loi from any
which has as yet been taken. Ilcrrt"fur,.
the demand Of labor has been, i.>> h".ss
labor dad ,to reduction Of wages The
idea on the part Of employers is these
storchouscs and their contents art minr.
Not thought is bestowed upon the gucs-
ton. rs to who has produced these vast
amounts, nor is the compensation Of the
producer, or the Just distribution of pro
ducts according to the service performed 10y
each i'll the production allowed-a- hearing
The toilers have all the work to do, and
the do-nothings all the storehousos. Hence.
distribution is dole out to the worker ac-
oording TO the idea Of ''grdce," that is, ii
is g free CIR dispensed only upon condi-
ton that it pays the owner from twenty
five to one hundred per cent. Thus it
comes to pass, too, that'out of this well
regulated system Of business robbery. the
rich fare sumptuously every day, and the
toiler tolls on scanty fare. The old,
society have only the dogs to lick their
wounds. Now and then, some Samaritan
feeds and clothes them. But workng-men
from necessity, have taken few lessons As
well as the capitalists, in the Law Of 1850
citation or combined effort. Here, howev-
er, lies the difficulty, the laborer has to rely
upon daily returns. He lives from hand
to mouth, while the capitalist has the an
nual accumulations Of labor gathered by
paper money representatives, interest,
stocks and bonds The laws and customs,
Of society have So constructed these, as 10
gather all things of labor with no compens-
ating return. Hence, workingmen taking
no notice Of the operation OF unjust laws
and customs, and their effects upon them.
very naturally undertake To right their
wrongs, by refusing To work when the
terms imposed do not keep soul and body
together. Hence, too, the laborer having
no resource but his daily labor, and the
small pittance, which acombined effort, has
| taught him to lay aside for the eXigency, in
most all the strikes, have either met with
a success that does not relieve them, OF
have totally failed. But the moral power
Of these combinations, and fear Of them,
may have, kept up wages some higher than
they would otherwise have been. Yet
labor wrongs will never be righted by
strikes. Workingmen must turn then NJ
tention and efforts in the direction Of
lenquiring into the laws and customs which
govern the exchange and distribution Of
property the world over
These laws and custontA in their opera
ton will continue to render ah"rtivc all
efforts Of workingmen To help themselves
for the reason that they are unjust.
Until workingmen graPPle with these
financial questions and solve them from
the labor stand point, there win he no
permanent relief.
The annual productions Of this country,
according to Mr. Wells, late Commission
er of Revenue, are about s. go, OOO, 900.
How is this amount distributed among
the people Let cunningly devised rev.
enue and financial laws answer.
The general government gathered by taxes
in round numbers. ...-.--....-- 3S3, ca, 600
State, cities, towns and other municipal
authorities over ............... 100 Oo0 900
Railroad corporations .-.-..--.-.... co., Nv
Bankers brokers' goid1ganblers. stack
iObbers and other thieves .... l. 800 900 900
Merchants brokers, commission and
other agents ..................- l.75O. 600 OOo
Giving 70 the Official and custom protected
classes ................. ... ~. s33 900 OOO
Labor class 900 .0OV 900
Now it will be seen that this all came
out of labor. 1t is not money. but the