The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-12-27

wrecks, and If ii does not encourage labor
rers to become incendiariss, it may, 1t least, |
justify them when the rich mans houses
are burning, 10 do as the capitalist does,
look idly on and wonder if it is insured,
instead Of striving M they always do to
stop the devouring element that consumes,
that the lAborer may DO provided with
work
If the laborer believes that the price Of
labor is governed by the law Of supply and
demand, natures first Law, self preserva-
ton, will prompt him to reduce the supply
OF labor for the purpose Of increasing the
demand, and expanding tn value NJ his
services, hence they endeavor ~ limit the
number Of operatives. But this 'rw Of
supply and demand, certainly does not APP
ply to labor. ii indeed il il a law at all, or
anything else but the result If speculation.
The efforts Of mechanics To control the
number Of operatives reacts upon them
selves with treble force Every mechanic.
lAborer, and producer Of any kind should
know that it Is not capital that employs
labor, but lAborers that employ each other
The more idlers there are, no matter Wheth-
er in the states-prisOn or out az il, the
more difficult will it be for the honest Ia
borer to feed himself and family from the
proceeds of his labor hence the great OBJ
| ject with the laborer should be to encour-
age by every means in his power the in
crease of profitable laborers. | shall be
very much hattered If the president should
adopt my line Of argument, but much
fear that the instinct Of the service will
prompt him to recommend stringest meas
ures to Congress to put an end to Trades
| Unions and their interference with opera
tives.
If it is the idle capitalist that employs
labor, he does it in the sense that the
drOnes in the hive employ the industrious
bees. Suppose we present the illustration.
and imagine the hive filled with money,
the drones in possession, and the industri-
GUS bees turned out to starve How do
the little busy bees manage in emergen-
cies like these The result il ominous
Of what may happen in the human hive,
should the producers take note Of the ex-
ample prompted by the unerrin9 instincts
of nature. Laborers are told that capital
lists have right to be idle, because they
furnish the capital required to develop our
industries. This is Just where the trouble
lies; the capitalists insist upon furnishing
us with money watch the doings in the
senate chamber. By their gold amendments
to the legal tender act, this nation has
been swindled out Of I1Ore than two thOus-
and millions Of dollars, and they are now
like leashed hounds in sight of their prey,
eager to be loosed, to do the bidding of
| and Enr,raav oav,.kal,.ka . h,
present Congress ad journs without repeal
ing the National Bank Law, there will be
revolution.
1t may be postponed BY the substitution
Of convertible bonds bearing 3-65 per cent
interest, but the people will never rest sat
isfed again with anything short Of a free
National currency, to be issued directly to
the people, whose labor and produce will be
responsible for its redemption.
| say watch the senate, and let the pat
rons Of Husbandry roll up petition num-
bering every one Of their members. and
send it to Congress before they can act,
demanding the repeal Of the National
Bank Law, and a FREE NATIONAL
CURRENCY in its stead.
would have liked to review the article
Of Mr. Sheldon, on Currency and Fl.
nance, but shall only have space to re-
fer to one OF two OF its points. 1t is GER.
) tainly moderate enough in its demands
Lawyers always make it a point to ash
enough, and if we are to be punished fol
what We demand, it may as we'll be for an
old sheep as a lamb There are severa
saws current on the money question
that | never could penetrate. AMI one Of
is the need Of elasticity 70 our currency
The labor reformer certainly cannot argue
in favor Of il, for elasticity IN the sense il
which it is used in this connection. mean,
to maintain the currency in condition
that will insure FIR il reasonable rate ~
interest, according to the views Of The Dor
rover or lender Which They hap en- Z,
differ as wide as the antIpudes. Free-tra
ding elasticity, irredecmable, inflated and
plethorIc currency, are meaningless phras
es, used to confuse and coninund the mil
lion, and repeated parrot-hke by the fun
keys Of capital, and some few labor re-
formers who don't take the trouble to all
alyse them.
The operation # the $50 per cent. In,
terest bonds, can be easily foretold. Con
gress will limit the issue Of greenbacks
capitalists will buy them up and tighten
the money market by exchanging them fol
bonds and where will relief come from fol
the farmers who have crops to move. This
is the same old game over again that has
been playing for the last fifty years to my
knowledge. q b. :.