The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-12-20
LET US HAVE NO APPEAL TO
ARMS.

The continued and trying period through
which we are now passing, has developed
a spirit among our working people ths' rev
had any knowledge Of, or even supposed
=, sxist The demonstrations III New
York Cincinnati and elsewhere, have clear
" shown that there is class in our midst
who believe can appeal to arms is the
only effective manner in which they can
redress their grievances, and who, if the
smoulder.ng embers, could be famed into
a flame, are ripe for retribution.
We know how hard il is for men who
have contributed towards building up col
ossal fortunes for others to luxuriate in,
to see themselves and their families, (if
they have any, on the verge Of starvation.
Yet this is the case with thousands Of
our mechanics add worklngmen in our
manufacturing cities; and from the mum
hers Of letters we receive from the interior
Of the States, we feel safe in saying they
are not much better off in our towns and
NitldSCS tuTpuEuOul LHt FROM
every section, no matter whether it is east
or west, north or south, the cry of distress
comes forth Men ask for work, and they
are refused The father sees his savings
diminishing and daily growing less. The
mother looks forward TO TIE future with
fearful apprehensions The grocer has
closed her book. the baker refuses her
bread, and the butcher will not give her
meat Is il any wonder, under such cir
cuInStanoes, that men are goaded to mad
ness. and ready to revolt against a system
that. through stupidity and blind persis-
tency IN false system of finance, is the
cause and the sole cause of these periodi-
cal suspensions Of businessl
II is needless for us to say that we are
opposed tn the system u, toto. We have
never failed, when the opportunity pre-
scented itself, TO warn the working men of
the Republic against the evil effects that
are SURF to follow continuance Of the
same. but our warnings have been UNDECIDED,
and the past three months has given us the
bitter experience If false monetary sys-
I TEN.
/ But is an appeal to arms the proper
Z remedy
! We must remember we still possess the
remedy in our own hands We are still a
Republic, with all the essential attributes of
a Republican government If the citizen,
who has the selection Of those who create
the laws for him viii alioa asn.asl. Ia "a
carried away hv sFpb.is 8 t- passions
80 rraIaoicos snd vote against his best
interests. ne can only blame himself. In
a true Republic there need be no necessity
1espotlsm, an aristocracg, or monarchy.
that the SUBJECTS must have recourse to
arms. for it is only through bloody revolu-
tions that they can redress their wrongs
but u a free Republic, where the citizen is
Z clothed with all the attributes Of sovereign
\ ty. a resort to arms should not be known.
! The ballot is the great revolutionary power
Of the citizens Of a republic. When an
archy and internecince wars creep IN. and
divide the citizens, they open the door to
Z despotism and rob the citizen If his
Z birthrighr
We would therefore warn our citizen
workmen against those who would advise
an appeal to arms. Such persons cannot
he actuated by true republican spirit.
The experience of thepast, and the lessons
Of history have failed to make any i'm
preston in their minds We have no de-
sire to see the streets of our cities dyed
in the lfe's blood Of our citizens. Let our
workingmen look more into the nature Of
things-let them think more and talk
less-let them resolve to man that
they will check the growing power Of the
moneyocrscy; and having so resolved, let
them carry it out by sending men To our
national and State legislatures who will
put their resolutions into effect and they
will surely find there will be no further
uaad for San anneal IN arms