The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-12-13
FROM MICHIGAN.

To the Editor OF the woKAiSeNASs ADVOCATE.
The present financial catastrophe, With
its vast losses to the working class, shows
conclusively one Of two things. 1t is eth
or the result Of conspiracy among the
monied classes to break down all the bull
warks Of labor, and reduce it TO abject sub
mission. or else it exhibits the utter in
competency Of the monied and employing
classes to properly control the producing
and distributing agencies Of society. There
is no escape from one or the other Of these
conclusions, and whichever surmise be
true, it furnishes an unanswerable argu-
ment for the entire reconstruction Of so-
ciety on basis that will absolutely secure
to labor abundant work and adequate
wages under all possible contingencies
Our present divisions Of society into capt
taIlsts, and workers never have done and
never can do this. On the contrary they
drown four-tifths Of the community to
hopeless tolls and privations for the bene-
tit of the ether fifth.
There have been at times mutterngs
and threats on the part Of capital against
labor The desultory fights Of capital
with labor were expensive and unsatisfac-
tory, and were coming to be still more 50
by the union Of one trade with another,
whereby aid was rendered 70 labor H. its
conflicts. The monied power has at length
become so consolidated through its banks,
railroad, and manufacturing corporations,
and is 50 patent in Congress and State leg
lslatures that labor i completely at its
mercy. Capital has power to precipitate
| a financial crisis and reduce labor to sub
| mission at any time, despite NJ all it, la
Dor and trades unions. Labor at this mo-
ment is demoralized everywhere. and is
trembling for the fate If wife ami children.
Was there ever such thing known as
that capital, when powerful, refused to
take advantage of its power Was tinan-
cial crisis like the present. that would re-
duce values, break up trades unions. and
spread confusion and misery among the
masses in all directions an achievement
above the heartlessness and calculating
rascality Of Wall street Was It not lust
Ike them TO do il, if they had the power
And who can doubt that our combined
money power can do just as they please,
and exercise despotism not possessed by
any crowned head III Europe
The movement on its face bears marks
Of design. No reason can be gwen for the
Crisis nor any necessity shown. The thing
has been 50 skillfully managed that capital
has overwhelmed and conquered labor,
without coming vislbly III conflict with it.
The monled power has conquered labor
without the expense of a battle. Labor
has been beaten i'll detail. and mass with
out seeing its adversary or having chance
to grapple with it
If, on the other hand. the crisis VAS the
result Of accident, OF uncomfortable causes,
it exhibits a condition of insecurity for la
Dor and the vital interests Of society at
large that cannot be much longer tolerated
How can We think with patience that the
very sustenance Of millions of men, wo-
men and children is lmperiled through the
lnsompetency or raZcalitJ Of mIlllonalres
and bankers that the welfare Of the
masses is dependent on contingencies that
they have no more control over than 50
many cattle in barn yard that the en-
Ioyments of to-day may be exchanged for
less Of work and starvation tomorrow
1t is absolutely requisite that labor shall
control its own destinies in the matter Of
employment and wages. no power, au-
thority or interest must stand between IA
Dor and its work and wages. 1t must have
absolute power at all times to say how
long shall be days work and how much
its wages. II must not he subject 70 fnan-
| ,,.l and Iat IN
the slave of hostile interests Do our
present social divisions into capitalists and
workers give labor any security Most
certainly they do not. A social reorgani-
cation that will unite capital and labor to-
gether, independent of the control of out
side classes and interests, is an imperative
necessity.
If labor and trades unions have failed ia
this crisis to do what was expected Of them,
they must not on this account be given up,
but their aims and ends enlarged. They
form the backbone Of any future organi-
cation Of labor, social or political They
unite men i'll bonds Of interest and sympa-
thy stronger than can exist in any mere
political party. Under present contingent
cies the enemy they fought against has
been too powerful for them. They came
into existence on the basis that there was
capital class and labor class, and that Ia
Dor must protect its own interests. Such
a social being not only unnecessary, but
fatal to labor, the duty Of the unions now
is the obliteration of these distinctions and
the consolidation Of labor and capital,
through industrial reorganization. The
true conflict of labor has not yet com
menced We must now work for control
of federal and state governments through
an industrial party. The old political par
ties have outlived their usefulness.
So far is the condition Of labor from be-
ing hopeless that it is only just beginning
to realize where it stands and what it
needs Control Of government will give
1t abundant capital to set itself to work,
and render it independent Of crashes and