The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-02-01

for mere political governments, and there
Is no longer any necessity for mere politi-
cal parties. Business, - called. has SUI
Perseded politics, and politics has long been
used merely a. the servant of business, to
enable it to steal from and throw its bur-
dens on labor. II il time for labor to make
use Of this same political power for its own
redemption.
All existing governments, whether mon
Archical OF republican, are but the remains
of an Antiquated desPotism Of might over
right. There Ia not government in the
world that has not in general been n chg
upon industry and progress All The inc
qualities exhibited in the condition ~ men
may in general be laid 10 the charge IL
government. The first rubber chief formed
the first government. And all down the
stream of time we ind every government
devoting its energies mainly TO the plumber
and oppression Of peoples. We have Snf
fered less than others because, up 10 a re-
cent period, our federal and State govern
ments might be regarded as mere political
toys, All arena for jumping Jacks, that at
times have amused or Disguised the general
community.
But our originally poor and industrious
agricultural population has i'll time gener-
ated vast trading and mOnied interest,
which has obtained entire possession Of the
federal government, and legislates exclu-
sively for its own benefit Our original
- q hut Ia
plished no great harm, whereas the pres
ent federal government, no matter what
the political party IN power, In steadily en-
veloping labor IN the folds Of hostile
monied desPotism- Having proclaimed
and fought for our political rights at the
Revolution, the next step Is to establish
our social rights, without which our politi-
cal rights are a deluslnn.
What svails political liberty and the bal
lot at this day unless We make proper us.
of il Does IL secure us work, or bread
or comfortable homes Certainly not. We
have progressed into the necessity for a
government more snclal than political
The business" man must snpersede the
politician, but this business man must
in future be associated with and have a Ci-
rect interest in the welfare Of labor The
business" man is only All educated laborer.
and must no longer be permitted to wield
power hostile to labor.
All the remedial measures henceforth
presented by labor ref"rmers OF political
quacks must be tested 10y their action upon
the industrial community. LIST, Will they
at all times furnish to all men and women
who need IT abundant work I'd, Will
they for this work secure adequate wages
to purchase the necessaries and convent
ences Of life Any so-called remedy that
will not do this Ii not worth contending
for. Work and wages must be the prom
inent question in all future political action.
Free trade, protection" and the mum
berlsss panaceas Of the politicians are ut
terly valueless as remedies.
This, therefore; seems proper time for
the establishment Of great industrial
party for the reorganization If labor and
capital party that ignores All past issues,
policies and Actions party that leaves
the old and leads forward to the new We
must aim at,
LIST, Control Of federal and State govern
ments
I'd, The passage Of general laws for the
organization of cooperative associations or
corporations throughout the entire nation,
where industries will admit IF it, COM
posed of the present employ ers and EN-
ployes, skilled and unskilled, II the pro
duction and exchange Of all Il commedi-
ties which our climate and otht conditions
may enable us to create.
Sd, Reorganization of our financial sys-
tenn, by the calling in Of all national and
&
a peoples currency, of sufficient volume to
carry on all the internal business If the ma
ton such currency to be manufactured
by the federal government u the people,
and loaned exclusively to these cn-opera
ii 'e corporations.
4th, The combination of the present
wages system, applied u every member q
these cooperative associations such wages
to be regulated BY value ~ services, but
the lowest amount paid to unskilled labor
to be sufficient for a comfortable subsis
tence and a uniform rate Of wages every
where for the same grade Of labor or ser
vice
9th, The abolition Of all restrictions IN
trade, such as custom houses, duties, inter
nal revenue collectors, &c; and the col
lection Of all federal as well AS state taxes
from real and personal property, as is now
the case in States.
This is but all outline of the more i'm
portant changes Indispensable for the flu
ture elevation Of labor Out Of this polit-
leo economical movement Of labor will
necessarily grow reforms in every direction
1t does away with the necessity for monied
class, unites capital and labor in one HON
ogeneous body, with but one common inter
est, elevates labor. removes poverty and
the ordinary causes " crime. At the same
time it is free from the Imputation ~ in
justice aud robbery, takes mankind inst a.
they are, places them in familiar channels
Of labor, leaves them At liberty ~ choose
any occupation they are fitted for does not
interfere with the arrangements ~ private
life. 1t is simply the substitution q part
nerships in place Of individual operations,
on a system that positively secures every
man from loss, while guaranteeing con
slant work and ready payments for all
1t is time for the industrial classes to dis
cuss and prepare themselves for social
changes partial cooperative system has
been initiated In England by the capitalists
themselves, but it is too slow and inefficient
to furnish an adequate remedy. Invite
friends and enemies to discuss everything.
Let US have general breaking up of the
ice which binds us. j. F. BRAY.