The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-01-11


cupisd that position Of inferiority and help
lessness which our little sense has merited
Ii is hard work to confess il, but, AZ a class
We do not knOw enough To help ourselves.
What have we 10 learn Anything
about State rights, free trade, protection,
or aay othsr party remedy No. None
81 these things materially affect us ia our
present condition. And yet our remedy IL
very simple, and easily comprehended.
We knew, or ought a. know, that labor "a
the creator Of all wealth 4 certain num-
Der "a men and women, working ~ mrny.
days or years. can create a certain amount
~ wealth. The taA,ls, machinery and APP
plIanc-H they work with aru capital, Or the
accommodations left from former labor To
set this labov in motion and keep u NOV
ing a circulating medium is necessary, rep
resenting bread, clothing, labor, or any
thing else. This circulating medium We
term money. Here then we have labor,
tools. material and money
All this Is perfectly plain, and contains
nothing doubtful or mysterious. We see
it all every day. Now il ten men work
day and earn go, they ought 70 have t..
But il there be an eleventh man III this
crowd who has the dollars, and upon whom
the workeys are dependent, he has it in has
power 10 demand that 81 the so earned,
SO, OF any other number. shall be- his por-
ton. Herein lies all the mystery that
attaches to the condition Of the over work
Ell and undergrad labOrer He is depend
ent for work upon the man who has money,
and IA compelled H. submit to his eXactions,
whether little or much. Again, the man
| who sets him a. work il often short 81
money u pay wages and purchase materi-
ais What shall he do He goes to the
banker, who lends him money ON coDdI-
tlon that half tn earnings distracted from
the workman shall be paid into the bank
ia tho shape Of " interest" All labor,
therefore, Is subjected to the profits q
one class aud the Interest" Of another
Aud this banker, through cunning manip
ulAtions ~ legislation, by tools which the
pluudered tollrrs themselves elect, pro
cures the passage ~ laws which author
/ lie him u manufacture AMI lend money
! Thus II a brief elucIdAtIon IT that mystic
nous disyensa ion ~ providence daily puI
forth ln excuse for the suterlHgs M th'
poor.
All the costly dwellings which beautlfl
! the city aud It's suburbs IN fact all IF On
| cities themselves, our network Of rail
roads, our vast heaps IT merchandise am
raw materials, 81 patiently created b.
labor, belong exclusively to the clAsse
that lend money and pay wages The &C
cumulations are national, but they hav'
been taken from the people and gwen %
class through the fraudulent operations o
trade.
Now, II this money. about which Their
is 81 much mystery, VAS something to b
slowly earned and saved, a. IN the Oh
times Of gold and silver, the condition O
the toIling lass would be hopeless. Blu
modern money labors under no such ditfi
culties Our whole national bank circu
lation, Of nearly $500, ON, 900, with all on
greenbacks, are the creatures Of Legislation
Not one Of them Is W pretends to BE-
dollar, but only promise to pay"
dollar at some indefinite time Ii the in
dustrial classes had possession Of the fed
erAl government, which they could obtai
through effective polit cal organization, i
less than i've years, all this money lender
money could be called in, and made Z
give place 10 N peoples money, with who
the people could set themselves to work
thereby cutting OF all the profits and II
terest Of hostile classes. and saving f
themselves all future accumulation Of tn
national industry.
Legislation is a simple thing, but
possesses vast powers, which it owes ~
olusively To the liberation of the people
large. The Legislation is equally ppten
whether 1t be mild and equitable Or blood
and ferocious. Popular opinion alou
upholds it, and this opinion is controIle
by real and supposed needs. If the pe'
pie At large are satisfied to be plundere
and overworked, they will make no effo
to change OF control the iniquitous legisli
ton that Expresses them. But if they-al
dissatisfied, and resolved upon a chang
organization and legislation will enab
them t. get rId IT every tyranny and ri
berry that opposes them. It Is simply
} question whether they viii Or viii no
Their power Is lndisputable. and the rem
: dy is as simple and easy as It will be efhc
cious. j F. BRAY.