The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-30
RADICAL REFORM.
The TROUBLES OF tho Lab oxsr-Whas Aso
tho Rcncd

The TROUBLES or tho Laborer-Whas Aso
tho Rcmedicsf
To rue EDITOR OF rng HERALD:-
Social questions loomed up IN the 'front.' Of public
life in these United states ~ the initiation OF the
siruggle with slavery. That form OF tho wrongs
put upon labor BY capital having been recttned,
other forms OF those wrongs demand rcctincatiou
now. And the Providence which the ordinary OBJ.
server can trace In the operations OF the moral
world has prepared the way for this new work b.
sequences from the work just accomplished those
sequences OF war under which we behold CAPITAL
operating to-day on free labor expressions thar
may well startle the conscience aud apprehansIon
OF the country.
The standard Of value In the political science q,
the laborinR man IS the work Of hts hands Applv.
ing this IN the daily experiences OF his life hs
goes directly to the conclusion that 1t has become
deprecated as commodity OF exchange. His nv.
ting poorer. his clothing humber, his house accom-
mediation meaner, retrospect OF fourteen years
brings HIM lace to face with tho conviction that
he Is being forced down steadily In the scale Of
being The depreciation OF the exchangeable
value OF labor goes, In the thinking OF the working
classes beyond the question or wage. 1t points 70
many special instances OF that depreciation bue
to none with deeper and clearer sense or wrong
than to the convertible value OF labor in an ex,
change for housing.
The unsxilled toiler could anord before the war
to obtain Tor his little household the accommods
ton OF three or four rooms. That measure or do.
ccncy Is now beyond his reach. The depreciation
In the purchase power Of his labor has slrsady
forced HIS family into TWO rooms and the progress
OF the depreciation threatens II with the further
degradation OF habitAtion In cellar,
inc artisan could AFFORD IN 1850 10 nurture his
children IN the health and decency Of the housing
OF small householder; but condition OF things
has arisen since then that, going still from bad Ia
worse. mas subjected him, with his sons ana
daughters to the sickness and meanness OF
residence In crowded tenement, ana for hia
housing in this crowded tenement, DEGRADING
and impure though 1t is in It's influence on him and
hts, he is mucted In the sweat OF his brow to the
extent Of from thirty to forty per cent. OF the ten
hours Of his daily labor ne is forced 10 give hia
The rent cxactIon Is not an oppression on the ID.
boring classes only. 1t comes home with grinding
transacts but small BUSINESS that exaction oper.
ateS Oh 1t IN constant tappingS OF his I'LL to even
the last dollar q his little captaL II on the otner
hand. his energies and OUTLAWS establish flourish
ing trade, the landlord. who mas been lying in wait
Tor hun oil the year, gaucing his capacity Tor being
blackmailed, swoops down upon him on the LIST OF
May with the demand ior possession or additional
plumber. In either case, with the rent tnreeiold
what it was before the war, the shopkeepsr, where
he has not been actually ruined, struggles IN :
wasting strain oil mind and muscle to win, over
and LIZ above the ever increasing aemsnds q hts
but or rent dashed slave.
While the Industrial classes are being degraded
and impoverished BY cxorbitan: rents they are
tiousness OF wealth. "Corners' in. currency do.
rob them through their bread; :coIners; IN gold
rob them through their clothing; and, forced out
iars subjects them to robbery under the operation
Of s'watered" STOCKS.
NOw yoS whether an upr,nng Of the
have pointed out is not simple question OF timer
The 'strike" Is new feature OF American society.
things. Whatever else that product OF a new state
OF AFFAIRS VI new relations between capital and
evldence that the artisan. law abiding though ns
be- can be drlven TO assert his rights BY measures
storm premonitions como sometimes in clouds
no bigger than mans hand. II conscience 40 NOT
recoll from the lmpoverishment OF the wealth pro.
have pressed them into the degradation at which
masses OF men become dangerous. As surely a. the
OF thorough redress IN war 80 surely will tho
rlRhting OF the wrongs OF Tree labor take Whatever
by the opstinacy or the blindness Of the oppresso
The love OF humanity from which this Republic
condition Of thus society demands that the drill
dren Of toll shall not have reason to be discon-
tented with Its workings: and both OF these con.
cur in calling or some such agitation to arrest the
enslavement Of the white freeman as that which
struck the letters from the black slave. purpose
ties shall haunt boldly, as the abontonists did. in
can't aba Banner blasoned with tie demand Of demo-
cratic conscience, that tue wrongs OF labor shall
be rixhted on that only basis OF permanence In tree
society, jusJiccl
Ny proposition for restoring to lsbor it, lost
dignity and well being concentrates special meas.
ures. To give disttpct uudbCstaudipg OF it,
character l ask leave 70 poiHf out what those
measures are. They wlll % tonpd 70 give shape
volcanic fires In the minds u tens Of thousands OF
men the form OF insuncts Of reason and justice.
They IRE these -
Frst-Ihe organization orlabor with the powers
and privileges or chartered guilds.
.SetOnd-1he reduction OF rents by limiting the
interest on city properly TO that on money and By
reducing the valuations OF that property to real
values.
Ynfrd-The adoption OF restrictions necessary for
freedom and breadth or competition In trade and
Tor q general diffusion OF business and wealth
among tue people. M. BUTT HEWSON.