The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-01-31
FROM CALIFORNIA.


SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. Is, 1874
4 Editor u the woKANss,>'s ADVOCATE
lil the advocates Of labor have the same
wole'ts IN view, and the same interests 10
serve.
Let us, therefore, abandon our hobbies
discard partizanship unite and make com
mon cause against the enemies Of labor.
herever one class II laborers are found
earpmg at the peculiar doctrines advocated
10y another class Of laboreu depend upon
1t, the enemy Of labor the wiley, Shiny
serpent -i wrigghng about them some
|. where. As long as the enemies Of labor
can Keep hborers asunder and arrayed
against each other, either relgiously, po-
htlcally, socially or nationally, Just SO long
the enemies Of labor will not be compelled
to tight their own battles, for the working
men will be doing it for them.
The main principles involved in the dis
cyssion of the labor problem are interest
= And profit and these are much nearer So
luton than most people anticipate. Are
they wrong or are they right Let us see
what the Changers are doing. They de-
mand the national currency, and they are
Preparing 10 avoid the tribute paid to trad
srs; will any one deny that the Grangers
-++sye right To do this
1t Is Wei known that this government of
ours loans To cooperative capitalists, notes
to be loaned to prosecute cooperative or in
dIvldual enterprises - some Of them, per
haps, not very credltable. Will some one
explain the reason v y assc ciated bankers
have any more right than the associated
Changers. L. these national issues, needed
to doy,iup our industries VIII any one
mheN why the farmers, the ship-builders,
riners and even the miners, should not
Ee the preference over the bankers A
rge portion 81 Tins money. loaned ny OUR
oVSRN HENr % these bankers. Is used for
Purposes Of speculation and gambling; and
that employed in legitimate enterprises
the producers are compelled to pay interest
and profit to these favored individuals Ii
this case Is fairly stated, there seems to be
something really shocking about it. One
can scarcely Conceive greater degree OF
moral turpitude possible. than for a gov
ernmont 20 fnst5r gambling and spvculat-
ing, 1t the SAprfise az the producing rJpu-
iation and Is there any denying that our
\ government Is dong. and has been dong
this Ve.Is
= jndt- the Old state bank system, as ey-
cry rvuy knows the bankers were allowed
to Issue paper money ana collect interest
On three dollars Tor every dollar they own
cd. Now We hav anew money system that
gives rs secure currency with vengeance.
Under the Old system, industry was taxed
only for the money borrowed under the
= national baRk system, our industries are
not only taxed by the payment Of interest
FOR the notes borrowed to prosecute them,
but there is S III another and a greater tax
upon these industries and that is the in
terest paid upon the bonds depostel To
secure these notes. In short, it amounts
to just this our industries instead Of be-
ing taxed SIX per cent interest per annum
for money to prosecute them, are taxed
more than II per cent, unavoidably, and
probably more than 20 per cent in reality
No wonder our commerce is swept from
the ocean. No industry can possibly pros
per in this country unless protected by
tariffs, sustained by subsidies, OF beyond |
the reach Of foreign competition. The 400 !
millions OF greenh~cks in circulation are
something Of an offset to this ubiquitous
money system, but these bankers are striv-
ing to have them curtailcd or withdrawn
altogether, and Will do it If possible, for
nearly One-quarter Of the House Of Rep
resentatives are national bank presidents, |
and the Senate have at all times betrayed |
their complete subserviency 70 the dicta- !
1 tion Of the bankers.
~ Now, If the Comment loans national |
issues to the bankers to re-luan % the pro
ducers, why not loan these issues directly
- the producers themselves Need we
ask why when we know that tie govern
ment of this country is run in the interest
of capital, and not for the benefit Of all the
people. And there is no hiding the fact,
1t if this is not put an end to, in some
Ter way it will be done very soon BY the |
lolution that must certainly ensue Our
=. fslators must be either idiots Or reckless |
bves, to suppose that the people Of this |
lntry viii continue to starve, with our
re-houses filled with edibles.
Ii capitalists are not satisfied with the |
lousands of millions made during the |
1 Ar of the rebellion, by depreciating our |
- reney, and thereby giving aid and com
n to the enemy and the interest they |
now drawing upon the nationa. debt, |
Jedlessy made for their benefit, they may |
gt live to rue their cupidity. For, if there |
iIAfer was a time when further forbearance |
Based to be virtue, if it has not already |
ne, it is certainly very rapidly approach |
a ~ in this country.
HIFhe experience of the people during the |
and since, with a greenback currency, |
taught them that they can provide for
themselves a money of their own, and they |
fever will be satisfied with less again. |
With free national currency, we can pay |
khe national debt in ten years, and never
Z feel it, free national currency will be |
terrible blow TO European capitalists, as
well as our own but they will have to
grin and bear it, for it must come for the
farmers arc moving, and when they put /
their hands to the pillow they never look |
back.
Now is the time for the mechanics and |
laborers to joir them III their etfOrts TO Sc
cure justice for the producing masses, by |
Sinaugurating a similar national organlza-
'l3bn. to sweep over our land, and put an
end to these petty jealousies about this or
that ism. They forget that the main pillar !
of our republican strI, . . = rms 6bertv
10 think and give free utterAnce to thought. |
This is what raises the dark pail of bigotry.
Md let's in the sunlight Of Gods truth, to
Illuminate the minds of the people.
c. B. SMITH
y FROM NEW YORK.
SoDCs, Jan. 26, 1874