The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-02-07

; by some OF the speakers, and those wh'
applauded them, was positively wonderful
and shows how much some of those who
profess to be battling for the rights Of Ia
Dor, require to be enlightened on this i'm
portant subject. The opening speaker first
referred To the prevailing opinion, even
with those processing to teach the destinies
Of Christ, that the existing miserable con
dltion Of the masses is lrremedlable, also,
that those who we're Mortified at the vice
and crime that existed among the lower
classes, ignored its presence in gilded pal
aces, where he insist "a il most abouuded
He spoke Of the pious mother, thanking
/ the Creator for The comforts with which
her family is surrounded, without ever
once L mixing that T. supply these Injuries
[ the barrel oted children of the laborng
poor had been dcfrauded of what God had
provided for thcm, and he asked if things
We're nos as the Creator had ordained
\ them How many. out of the twelve hun
millions Inhahiting the earth, would have
\ reason 70 be thankful for having been ere
ated
He showed that rulers and privileged
| classes were the work of designing men,
and not the design Of God and that,
I though nations had sometimes refrigerated,
1 civilization and intelligence we're marching
onward with the speed ot the Hhlglwinu,
and that, though revolutions III arts and
Y sciences had benefited capital only, there
Was still hope # a millennium Toy the pcV-
pie.
The labor problem, he contended, was
approaching as solution and that ITS most
Important phase was the money question;
| but that ii Vas the me ut all others which
those most Interested knew the least about,
but lcft its interests la the hands uf those
whose interest in the matter was the very
opposite of the labnrug classes.
The necessity and advantage of money
was shown, and hoN It should assist pro
duction, and how its beuehcent purpose
had been perverted To robhug the produ-
GERS. 1t was shown that labor, ana not ac-
cumulated wealth is what secures the
credit of the national obligations; and that
the national currency belongs 20 tine people
is issued b, their authority. ANA THAI
| they have right tu ITS free Use, even more
than the capitalists, who use 1t for speech
\ latIng and gambling. and taxing the devyt-
\ opment IT our industries.
twas shown that the Old state bank sys
I TEN vas better ror the producers han the
national currency the former only taxed
\ the people q to 5 per cent prr anuum. while
our national banks tax thru 10 tu ~ per
cent and u this reason Vas the fact that
our commerce had been swept from the
ocean.
Ii was claimed that the working classes
wyrc Justified in refusing t" obey the IN
Junction, increase and multiply, whIie
mothers had to bring forth children fore
doomed to a life of misery and endless
toll for the benefit Of idlers and drones.
Free money, it was commended, would sna-
BILE us To- manufacture cheaper than all
other nations, and close up our custom
houses, hlled with high salaried officials
and that by using the national currency
alone, and selling all our gold to those who
were fools enough To buy it, We should
have no farther use for minis.
With free national currency, il Mas con
tended, we could build All the railroads.
canals, etc, without borrowing or paving
interest; and this point Was explained
more in detail by subsequent speaker.
BE- redeemed and cancelled by the earnings
ur tolls taAen ON the railroads or canals.
This. ut course, would nut suit the capital
Is-s because Il would put an end to their
occupation and compel them to % to work.
How long VII, IT be before the people viii
learn that our government Is run solely lii
the interest Of capital!
II vas shown how our country Is impov-
erish-d by borrowing abroad, and how for
ej-n Insurance companies anu traders pay
ing less interest than Our own p1upie, are
enabled t. drive them u the vail
II was shown that urgro-slavery is no
worse than wages-slavery and that the
latter vas the worst of the two but that
the abolition of the former, involving the
saue principles, was the sure fOre-runner
of the abolition of wages-slavery.
An example was cited to show how profit
ana interest eats up the substance Of the
producers and tins was subsequently fur
Their illustrated by another speaker, who
showed the origin of money, and the uses
which it was originally intended u perform,
merely a representative Of value and not
value itself.
The subject will not probably be contin-
ued, owing to the fact that our officers are
not far enough advanced 70 grasp the mon
ey question; one az whom, showed most
lamentable ignorance iii his anxiety to place
himself III the rank IF poor man capitalist,
with the inclination but not the ability, to
rob his neghbor. His logic, however, was
completely routed, Yours,
c. b. SMITH.
| I3y Fourth street