The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-07-25
CHICAGO DETROIT AND CINCINNATI SATURDAY JULY 25 1874

men from running away. Royalty had tn.
privilege, however, of taking any working
man and setting him at work in any par
of the Kings dOminions. They were al
that time, however, so much the property
OF their masters that if a person had occa-
sion for the services of an artisan for day
or so, he borrowed one, ~ he would their
tools.
The same state of oppression existed
upon the continent Of Europe, and about
the year 1858 the French peasantry became
rebellious and fought their superiors 50 de-
terminedly that they were not finally
crushed down till several countries in
France had been comp etely devastated by
the contending forces
In England, in addition to the disad-
vantagcs under which the working popula-
tiOn labored, the people in general we're
grievously taxed and oppressed. The re-
gents of Richard H., in 1873, levied an
Imposition OF three greats upon every per
son, male and female, above the age of
sixteen years. So burdensome aud tyran-
meal had the government become that the
strangest stories of its purposes were read
lily believed In Essex the peassats were
panic-striken by the report that they were
to be killed, their houses burned and their
farms plundered. Tax-gatherers who de-
manded of WatTyler, in Dartford. in 1921 4,
the three groats for his daughter, were re-
fused payment by him because his daugh-
ter was not sixteen years of age, where
upon one of them caught hold Of the girl,
to prove, as he said, the contrary. Wat
Tyler struck the rascal dead at his feet
The signal for rebellion was given. The
workingmen were everywhere aroused
Delegates went from city to city, calling
them together. They assembled at differ
ent points, armed with hatchets, pixies,
scythes and such weapons as they could
lay their hands upon. They assembled on
Blackheath, near London, and were one
hundred Thousand strong, all workingmen
They sang
" When Adam delved and Eve span,
Where then was the gentleman
They captured London and sent dele
gates to the King. They had platform,
which had four planks
l. The workers with an unanimous voice
demand the abolition of slavery.
2. A fixed rent to be paid for the ground
instead of service as villains
3. Pardon for themselves, signed BY the
King
4. Freedom Of trade.
The delegates met the King
"What do you want III said he.
"To be free ourselves and our children.
with our property, and that we shall no
more be called serfs and held in bond
age"
81 grant it, " said the King.
He signed a charter even. Many thought
that everything was all right and went
home as the King desired. The force of
laborers became divided INTO several par
ties.
Wat Tyler did not trust the King and
the mobiles He still held part Of London.
The King invited him to all interview.
He went without a guard, and Walwolth,
Mayor of London, basely ~ssAssinated him.
After his death the enemies Of the people
had it all their own way. The charter
was revoked, and many we're executed
who had received the Kings pardon
Upon the walls the yictors pinned the le-
gend
"viIlains Won are, villains YOU viii remain
Soon after law was passed compelling
those who had been brought up to the plow
till they we're twelve years Of age to con
tinue in the same calling all their lives
So agricultural laborers sent their children
under twelve years OF age into town to
learn trades. Whereupon another law was
passed forbIdding any person from binding
child of any age apprentice to any trade
unless such person was possessed of land of
a rental of twenty shillings year, and that
children should be brought up in the occu-
patton of their parents, other business
suited to their conditions. In the time of
Henry VII. C485) the villains were almost
unheard of, and the wages were four times
what they had been in the preceding cen
tury. The feudal system had supplanted
the slave system, and new the wage system
had crowded out the feudal A little bet
ter every time, but bad enough yet. The
world is watching for the coming Of still
better kind-that Of cooperation As
the wage system came slowly into promi-
nence, SO the cooperation system Is put
ting a wedge in here and there. prepara-
tory to splitting the present organization
of labor into pieces. The uneasiness Of
the people that characterized the advent Of
the wage system is to be noticed in this
case also.
The rumblings In the mountains were
very audible fifty years ago, and have con
tinued with occasional intermissions since
In 1919, in England, the distress of the
people led to riots and mass meetings all
over Great Britain. Large meetings of the
working classes were held in Leeds, Glas-
gov and many other towns for the purpose
Of petitioning for reform At Stockport a
constable was shot. A peaceable reform
meeting in St. Peters field, at Manches-
ter, was attacked by regulars and yeoman-
nv, the chairman arrested and many per
sons killed and wounded. Reforms were
granted and the people we're tolerably
quiet for awhile. In 1884 they broke out
afresh. The gas workmen struck. Six
agricultural laborers were soon after trans
ported for administering illegal oaths. The
workmen at Leeds sGruck. Then there
were labor riots at Oldham. A great pro-
cession of trades -unionists proceeded to
the government house to intercede for the
agricultur laborers, and were not re-
ceived. The same year there were strikes
Of shoemakers, journeymen engaged in
the building trades, the Glasgow calico
printers, who were out nine months, and
others.
In 1888 came the Peoples Charter, in
remembrance of the charter that Wat
Tyler wanted signed. The Chartists de-
sired universal suffrage, vote by ballot
annual Parliaments, no property qualifica-
tions and some other reforms The strong
hand of power put them down. Yet the
people will not stay put down.
Slowly, quietly, but surely they rise in
England, and for the last thirty years have
made the ruling classes feel their inhu.
ence. Within the same period, on the
continent, France and Germany have wit
messed popular and violent revolutions
SPAN has within few years seen an exas
perated people overthrow her government
and in 1870 Paris saw the triumph of tbs
Commune.
These are heavy the sledge hammer