The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-06-13

mental advancement and elevation of this
class The legislator and statesman should
always bear in mind that unless the State
editice is founded upon right principles it
will sooner or later topple and tumble to
pieces, and following the base line of this
proposition they should also bear in mind
the additional fact that right principles
only become practicable as men become
perfect The State will only be right in
the degree that the citizen is right. If the
citizen is ignorant, socially degraded and
morally wrong, the State cannot possibly
be right
Massachusetts long since passed her
acme Of agricultural greatness. She is now
essentially a manufact lring State. Five
years ago she organized, by law Of her
House Of Representatives, bureau of
labor statistics The i've reports Of this
bureau are worth more than all that has
ever been published in America on the
labor question. The library of the states
man is incomplete without them. They
are frequently referred to in the debates in
Congress they have been warmly received
in England and highly spoken Of by the
London Times. They are in fact cyclo-
pedia on the subject Of which they
treat they contain facts which can no.
where else be found. To establish and
maintain this bureau it has cost Massachu-
sets but from ten to fifteen thousand dol
lars per annum, an amount which, III view OF
the invaluable wisdom 1t furnishes, seems
bagatelle. We need such bureau in Ohio.
The lack of the knowledge which it would
collect and present for the consideration Of
the General Assembly, has, believe, more
than anything else, contributed to the de-
fective legislation of which worklngmen
justly camplain.
We need such bureau now more than
ever to enable the General Assembly to leg
Islate intelhgently upon questions growing
out Of the eXIgencies of our new social con.
dition. We Ere rapidly passing from an
agricultural community into a great manu-
featuring community, and our methods Of
social culture, physical and intellectual
Improvement must be conformed to the
changing condition of our population,
as the legislation necessary heretofore is
not suited or adequate to the urbane char
acter and density our population is now
assuming 1t is Of the irst and greatest
importance that the State should know
and understand the precise social status of
these vast bodies Of toilers who arr crowd
ing into our State and becoming part Of
the State entity. We want to know ust
what proportion of these people are be-
coming permanencles, and what proportion
are floating and fugitive i'll character. The
safest citizen is the man whose interest III
the State depends upon and grows out of a
property consideration. The man who
owns his own domicile. who can say the
roof that shelters him is his own in fee
simple, is generally safe, reliable citizen.
How many of our workingmen are thus
situated How many Of them are simply
renters with no interest in the State, no
interest in anything but their daily wages :
We have no means Of getting at these
facts, facts which unhesltatingly say are
of such Importance that correct knowl-
edge Of them is Of inconceivable value. If
every laborer in the State dwelled In his
own home, beneath the shadow Of his own
vine and hg tree, the State need never fear
the agitator or demagogue. Under such
circumstances, the laborer would redress
his wrongs peaceably and quietly through
that great palladium of our freedom, the
ballot box. No, sir, | am not saying the.
State should furnish workIngmen with
homes All we ask of the State is that 1t
assume its proper role, that OF protector of
the rights of all the citizens. All work
ingmen ask is clear field and no favors
If they had heretofore a clear field, with
no special favors to anyone, more Of them
would be owners Of homes. 1t may be said
they are eXtravagant and reckless and
would not save were their earnings doubly
As large. This may or may not be true,
but if ii be true, the duty of the State is
to determine to what extent it is 80, and
what means are best calculated to remedy
the evil. Ownership in land is an admir-
able soother Of contentious as far AS work
ingmen are concerned. Sir, the ownership
i'll land Of too many worklngmen has here
tofore been limited to the amount that
Harold Of England offered to cede to his
foe, Harold Hardrode Of Norway, :" a
trench six feet long and two broad, or as
you are larger man, perhaps a trlfie
broader" | noticed lately that the land
owners Of Louisiana are selling portions of
their plantations in small lots to the ne
groes ; and, sir, this is the wisest act these
southern men ever performed. | am glad
to know that the eternal march Of events
has finally succeeded in teaching them
even that modicum of wisdom.
(To BE CoNTINUED.)