The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-01-17

I'VE 90 DOT hold ourselves responsible Tor any opinion
IMPRESSED by our Correspondence


PONTIAC, Dec 80, 1873.
To the Editor Of the wOEKK0MAN's ADVOCATE.
Boston recently had tea party to com
menmorate the destruction of certain car
goes of tea in its harbor. The seizure OF
this tea was forcible protest against tn,
right Of Great Britain to impose taxes OH
the Colonies. At that day self-govern-
ment was regarded as an absurdity Ma.
ticns must have kings or queens, with Ar.
istocracies, state churches, and an i'm
mense amount Of paraphernalia for the
subsection and plumber If the people. AL
these things had come down from re-
mote antiquity, and must therefore
be maintained, reason or no reason. The
Colonies sought no change in these things,
but simply protested against taxation with
out representation. We have all heard
how the quarrel went on, little by little,
until Declaration Of Independence was
the result, and the Colonies became free
and self-governing States.
Wss our Revolution fnality, blocking
the wheels of progress for all time to comet
Certainly not. The new republic, like the
old monarchy, has-generated certain forms
of oppression and robbery, and now, at
the end Of a century, the plundered and
oppressed people are protesting against
this OF that form Of organized money tyr
amy and robbery. We have farmers
garages ard trade and labor unions, uni
ted, like the Colonists, for redress of griev-
ances. As yet they all demand small and
Insignificant concessions, such as reduced
freights, increase of wages, or diminution
Of labor.
How long can this thing last Is it not
PLAIN that the agricultural and working
classes stand to-day just where the Colo
nists did a century since Are they not
protesting against tyrannies which treat
them with utter contempt Are they not
subjected to taxation without representa-
ton by cooperative oligarchies in all direc-
tions Is not every State covered with
railroads and factories and other indus
trial enterprises, the visible results Of la
boris earnings for a century, and Of which
labor does not own q penny What king
or aristOcracy has ever been 30 potent for
plumber as the existing monied classes
As history repeats itself" just 50 sure
ly will the now submissive and protesting
industrial classes raise the banner Of re-
volt, and issue a declaration Of indepen-
dence for labor against the tyrannies, mis-
arrangements and robberies Of capital
And yet this capital, blind ,udeaf, and idi-
otic as King George, trusts to lts bought
legislatures and congresses, its hired press,
its subservient courts, its obedient police,
to settle all its difficulties and crush labor
at any moment it becomes too insolent !!
When will governments Of any kind learn
wisdom
As l776 was 50 fatal to British preten-
sions, so ought labor Of all grades, agri-
cultural, manufacturing and mining, to
prepare itself for the great conflict OF 1876.
Our political republic cannot exist much
longer unaccompanied by a social republic
In what does the social republic consist :
The freedom Of labor from the diminution
Of capital. The freedom Of labor to work
for itself, and TO own and control its entire
earnings. Freedom from all class dicta-
ton and monied slavery. And every 9th
er freedom and enjoyment that can accom-
pany unlimited wealth aud unrestrained
progress.
Labor Of all kinds, like the Colonists,
mHst elect and establish government for
itself. Like the Colonists, also, it must
issue its own currency, and with this legal
tender currency set itself 70 work; must
create and exchange its products; must
necessarily own and control ali the profits
and accumulations resulting from its eff
forts, without the payment Of tax, profit:
OF interest 10 any class o,ttsite II itselt
Free labor, with national currency. adj
vanced to labor free Of interest. is the only
lever that will raise the industrial classe.
TO their proper level. As Independence
became the watchword Of the Colonies, Sc
mast it be that Of labor There is DO po,
litical or social evil which this will not
cover and remedy. As declaration Of
independence, and the governments thai
grew out Of it, made us a politically free
nation, 50 will labors declaration of indie
pendence, and the wages to grow out of it,
make Of us a people wealthier, freer, hap
pier, and more progressive than any tn,
world has yet witnessed. j. +. h.