The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-04-03

liberation all who agree at that conference
aud counsel will sign their names 70 these
PrIncIDles and propositions We VII
publish them all over the land. II there
are 100 or ysD men there IN that confer
ence who agree and ~h"se names 90 out
attached a. "ur principles and PROPOSE
tl"ns then the lahoring, the toIlIng mass
cS have themselves started "A P''ltIcal
party to rally around. and we will have nc
longer &. vote our enemies int" power over
us. Then. will We have begun the work
1t reconstruction and "f our own red-mp-
tIcn Then We will IaVe \ common pur-
! pose. "a common interest and cO-Opera-
/ tive effort with every other. and different
I class Of industrious workIngmen. This
will he something new. and no ordinary
clap trap ot designing demagogues or
hirelIng. thieving politicians. How long
I do you think IL Will take 10 make such a
movement become the party of the people,
| by the people. for the people
I Have no fears of what our enemies will
say or d." All who are not in interest
with us, are all the while and Of course
against us robbing as. We must, and we
will, have the hines sharply drawn, We
make no apology We are starving and
have been driven Z" starvation, and this
alternative action by those who have
grown rich and lived m the past, out Of
our sweat and toll. and who, of course,
will III tine future. II We allow them and
henceforth we must never, never more
trust them.
Here. then, my friends, Is the outline
Of battle-here. III this action. from which
We must not, in the present, or future.
swerve in tn. least - our hope. OUR ONLY
HOPE. We are to-day practically slaves.
We take tins course t. make US free. and
| to assure that freedom Z" all the WORK ing
classes. black and white, native and fore
Ign born, male and female, men. women
and children. There is no other course
the working classes must make active po-
htlcal war uncompr"mlsIng upon mono
polists. idlers and middle men The line
must be kept sharply drawn. Their sys-
TEN Of wholesale thleving from as aggre-
gates immense wealth in the hands of the
few, and sIualid poverty tO the hard
working multitude tbs unnatural in a
republic, and is wholly due to this class
legislation, and shall no longer continue
with our consent We stand here to-day
declaring war, and our tnal alienation
ami eternal hostility, till our government
,s restored to the people. When sum
moned to fill the ranks Of the militia, We
ought To- resign, We ought never again
carry arms to support monopoly and TO
shoot down cur fellow men, and 10 uiaIn-
t--a monopoly snd system that gives az
the wealth to the few. Ne are aware of
the responsibility ot our position, and We
know the howl that Will 20 up through the
organs "f the~- monopolIsts that cannot
hurt uS u will not give food 70 our chill
dren, a. the wife Of our bosom. nor will It be
halt :" hurtful as TO hive from the soup
houses and loose all self-respect
Let this Anti Monopoly Convention in
angurate this moI ement for practical r.
construction let it begin the actual work
let II select true men tried men known
a. YOU as wise, prudent and unselhsh. As
part uf the committee to call their brother
toliers through The Representative meu Of
every ris : for rvery part VI the country.
ZIP that National Conference. and no man
Nill come Nho ~ not specially invited 4.
there Is No need Of precipItancy let us
take reasonable time u uake a solemn,
serious business of H.
After such representative men have been
in ctucIs representing the best intelligence
81 all classes ut labor So far A. actual IN
dustry Is concerned, and in tins We do not
mean that kind nf labor " hIch monopolists
aud their hlred advocates put forth. nor Of
that hard mental force exertsd by the
mere trader OF niddle-Rsla N szsr .elasses
~ the past,-haSe added - tneir cunning
art that of trading n law-mskina. the
more effectually to promote their private
ends al our expense They get all while
We produce all hence. what We mean bv
actual industry ls that class who make All
| say after these have been together and
have agreed upon what they can and
ought to have, then We have before us the
line and the limit for our work. and some
thing for each Z" do, and for each not tu
DO Ii ~ not for me- nor n il wholly for
you t. say Just " hat that final conclusion
will he nor eau we reasonably hope that
any one man or any one class will have all
the pledges 20 snlt their private industry
exclusively nor can one section expect
tn have special advantages At the expense
of another This National conference
meets to effect the hest arrangement II all
these questions that IT is possible to make
and mite upon.
From my standpoint, viewing the situa-
tion as an individual toiler. and offering
my individual opinion. ] should have no
hesitation IN saying. that in our protest
against monopoly aud SPECIAL grants and
special laws. while we will be ready 10
meet the old monopolists aud bandltti cry
Of vested rights, my answer Ia all would
SUN up IA the proposition for general laws
for all, and special laws for none, and IN
respect t. existing sJecial grants and spe-
cial laws. let them all come in. aud con
form to the general laws, OF wind up and
reorganlze. or % out of existence.
There is No doubt but that the legitl-
mate business and enterprise Of the people
can be carried forward under general laws
A system which absolutely inhibited spe-
clal laws might be attended with some
slight hardshIps. vet they had better he
| borne than that the power If knavlsh
speculators and cunning sharpers be left
/ to run riot and rum a. IL does to-day. II
asked what function | would have stron ger
than all others to be exercised by the Fed
eral Government, you'd say Y: Ii should
be that which would most sacredly hold
and guarantee the rights OF each and every
State to all its rightful sovereign power,
and to exercise no repressive power over
any one except in regard to matters which
affect the equal enjoyment Of sister States
and in these would have only such legi.-
lation that one should have no advantage
which could not be equally claimed and
exercised by the other. No rights should
be by Law enjoyed by one human being
which Is denied to another. except "A q
penalty for crimes which should apply alike
to all-high aud low. rich or poor white
or black, male or female, and when We
get to this bottom rock Of social and politi
cal Justice our building will stand. and
peace and plenty fill the land
The currency, the medium of exchang
ing and measuring all property and labor
should be issued only by the federal gov
ernment, and till some a. good or better
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