The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-08-21
LABOR'S PLEA.
ir.gly.

IL almost seems a. Ii lhOOr anu capital
were coming to final struggle. The war
cry of capital now is, "down with the
unions" In England, as here, capital has
entered into a ''holy alliance" to crush
down labor. The conflict there is on a
gigantic scale. Amalgimated capital is
now in position to defend labor every
where. strike in one place is met by a
lockout of all branches of trade. One de-
partment can no tonger help another Labor
must surrender or die. Capital gives it no
other alternative.
Can modern finance, government and
religion advise nothing better than the
dependence of thousands of men and
women upon the wants and caprices of an
insignificant minority Is labor born
serf to capital, for all tine to comet Must
it toll like a horse and be submissive as
dog, age after agel Shall a republic,
equally with a monarchy, insure social
serfdom for the massesl
Our social system, With its laws, judici-
aries, legislatures and Z" free presses has
degenerated into vast machine for the
plumber and dislevement of industry every
where. Social liberty has no foothold in
republics or monarchies,
If labor were to demand restitution of
the plumber legally" taken from it, much
fault might be found with reason. If
labor were to say &c its master and owner,
you live in palace and | in howell
you have pleasant occupation three OF four
hours day, and / work hard for ten
you receive thousands Of dollars for your
services, and l only few hundreds-you
live on the fat Of the land, and l can
scarcely feed and clothe my family-give
Inc half of what capital and labor earns"
if labor were to say this, it might be con-
sidered insolent and rebellious. But labor
demands nothing Of the kind 1t is pa
tient and submissive as a dog. 1t never
presumes upon more than to humbly
crave little more wages, protest against
a reduction. And the reply in general is
q lock out and loss of employment, OF
imprisonment through anti-republican con.
spiracy laws!
How long is it supposable that this
severity is to continued L. there no end
to human patiencel Have there never
been such things as revolts and revolutions
and bloody retributionsl
Capital to-day, through the civilized
world, rears its proud head upon loaded
mine. Its extortions and tyrranies are
creating hosts Of enemies everywhere. The
very instrument it works with may turn
and rend it. 1t scorns to compromise ol
conciliate, but demands unconditional
submission. And this, too, from the very
men that create presidents, governors and
legislatures
What renders labor powerlessl Nothing
but disunion. Its millions of votes, suf
fcient to redeem it from slavery anC
want, are thrown away upon believing pol
iticians and their shallow clap-traps. They
try party after party, only to become dis
gusted with the universal fraud and ras
cality or their imbeoility of leaders.
Our centennial should usher in = new
era for labor-an era of industrial indie
pendence. 1t Is time that its serfdom wa
abolished, and buried with Kingcraft
With our boundless resources and un
equalled labor there ought not TO be al
unemployed or poor man or woman in the
union, but p&nics. financial arrangement,
and enforced idleness demonstrate tha
the productive machinery Of the world il
ignorantly and inef6ciently managed. Has
labor any better system to offerl Not yet
But out Of its uRcared for travails and
sufferings will soon be born great prin-
ciples and New DispeDsation for labor
Laws and bayonets may attempt to drive
n back, as the Hessians did the Revolu-
ton. With what success.