The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1877-03-03
FROM OHIO.
CNcINNATI, Feb. %. ls17.

CrNcINNArI, Feb. 25. 1877.
r. the Editor II TnE wopkNsxAN's ADyo ~
Much Of the depression of the past few
months in business circles, has been ascribed
to the uncertainties Of the political situation,
ana the hope has been confidently expressed.
that the settlement OF the Presidentialquestion
in such a manner as to preclude the POSSIBLE
ity OF civil war, would result in an improved
condition in industrial affairs 1t is well
that We are not without hope, but any hopes
% steady revival based upon the settle
m,nt Of the political status, are doomed to
be dispeled IN no very pleasant manner to
the sufferers
These reflections naturally bring up the
question as to what is the cause or causes Of
the present condition of affairs, and for three
years theory on top Of theory has been ad-
anced without touching the root Of the
question. which, in few words may be said
to be that re right % iirt carries ,riH il the
y7yht u 'aL0r.
The rigat to labor has deteriorAted into
privilege, that privilege being dependent ON
the within or will Of another, and consequent
ly the right - life. not considering liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness, is dependent
on another.
The right t. labor has been denied to
hundreds of thousands of able and willing
men, ard yet how few Of them recognize the
fact that they are deprived Of a right, and
81 Il v,r1x,,lara Tbax- raaIi-
ly believe the assertion that there has been
over-productlon, or that a nation we have
been living beyond our means, or that the
waste Ut wealth by Jay Cooke in his n. Y.
K r., and other similar enterprises, is the
cause Of our troubles and that they have been
increased by our political troubles; and they
are seemingly content to wait for the good
times that will never again come under our
present industrial system. 1t would be rather
a risky assertion to say that times will never
be any better. but there is no risk in assert
ing that good times can never become perma
nent SO long as the right to labor Is not so
guarded both by Law and public opinion, that
it will be as sacred as is the right to air and
water
There is not an idle workingman in the
country, who in his own person is not living
witness to the over production lie. No matter
what his trade or calling he would produce
something that would be willingly taken by
another provided that othtr could also produce
and thus have something to give in exchange,
but alas, the means Of production are in the
hands Of one or more not dependent on L. bor;
they will not permit the means 10 be used ex.
cept u profits themselves. and because they
cannot see their per cent in the working of
their tools, machinery, &c. the laborer must
perforce do without work, The private own.
ershlp of the means Of production has placed
labor in its present condition, and it will never
get out Of that condition while that private
ownership continues.
One hundred years ago. although private
ownership was recognized, yet every man had
the means to labor, and the right to the re-
wards Of that labor. Every mechanic was his
own employer, and his prosperity was gagged
by the amount and intelligence of the labor
he performed Every farm hand and com
mon laborer, who was not satisfied to labor
for another could readily commence to labor
for himself; but to-day all is changed, and
machinery and concentrated capital have
worked the change. The mechanic does not
own the machinery, and instead Of being
benefited by it is injured. The machine and
the mechanic combined will produce six times
the amount that the mechanic alone could
produce, but the mechanic gets none Of the
increase, the owner of the machinery takes
that an when through the machinery he has
filed his warehouse, the machine and the
mechanic are stopped, and the mechanic can
starve because Of the overproduction. II the
mechanic could have controlled the result of
his production he would readily exchange it
for the production of another, and neither
would have thought Of an over-production.
liza man or his family were by an inexora-
bic law allowed no more than three barrels Of
-four in year, and otker neeessaries in pro-
portion, and he should use the entire provis.
ion in ten months, then he would he consid.
cred as having lived beyond his means, but
where is the scarcity of anything in this
country to-day LIS there q scarcity Of -four, Of
clothirg, of pork or beef and if there il no
scarcity of anything, how can we have lived
beyond our means. 1t is claimed that we
have lived beyond our means because we owe
SO much to foreign countries. well are we
likely to owe less. by stopping the production
Of wealth. Would not the very commonest
Of common sense, say that man OF a people
in debt should work steadily to enable him or
them to get out of debt, but the political
savans who cry out that we have lived be-
yOnd cur means and are in debt, say the way
to get out Of debt is to stop producing any
thing to pay it with.