The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-08-11
coMMuN1sr1c pEMoGoGUERY.


, in the announcements of modern political
conventions the country was actually startled
last week by the bold announcement OF COM
munistic ideas by the Republican convention
| of Ohio. The idea Of the commune OF course
is that the government" shall take complete
charge Of the affairs Of the people, like the pa.
, rent of IA great famly-pmscribing the hours
of labor of each member regulating his wages
and generally experimenting the division Of
the product of the Joint labor Of all among
the members Of the state or common family.
This is the ultimate outcome. Meantime,
rs approaches TO it, the communists at present
only insist on the state taking charge Of the
railroads, mines factories and other institl-
tions employing large amounts Of labor and
regulating the wages Of labor and the profits
according to the communistic idea. This is
exactly the idea which the republican convcn-
ton of Ohio endorsed and made part of its
platform. They ask that congress shall 50 leg
islatc rs to secure fair wages TO the laborcr by
Establishing a bureau charged with that duty
and empowering the federal judiciary to en-
force through arbitration the price lists diyis
ion of profits, &c, as fixed by the bureau"
At first, this startling announcement was
attempted TO be whistled down the wind by
the more sober and sensible republican jour
nails as bit Of electionecring clap-trap, de-
signed merely to take advantage of an existing
temporary excitement to catch votes. Such
papers, however are Obliged TO change that
tune when it is found that the cabinet at
Ohio pronouncement, and propose to embody
Il formal endorsement of it in the forthcoming
Presidents message. That the new plank is
also to be regarded as permanent institution
is shown by the formal endorsement which
il receives from Judge West the nominee of
the Ohio convention for governor. In a speech
at Cleveland on the 1st inst the Judge endors.
ed the new plank in the following emphatic
language
| desire to say, my fellow citizens 10 you II
word only upon subject which | know is
uppcrmOst in the minds and in the hearts of
most of you 1t is that the industry of our
country shall be so rewarded as that labor shall
at least receive that compensation which shall
be the support and sustenance of the laborcr
do not know how it may certainly be brought
about. ! know the difficulties | know the
embarrassments; | know how insurmountablc
are the distractions in the way of an equal OF
proper adjustment of the relations between
those who labor and those who furnish the
means and opportunities to labor. But if had
the power | would try one experiment at least
| would prohibit the great railroad corpora
ia rrpp Inf nt Inn M
trade from so reducing their rates by ruinous
as to disable themselves from pay.
ing just compensation To their operators
would go further, and try the experiment
but | do not know that il would succeed |
would arrange and fix minimum of prices
for all who labor in the mines and upon the
and then require that from all the
net receipts and the proceeds Of the capital in
vested, the labOrcr at the end Of the year should
in addition TO his fixed compensation, receive
Il certain per cent. of the profits.
Then, if the profits were insufficient To com /
pensatc you as literally as you might otherwise
desire, you would bear with your employers
portion of the loss. But if these receipts he
sufficient TO make division we would in
Gods name let the labOrer, who is worthy Of
his hire, share II portion of the profits.
We read in the history of England that in
=
1 slave attached to the soil or a master; he
next became villain, and finally an cntrin-
'hsed freedman, as competent TO make a con
ract in the matter of his labor as any other
nan in the matter Of his property. In the
Spacious days of great Elizabeth" and before ;
he cntranchisemcnt was completed, Il labOrer's
wages were limited to the fair wages" annual
Y fixed 1y the justices after due consideration
If the circumstances of each year, andicither
o offer or TO take more than this amunt was =,
/ felony. The justices alone could license
aborcr to work and that only in harvest time,
'ut of his own county. The justices in dis |
particular had inherited the power of the lords. IL
The lahorcr had been in England slave for. If
vcr In Elizabeth's time he had got on 50 i
ar that he could direct his own movements Il
lnder and by virtue only of a certificate from a
justice of the peace. The prices Of Il labor. |
RS wages, like those of II tradcsman's wares. Id
we're regulated by the government From this 7
Ontrol the trader escaped first the artisan next >
nd the agricultural laborcr last of ALL When In
be trader had become free, and under the laws r
( trade the prices of food advanced beyond the o
leans of the laborer, not yet fully enfranchi>- Il
Il, the parish stepped in and paid the labprcr q
ne difference The town or city became the K
aymastcr to that extent and so far realized !
ne communism Of later days, Not till 1884 y
id Parliamentary commission in England b
ntirely deliver Great Britain from the thral- In
ON Of these crude ideas Of political economy" ia
As opposed TO this supcranuatcd and cyplod. I'll
| idea of "od England the American meth W
L. based on the 0phorism of jefferson lha, Il,
that government governs best that governs in
asst" has been Il rigid abstainment by the ia
ovcrnmcnt from all interference with thcrail- lw
Dads, mines and other large industrial and cs
Ianuiacturing undertakings of the people I'm,
4. 4.