The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-04-26

the poor the boon and birthright of industry, Ii
turning them adrift. to beg or steal, or starve
and die.
One Of the saddest spectacles that the sun
shinss upon, or humanity weeps over, is that
OF our stricken country, with its vast domain
and slumbering resources, inviting boundless
enterprise and tirelass industry, but paralyzed
as by artic frosts Instead of the cheerful songs
of prosperous and contented labor are heard
the plants OF want and cries of distress.
Forced and involuntary idleness sees the wolf
at the door with no means of driving him |
hence.
What shortsightcdness, guilt and ingratitude /
thus to harass and impoverish the laborer! If |
is worse than destroying the fabulous bird |
which lays the golden eggs. His toiling hands
| crown nations with prosperity and opulencs |
sterility into plenty, We'll has it been said |
that labor is the completion of the great plan Of
the world, as drawn by the Creator, and con-
tinuance of the work Of creation. As the world
was begun with industry so it has proceeded.
When the five days Of the creative era were
ended, then, on the sixth, man appeared and
took up the perpetual task of carrying forward
the eternal cosmos. Having roughly cast the
globe of land and water the almighty Maker
handed it over to man, in all its crude imper-
fect;ons to finish the work-''to dress it aud to
keep it,
| Under this divine commission, behold. what
wonders labor has wrought 1t has rehabil-
| itated the globe, and made it inhabitable by
man 1t has tunneled mountains and exaf ed
valleys 1t has explored earth's dark recesses
and brought up mineral treasures, gems md
precious stones It clothes the valleys with
corn and the hills with fruitagr. 1t weaves in
Vulnerable fabrics for human comfort, pleas
ure and pride. It lays its potent hand upon
old ocean name, and he Yields to steamships
and telegraphs. 1t pioneers the march of civ
ilization and progress. It builds cities, con-
structs railways, digs canals, rears pyramids,
feeds and clothes nations, and adOrns the
world with its trophies and monuments. It is
the chief source of wealth and vitalizer of cap
ital One Gifts grandest triumphs was seen in
the late centennial exposition the sdmira-
ton and pride of millions of entranced behold
ers. the laborer in short, is the mytho ogioal
Atlas who supports the world on his Titanic
shoulders.
How then shall we characterize a financial
policy, rashly adopted and cruellv persisted
in, which by prostrating the business Of the
country robs the laborer of emp oyment. and
dOOms him to idleaess and heggarv? Is it not
nngrat-ful. merciless, suicidal, revolutionary?
Its end no human vision can forespe, but its
authors and ahettors. meanwhile. may profit
by bordering the signif AIT words Of Jnnius.
81 he e is no extremity of distress which OF
Itself should drive great nation to despair.
Is is not the disorder, but the physician: il is
!
cumstances, it is the pernicious hand of govern
ment which alone can make whole people
desperate"
Protection OF person and property-not theiI
,, destruction has been thought to be the great
object and duty Of civil government. Despotic
governments even encourage industry and
/; frown upon idleness The constant and profit.
able occupation Of the people is one of the
, highest objects Of all wise and just govern
!, man.s Palsy the hand Of labor, and the whole
body of the commonwealth is paralyzed.
: government which cru-hes enterprise and ro1s
its laborers of the right and privilege OF eatine
their bread in the swea of the brow, Is recrean'
: to its own solemn trust, and has no right t
darken earth with its Bab-l-shadow.
!, On this point D iniel Webster, the pre-em
y newt statesman of his age, thus speaks.
e ssTha great interest OF this great country
n the pro iIlcing cause Of all its prosperity, /
!. labor, labor, labor. The governm mt wa
4 made to protect this indu trS: to give it boil
d given to COngr ss over the Currency and owe
|, the money system of the country"
!, How little this great leader and his c0ntem
: pnrary civilians could have anticipated thu
y this power, given to Congress, over the cur
{. rency. to give encouragement and security x
y industry, would so soon be perverted an
u welded. on the one hand. to crush the indus
on the other, to pamper and agyrand n til
rich and powerful. or. in the phrase so 'amili
}. in their dav Ito make the rich richer, and tn
poor poorer!'' How darby would his imp ,ris
brow have fvown-d upon policy so crue' an
suicidall He had dark forabodings ola unio
discovered and torn by faction, and prayed !
!, be spared the awful spectacle, but he had n
= presage Of the present deplorable condition q
. his country Its real estate deprecated one
y half; it- aborars hy millions id'e and he00ir'
- or, il able, f ,eing the country; its busin
> men sinking under overwhelming embarras.
encouragement and security, not to industr,
but to bondholders, usurers. STICK jobbers al
:. gold gamblers.
20 During the ant-slavery conflict We were oftf
= told by the champions of slavery, that I'll
= capitalist should ALWAYS own the laborer }" ar
- they boldly prophesied this felicitons owner
u ship As the milannial era of northern sociesy
~ rhey having failed to retain their title and pr
- petn .te their reign as a slave power, has q
money power assumed the work which q
q slave power could not finish, by pauperizir
-. ~ and starving the laborers Of the country
=. submission
"a For a government invested with absolu
n power over the currency to REFUGE its volum
'or and thus change the standard OF values, wit
,ot out making equitable provision for existil
lie contracts and obligations. and saving the del
or class from the &C n iscatioT Of their e-tai
e. bv the creditor class, is the ranksst injuSti
Of and spoilation. For government to d'spe
on age-ai,d destroy its own notes. presumptive
he issued in good faith TO the people, il too M
b. akin to downright ssindling, and next
ne counterfsiting, should be treatrd as era
u mis1emeannr. For a government, or its O
a Gals and partsans, to delrd- the rullic mi
M NTH the fiattering promise Of SPECIE payme'
re- in gold coin, when it is notnrionf that
@ whole Curtry cannot command gold en- p
les IT>m all sources to pay the ivtsiest on
for gold bonds, at home ard abroad, is an I'M
is nous imposition and f1ui. Yrt under
nd manipulation Of the Shylocks, who die.
Ia the financial policy Of the government. all =
)ne wrong and outrage are praftic upon the Y
rem pie. Even the benefit Of their credit IS tai
ap- from them and given to moneyed corporation
uf- who nse tin way to crush them, BY demaI
N ing exorbitant rates of interesf-more %
three-fod the sum that the average borroS
the can afford to pay.
~, To show the utter hOllowness and fufll'sy
ION such promise it may be stated that our ie
md eign debt which, 1t the close OF the civll y
to was bu; $3.50, 900 900, under syndicate ana G,
ne traction policy, has been sweI'ed, lncloo
de- al sources OF indebtedness, to the enorm'
Ind sum Of q, 600 900 900, on which semi ann
F0t. interest IS payable in god, while our ann