The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-08-16
THE RIGHTS or LABOR,

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live, being the natural right of each hui
man being.
The elements of life are food and at
mospheric air, clothing being included in
the former, as it is only an equivalent for
a quantity Of food, in preventing the ex-
posure of the body, and thus making a
less demand for animal heat.
In most regions food is not produced
naturally and spontaneously in sufficient
quantity tosupport population;and, hence,
the cultivation of the earth is necessary
to increase production. There is no limit
to the air we breathe, and scarce limit
to the production of the earth, depend
ing, as it does, upon tie degree of culti-
walton. The toll thus required promotes
human activity and development; and,
in fact, is the foundation of all civiliza-
ton.
Human beings existed in society be.
fore governments were organized. The
demand for food compelling husbandry,
necessitated conventional arrangements
as to division of land, all having the same
natural right to the earth, as to the vital
air. Other social arrangements must
soon have followed, such as the division
of labor into various pursuits, which still
continue to multiply, owing to new dis
coveries and inventions.
Governmental organization, then,grew
out of the necessities of society, being es-
tablished to manage, as agent, the com.
mon or public matters of the community,
and to protect individuals in their &C.
quired or conventional rights of person
and property, Certainly, government
was not designed TO despoil some, in Or
der to heap wealth on others. All this, it
will be seen is foreign to the purpose Of
government.
Our Declaration says, "all governments
derive their just rights from the consent
of the governed" and, also, "when agov-
ernment becomes destructive" of the
just rights of the people, namely, "Life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
it is "their right and duty" to change the
same.
Our system admits of peaceable change
peaceful revolution. The Constitution
provides the mode and method of revis-
ion and amendment, without bloodshed.
And change Of Administration is posi-
BILE every four years, unless force, or
fraud backed by force, intervenes to
prevent the contamination of the ex-
pressed will Of the people.
By change Of Administration we
may secure reform-from corrupt sys-
tenn to one honest and economical-from
vicious and oppressive laws to justice
and fair dealing-from disregard of the
plain requirements of the Constitution to
strict construction of and obedience to
the same.
Our Constitution constitutes govern
ment, being the fundamental law, This
instrument provides for legislative, exec
utive and judiciary departments, pre-
scribing the powers of each, and limiting
their spheres of action. The only just
powers they have are those conferred.
The Constitution was. the work of the
American people, acting through dele
gates, first in general convention at Phil
adelphia in 1887, of which convention
George Washington was the presiding
officer. The instrument prepared by
this body was submitted to each State
for acceptance or rejection, and each
State held its own convention to consid-
er it. 1t was finally adopted by all the
States, and no change has been made ex-
cept the addition of XVI amendments
twelve of which were added during the
administration of Mr.. Jefferson, and by
his advice.
The preamble expresses the object and
purpose of the government to be consti-
tuted, and is in these words;
eve, the people of the United States,
in order to form a more perfect Union,
establish justice, secure domestic tran
guilty, provide for the common defence,
promote the general welfare, and secure
the blessings ofliberty to ourselves and
our posterity, do establish this Constitu-
ton"
It will be seen, the intent of the Con-
stitution is to have just laws, and all citi-
zens equal before the law. In short, our
system of government was designed by
by the founders, to secure the RIGHTS OF
LABOR, 1t is only by disregard of its
principles that wrong doing has crept in,
and that Labor is overwhelmed and
crushed.
The good citizens, who only demand
what is right, must unite, to drive from
power the bad men who have so per-
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