Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-07-06

y
constitution, declares that among other
things, the very purpose, of cstab-
fishing that instrument, were s'to in
sure domestic tranquility" and tspro-
mote the general welfare, /" r of the
people and their posterity !; and then,
in the body of the instrument specific
powers, were given to congress, over
certain matters, as we shall see furth-
er on, which, are not only ample,
when properly exercised, for the
fullest protection of labor, but which
powers were given to congress to be
exercised for that purpose, mainly, if
indeed, not only.
The constitution never had an
ADLER expounder than Webster; who
once said upon this topic: "The gov
ernment was made to encourage this
industry (labor) ''and give it secu-
rity." AS proceed, let us ponder
these grand words, and make the
truths they assert a part of US. .~-
But we are not left either to in
tendmsnt or construction to find the
power in congress to aid and protect
labor; for there will be found in the
constitution the express grants of
three powers, put there, mainly to be
exercised by congress for that express
purpose.
Money is the servant of labor-ab-
solutely essential to its heathful and
profitable operations. Indeed, with
out money there could be no general
syetem of labor, therefore, the consti-
tuition gave to congress the full pow
er to"coin money, negotiate the value
thereof and of foreign coin.
The production of labor must have
market, and it being the business of
commerce to put such productions
into market and make returns there
foI; the constitution gave to congress
the power to regulate commerce with
foreign nations, and among the sever
al states, and, because it was fore
seen that free, independent tax-pay-
Ing labor, must make the cost of pro-
duction greater than that of pauper
labor in Europe, and hence, to pro-
tect our labor against such dangerous
competition, the constitution gave
full power to congress to ''lay and
collect duties and imports,'' and to
provide for the general welfare of
the United States.
THE GOVERNMENT FOR LABOR
The existence of these powers in
congress makes this governments for
labor; the wise exercise of these pow
ers by congress, and in the spirit and
with the intent they were granted,
would make panics and strikes impos-
sible,-would make labor uniformly
prosperous and remunerative would
give as full and constant flow to the
streams of commerce, las God gives to
the waters of the Mississippi; would
at all times give volume of money,
in circulation, as regular and unceas-
ing as the breeze that fans US to-day 3;
would give to business transactions
to be completed and solved in the fu-
ture, the certainty of operation and
faithful performance, in all our calcu-
lations, as the rising Or setting of the
sun stability, growth, h,-peace,-
good order,-entire harmony and ex-
panding prosperity, universal, would
be the sure portion of every citizen,
and the undoubted inheritance of his
children after him.
But those powers have not been
exercised in the interest of labor as
designed; but have either not been
exercised at all, or when employed,
have been so, in the interest of capital
as against labor, building up huge
corporations and monopolies, with
power to control and crush commerce
and of course labor. production. La.
Dor has not now, nor has she had, fol
a third of century, either in con-
gress or out of it, any party to repre-.
sent or protect its interests parties
have been organized upon other issues
and been devoted exclusively to othel
interests, and hence, it has received
fno encouragement or protection, and
has been made the victims of monop
oliessand corporations, controlling ag
gregated wealth in such proportions
as even to defy the government it
self; and the whole nation suffering
from these constantly recurring pan
les, and strikes, and mobs, and riots
of greater or less proportions, with al
the long catalogue of plaques follow
ing in their train.
REMUNERATION.
1t certainly will need no argumen
to demonstrate, nor illustration t.
enforce the truth of the statement, a
a corrollary, from the proposition
( that labor lies at the foundation of al
| the material interests of our country
that, when labor is regularly em
ployed and at remunerative rates
paid in cash, it will be and is prosper
Gus and so must be every other ma
terial interest, and the laborer ant
all the people contented and happy
Labor is remunerative when its pro
duct is in regular and constant de
mand for a fair and reasonable ad
vance in cash, above all cost of pre-
duction which will include interest O
the money used in production, take
and fair compensation for the pre-
4 ducer's own labor. -
!, To make labor remunerative, a
above suggested, it must have tinar
: cial system, currency existing an
characterized by its own peculia
: wants, devises and methods. W
must not forget that money is for ls
Dor, not labor for money. Labo
must have her own financiers, VIII
i. thoroughly and fully understand a
her ten thousand operations and he
, multiplied wants, and then, adopt tt
financial system and fiscal ager
J adapted to these wants and operation:
Labor can have no care of what tt
| circulating medium shall consist. J
is nothing to her, whether her currel
r cy is gold or greenbacks, silver {
: national bank notes, or all four con
| bined, but what she does demand an
4 must have, is currency, wheth'
, metallic or paper or both, of sufficiel
/ volume to equal the full extent of h
t business wants,-each dollar with L
T variations in value, at different timt
I